Traveling throughout China by Air, Rail and Road

Traveling in China may not be as difficult as you imagine, even if you don't speak Mandarin Chinese. Modern day China is much more welcoming to foreign guests and many Chinese are especially considerate and accommodating to western visitors.

Airline travel within the country is particularly easy as announcements in most airports are in Chinese and English and getting through security is not as much of hassle as it is here at home.

Train travel can be challenging but is still very doable and very affordable. The biggest challenge lies in what you carry. Many stations require going up and down stairways to and from trains which can be difficult with heavy bags. Trains can be crowded especially in major cities like Shanghai. Be forewarned the Chinese are all in a hurry to get on the train and courtesy is not at its best in this environment.

Regardless to your load or destination I suggest always booking train travel in advance. Most good hotels have ticketing services and schedules can be easily found online. Select "soft" seats or cars depending on what is available and the length of your trip. Soft seats are the equivalent of first class. In some cases you must choose between "first class" or "regular" soft seats. Soft cars are semi-private sleeping cars with a total of 4 bunks a small table and a shared bathroom, in the hall. Soft car is the best choice and considered first class even if it is not by western standards.

When possible choose bullet trains with their new cars and fast service!

Hotels may not be as reliable as travel and trust me you definitely get what you pay for! Top hotel chains which may be a safe bet in the states are not necessarily the way to go in China. If available and you like clean accommodations always select 5 or 4 stars, anything less and you are going to be disappointed. Even 4 stars can be sketchy at times and I suggest that you request a look at your room before making a final decision.

Having said that there are really nice hotels in China as well. The Sofitel in Suzhou and the Hangzhou Hyatt are marvelous! The Sofitel in Hangzhou on the other hand is not! A perfect example of why you cannot rely on a name.

When booking a room ask if breakfast is included in the price, pretty standard all over the country. Also be sure to ask whether you will be charged for an internet connection. Many times it is included but if not prices range from flat daily fees to per minute charges.

With the 2008 summer Olympics in store China is anxious to show the world the China of today with its booming economy, wealthy neighborhoods and technological advances. A great example of "modern" China is the new Beijing airport a masterpiece of function and design.

If you do visit China I recommend adding Hangzhou to your list of stops for a visit to the beautiful West Lake area. West Lake is easily going to take one day to walk the perimeter and spring is a lovely time to do that. One of my personal favorites not only because of the natural beauty of the gardens surrounding the lake but also because of the terrific spa at the Hangzhou Hyatt! This full service spa has a variety of treatments and I will be back to take advantage of the great spa values! Try the 4 1/2 package of services for under $200 that includes non stop massage, exfoliation and pampering. It was a great time out for me especially after traveling so much.

Until next time, Beth

Returning and Visiting Shanghai

Returning to Shanghai after a few very long days I am catching up on some much needed rest and look forward to a couple of days of unpacking only once! I will be heading back home soon and I have to say that I am tired of packing.

I took time to get my hair done, very different then in the US, about a 15 minute massage by the shampoo girl. I wandered around an Indonesian mall which had many familiar stores. I was reminded of my friend Tiffany when I stumbled across a Hello Kitty store, apparently very popular here. I especially enjoyed strolling the European clothing stores.






Amy and I also took some time to see the Bund area of Shanghai. This lovely water front is located in an upscale area of Shanghai. With its beautiful views, lush landscaping and skyscrapers the Bund is sprinkled with eateries including Starbucks, Haagen Dazs and McDonald's. Starbucks was busy and unlike anywhere else they had 2-3 stores located within a couple of blocks of one another, suprising!

The Bund





Catch my upcoming posts that will include pictures from the Huangshan tea gardens, shopping and more.

I enjoyed the advertising on this bus.

Until next time, Beth

Gardens of Suzhou

I am backing up a bit but wanted to share some photos from the beautiful city and gardens of Suzhou. We visited this rapidly growing area and stayed at the lovely Sofitel Hotel, which I highly recommend.


The first garden we visited was the Lions Grove Garden, one of four famous Suzhou gardens. Dating back to the Yuan Dynasty 1342 A.D. the garden is known for its lake stones and rockeries. This grand rock work forms a three layer maze, winding paths and numerous caves.

After falling into disrepair the garden was purchased by an ancestor of the original archirtecht, I.M. Pei, in 1917 and was kept up by the family until they donated it to the people's government. Lion's Grove opened to the public in February 1954.










The next garden, the Humble Administrators Garden, is the most famous of all and recogonized as the best-preserved and a typical example of clasical gardens created by craftsman in ancient China. The largest private garden in Suzhou the 5.2 kilometers was first landscaped in the Ming Dynasty 1513 A.D..










Until next time, Beth

Nanjing to Huangshan - Visiting the tea gardens

The weather is cold and dreary in Nanjing and I have spent the entire short visit in the hotel enjoying the very nice accomadations, writing and catching up with stuff in the US. Excited about the teas I have purchased in Fuding, I have a lot to share with those back home.

We board the train to Huangshan, in the late afternoon,and begin the 8 hour journey in the soft car compartment. The monkey travels with me a little token from home. Amy is off to sleep and I enjoy the countryside doted with beautiful signs of spring.

We arrive in Huangshan check into our hotel and schedule the following days meetings and garden visits. This Friday is Tomb Sweeping Day or Qing Ming and all of Shanghai will be closed so we must shorten our stay in Huangshan in order to accomplish our goals back at the office there.

We meet with old friends and new in this burgeoning city flanked by lovely mountains. Only new tea samples in this region, the primary harvests will not take place for another couple of weeks.




Visiting with Mr. Fang and all of his staff, many of who I recognize from my last visit. It is a pleasure to see everyone and they are welcoming and hospitable as always.

Mr. Fang is anxious to show us a new organic garden but the trip is to far for our short visit, next time. Organic gardens in China are far removed from the hustle and bustle of heavily populated areas. Many are located where there is zero population, which makes meeting the stringent organic requirements much easier.




We visited three gardens, had dinner and talked business well into the night before catching our plane back to Shanghai. I had the distinct opportunity to meet one of Mr. Fangs customers at dinner. This gentleman is a professor and authority on Daoism with a book to his credit. While written in Chinese, I am delighted to receive a signed copy that includes a photo of him with the youngest sister of the last ruler in the Qing Dynasty, pretty cool.

Look for my photo posts from this lovely local. Until next time, Beth

From Wenzhou to Nanjing

The drive from Fuding to Wenzhou is really lovely, quaint countryside. When we arrive in Wenzhou it is obvious that this is a wealthy area, very well maintained roads and parks and lots of fancy cars, one that we avoid because it is driving very erratically.

The airport is nothing like the city very old and very small but easy to navigate. You know its a good thing that Amy has me to find our way! Despite the very foggy weather our flight leaves on time and are glad when the plane lands in Nanjing, the flight got very bumpy, not fun.

We check in at the Nanjing Jinling hotel and get settled in our very nice accomadations. Off to my favorite tailor to place an order and then back to the hotel. The weather is cold, cloudy and very dreary so we are in for the night. Maybe we will do a little shopping tomorrow before leaving for Huangshan on Monday, weather permitting.

Until next time, Beth

White Tea Mountain Photos

Photos from Fuding Mountain and the Organic Gardens

Narrow pass on the drive up


New garden at the base of the "tea" mountain



The pride of a job well done

Amy and the gang on our way up


The six organic gardens


Organic teas in spring





Looking down the backside of the mountain from the garden



Bring the leaves to the factory


Freshly picked leaves


Inside the drying room

White Tea Factory Photos

Meeting our hosts, Mr. Lin and Ms Hang



Drying Bai Hao Leaves





Tea Processing




Cupping and selecting teas Organic Bai Hao Xin Cha (New Tea)



Lunch Views

Next Stop White Tea Country - Visiting the Mountains

After a wonderful day with Mr. Li we load all of our belongings into a car and head to our next destination, Fuding white tea country. After the 1 1/2 hour trip through the mountains we arrive to a very busy downtown area. We check into our hotel and comfortably rest for the night.

In the morning Miss Coe comes to greet us and delivers us to the factory where we are going to begin our day with this potential new supplier. We meet Mr. Lin who is the President of the company who proudly tours us through his massive facility. Most impressive are the organic processing areas where the high tech equipment and processing procedures are obviously the highest standard. Amy and I cup some teas and get to know more about Mr. Lin and his organization which is much to my liking.

Because white teas come in so many levels of quality and grades I am really interested in finding additional sources and we have definitely hit the mark here, good job Amy!

After cupping teas we get back in the car and head up the mountain to lunch. The ride at best is drivable but when we finally arrive at the club, I guess, the view is amazing and well worth the bumpy trip.

We sit outside, by what is the pool area in the summertime, overlooking a large body of water with a spectacular view. I suspect that Taiwan is on the other side of that body of water but cant confirm that. We are served tea, organic Bai Mu Dan of course, and enjoy conversing with Mr. Shao who has joined us.

After enjoying a meal of mostly local seafood and veggies we are back down that mountain to head up another to the tea gardens, yeah!

The trip up the mountain is incredible! It takes us a little more than an 1 hour to finally arrive at the gardens and I have been taking pictures the entire way. Amy says no one will believe me but I actually get a lot of good pictures just hanging the camera out the window and snapping, she calls me the "blind cat", a Chinese legend I will share in a later blog.

Anyway the mist is hanging on the mountain side. The air is cool and crisp. The environment is unlike any other I have seen in China, precisely manicured and meticulously cared for more like a public garden then a tea garden.

As we climb further up the mountain I realize Mr. Lin is not just the owner of a tea company he is a nature lover, committed to the environment in which he has been given charge. His passion flows as he leads the way snapping his own photos of flower blossoms and sharing all of his obvious local botanical knowledge and love for this awesome place.

Among the tea plants grow herbs and flowers, he explains that this synergy is part of the final product that ends up in our cup. He points out the 6 surrounding hills on the mountain that are part of the organic tea farm. He jets off the beaten path occasionally, with me close behind, to observe or show me something. No he doesn't speak English and my Chinese is pathetic but we clearly understand each other and I feel a part of the whole process.

When I tell people back home that the best assurance of the quality of our products comes from my relationship with the growers this is exactly what I am talking about. Not easily expressed but obvious in the moment, I can rest assured that the teas I purchase from this man will be held to the highest standard. An assurance I am confident to pass on to my customers in the US.

We continue winding through the mountain and at each turn the view is even more beautiful then before! Once on the top, Mr. Lin has built a small gazebo in which you can experience the view 360 degrees, inspiring. He pauses a moment and I snap a picture that I believe captures the spirit of my new friend.

As we begin our descent a lite rain starts to fall and the wind becomes much colder, perfect timing as usual. Stopping along the way we finally reach the bottom where we began our hike. As we round the final bend we are greeted by a newly planted flower garden which sits on a small blue green pond and I imagine this will be even more beautiful on my next visit.

The first stage processing facility is located on the mountain and we walk back to it and watch as tea pickers arrive with their freshly harvested leaves. Again I catch a whiff of the intoxicating aroma of freshly baked tea leaves, incredible.

We walk through the much smaller facility as the leaves are being processed and head up some stairs to the drying room. Mr. Lin opens the door at the top and gestures that we cant go in because of our shoes, so I immediately take mine off. He smiles, removes his shoes and the two of us enter the room. This is a new experience for me and I don't regret for a moment walking in my bare feet! I am surrounded by drying Bai Hao Yinzhen tea leaves and their lovely aroma.

Mr. Lin leaves us for a meeting out of town and we finish our visit with a cup of tea and some business discussions before heading back down the mountain to the main factory to finalize our negotiations. I purchased every ounce of chen cha organic Bai Hao Yinzhen they have! I also purchase some of the organic Bai Mu Dan chen cha and arrange for additional teas to be shipped in 60 days once harvested and processed. I am more then pleased at the opportunities that the day has presented and to have added another quality partner in the Teas Etc. supply chain.

In the morning Mr. Lin is gracious enough to meet us to say goodbye and assure me that in 2 weeks I will have new tea samples for the production of our organic white teas for this year. He has arranged for his car to take us to the airport in Wenzhou for our flight to Nanjing. The very rare, chen cha white teas have already been packed and boxed for me and I arrange to have them sent to our Shanghai office and then the US.

This visit alone has been worth the trip, but I am certain there is more to come!

Off to Nanjing and a day of rest before we head back to the mountains of Anhui province and the green tea triangle!

Be sure to catch the pictures from this visit in a seperate blog entry!
Until next time, Beth

Tea Reserach Institute and Tea Gardens

After a delicious lunch we make the trip up into the mountains for a rare opportunity to visit the Tea Research Institute Fujian Academy of Agriculture Sciences! Not open to the public Mr.Li's partner knows someone at the institute so we get an inside look.

The mountains are lovely. When we enter the gates a large stone statue of Lu Yu is appropriately located in the courtyard of the institute. Lu Yu is the father of tea and my personal hero.

As we get close to the entrance I encounter a familiar smell, the sweet, intoxicating aroma of freshly heated tea leaves. There is no other aroma quite like it and I pause for a moment to capture and inhale this delightful perfume. There is no way to describe this scent or to reproduce it that I know of, I wish I could share it with you because it is amazing!

We enter the institute and find a man and woman making tea and watch as they prepare the freshly harvested leaves. After observing for a while and checking out the place we head to the mountains for a closer look at the tea plants.

This is my favorite part and definitely the reason I love to visit China. We head up the mountains and before long the steep climb has warmed us up. In every direction there is nothing but tea, each hill, mountain and valley all tea! A beautiful stream runs along side the mountains below and I take it all in, beautiful.

I wish the pictures could capture the beauty of a tea garden at least I hope that you enjoy the pictures 1/2 as much as I enjoyed the day.

Until next time, Beth

Making Flowering Teas in Fujian

Mr. Li picks us up first thing in the morning and we are off to the factory where we are able to meet the rest of the staff, see their current facility expansion and see how these exceptional works of art are produced.

The process for making these teas is done completely by hand. The leaves are selected and individually gathered together, cut and tied. Once this preparation is complete the individual flowers are hand sewen into the leaves. If no additional flowers are going to be added the teas are then set on drying trays and placed on a rack inside a drying machine.

The atmosphere at the factory is very friendly and down to earth. The artist making the teas are quick to share a "hello" and a smile with me. Each place you visit in China has its own energy and this one is good. You can sense that this is an easy going, comfortable place to work.

We go to another area of the factory where a different variety of flowering teas are being produced and Amy and I each make a flowering tea, sewing on the flower blossom to the already formed tea leaves. As most things the workers make a hard task look easy and Amy and I decide we better keep our day jobs.

Mr. Li is also quite nice and very down to earth. We have the opportunity to cup some incredible teas before heading out to lunch and the tea institute. The new flowering tea I have selected is really cool, it is actually blossoms from the tea plant! Camellia Beauty, the name, will arrive out our warehouse in mid May. I am also very fond of the spring Bai Hao Yinzhen, one more tea to consider as I select the best teas for sale back in the US.

Bai Hao Yinzhen
New flowering tea, Camellia Beauty, arriving in May



Watching these beautiful teas being made

Arriving in Fujian Province

We arrive in Fuzhou and are met by our driver, sent by Mr Li whose company sells us the beautiful flowering teas. The flight to Fuzhou was uneventful and I am looking forward to the 2 hour drive to Fuan. Driving like this is always a great opportunity to see the countryside.

When we finally arrive at our hotel Mr. Li is there to greet us with a room key in hand. The three of us go to dinner and discuss the following days agenda; a visit to the processing factory, the tea institute and the gardens.

Off to sleep to prepare for a great day tomorrow!

Until tomorrow, Beth

West Lake Photos

Plum Blossoms












One of several lake statues











Images throughout West Lake

Spring Time in West Lake

All settled in at the fabulous Hyatt Hangzhou after a very hectic day traveling by train we are really excited about the day ahead at West Lake.

Hangzhou's West Lake area is consider to be one of the most beautiful places to visit in China and spring makes it even more appealing. The plum blossoms are in bloom and the gardens are breathtaking.

We spent the afternoon just enjoying everything the area has to offer. The last time I was in Hangzhou was during the spring festival which occurs in late April and is an important holiday when many Chinese travel domestically, Hangzhou being one of if not the most popular place to visit. Needless to say on my last trip it was so crowded with people I did not enjoy it as much as I wanted to.

I took tons of great pictures and tried to upload them but am not able to, something with my connection? Which sometimes happens here....will post some eventually!

Back to business tomorrow cupping teas in Hangzhou, until next time, Beth

Eating Like Royalty

After visiting East Mountain we were invited to join our hosts along with the Chairman of the Shanghai Tea Council, Mr. Chen (yes another Mr. Chen) for lunch at the renowned, historic Suzhou restaurant, De Yue Lou. Dating back to the Qing Dynasty the restaurant was beautifully updated with 3 floors of exceptional eating.

The owner of the restaurant was gracious enough to join us and we spent the next couple of hours enjoying one of the best meals I have ever had. The presentation was worthy of photographs so I got my tourist on and started taking pictures (see below).

At one point Amy asked me if I knew what I was eating and I kindly replied "no and don't tell me now, tell me later". When we talked about it later that day I knew I had made the right choice! Regardless everything I ate was fabulous and I would do it all again without a second thought.

As the toasts, cheers and good wishes wrapped up we took some more photos and said our good bye's and spent the rest of the gorgeous day walking Suzhou city, the weather is sunny and really nice.

Until next time, Beth

LUNCH PICTURES




















Mr.Chen and I











Mr. Chen, Mr. Wu and I

Bi Lo Chun Tea

What an amazing day. We were invited to join Pauline, Mr. Yu, Mr. Chen and the Agriculture Director of East Mountain, where the original Bi Lo Chun is grown, Mr. Wu for a visit to the factory where the finest early spring Bi Lo Chun is produced.

This exceptional tea is completely hand processed from the first plucking to the final downy buds in the cup. I was honored to enjoy a cup of the rare first flush, so limited in supply that it is not available in the commercial market. Unlike many of the Bi Lo Chun teas that I have previously experienced this soft green tea has obvious fruit tones and a sweet, complex character, what a treat.

The factory owner and Mr. Yang, head of the East Mountain Farmer Cooperative, explained that the original and only certified Bi Lo Chun, one of China's 10 famous teas, is only produced in the East/West mountains. Most of the Bi Lo Chun teas, especially in the US, are copy's, not the real thing. Authentic Bi Lo Chun teas are certified, like a trademark, and are extremely expensive. Certified teas can not be sold randomly without an agreement with the cooperative, which is what the meeting is all about today, procuring the selling rights for certified Bi Lo Chun teas in the Shanghai market.

Mr. Yang went on to point out the many differences in the environmental conditions that add to the exceptional character of the tea. The East, West Mountains are surrounded by water and connected by only one bridge. The moist, humid conditions create the perfect atmosphere for growing tea. In addition the surrounding lake acts as a barrier, protecting the area from unfavorable conditions, man made or natural. Pauline suggested to me that this is a "clean tea" because of this barrier. The teas grow among various fruit trees giving them their naturally sweet, fruity character.

Special processing is precisely carried out by hand and is extremely labor intensive. We entered the factory to witness a long line of tea plucker's waiting to see if their teas would be selected for processing. Once selected the teas were collected by workers and the leaves and buds were striped, the best way I can describe it, ending up to appear as a single bud the size of the tip of a small pinky finger. It was amazing watching these workers so carefully, yet quickly prepare the teas for firing.

Although very expensive I was able to purchase some of the first flush teas we had cupped and am looking forward to sharing them with family and friends when I return home.

We had a great meal I will tell you about later, going to the Humble Administrators Garden in Suzhou, more photos later to.

Until next time, Beth

Bi Lo Chun Leaves

Tasting Teas in Shanghai

We cupped so much tea that I forgot to eat!

We began our day traveling across town to a tea market where various brokers have set up small shops selling a wide range of teas. As I entered the market I was overcome with the intense aroma of Pu'erh tea, yum.

There to meet and cup black tea's with our friend Pauline I experienced some wonderful Mao Feng Keemun's, golden Yunnan's and another very interesting tea that Pauline referred to as 1/2 fermented (oxidized). Not oolong, not black tea but 1/2 fermented. She went on to tell me how this tea got better with age, similar to a Pu'erh, and kindly gave me a gift of this special one year old tea. She said I must try it each year for the next 3 years to experience the transformation in the character.

Pauline told us about the celebration taking place this weekend for the first spring harvest of Bi Lo Chun and invited us to go. So we have changed our plans and will be skipping our trip north to Jinan. That will wait until I return in July and is not nearly as urgent or fun as following tea! I was hoping to visit Suzhou on my last trip so I am excited that it worked out this way.

We enjoyed a couple of hours cupping and laughing together and then wandered the market checking out many spring Dragon Wells which are now plentiful on the market.

After collecting samples and pricing we were off to lunch and another tea market. We enjoyed a simple noodle soup lunch, which I love, but was so full of tea that I could not eat much. I think it is so funny Americans are always poking fun at the tiny Chinese tea cups, but those little cups sneak up on you quickly. That aside the best part about cupping with this brewing style, using a gaiwan, is that each infusion of the leaves revels another layer of taste and character.

In the second market I met a new supplier a woman from Huangshan area who had some wonderful Dragon Well, Bi Lo Chun and in about 10 days will have the spring Mao Feng greens, cant wait. We cupped her teas and moved on to oolongs sharing some special Da Hong Pao from our Wuyi tea friends. Many times gardens and/or factory owners will have shops in larger cities to sell there teas this was just that type of market. Again we gathered samples and pricing and set off to meet with our Shanghai freight broker Charley.

We stopped to get something drink in a very "cool" coffee bar, yes coffee bar. The youth of China adores everything western and scoffs at the old tradition of tea. Charley even ordered iced tea! What is this world coming to?

After our meeting in the upscale shopping and business district we were off to get fitted at the Cheong Sam shop where we got to meet and get fitted by the master himself, 91 years old and still going strong. There must be something in the tea here!

Back at the hotel we begin mapping out our newly adjusted travel schedule and planning for the days ahead. I am teaching Amy the meaning of spontaneous.

Off to Suzhou for the very exciting Bi Lo Chun festival, celebrating the first spring harvest of this famous Chinese tea.

Until next time, Beth

Bi Lo Chun and Dragon Well Spring Teas












Lunch with Amy











Famed 91 Year Old Shanghai Tailor

Have Landed in Shanghai

Well I have landed in Shanghai and am looking forward to spending a couple of days here in the city. Like every city I have ever visited it is full of people and traffic. Interestingly my hotel is across the street from an IKEA! I am staying at a lovely hotel, great bed and wonderful bathroom, my two "musts" for any hotel. There is a huge picture window in the room where I watched the city transition from day to night, hopefully my pictures will do it justice, before crashing.

Wrestling jet lag is never any fun but I have a good plan this time utilizing my yoga practice, tea and herbs (especially the organic relaxing blend) to help me sleep.

Since I have previously only driven through Shanghai on my way to other places I am sure I will have 2 fun filled days. Amy Zhang who manages the Teas Etc office here in China will be accompanying me the entire trip this year. Amy is delightful and I am looking forward to spending this time with her.

Until next time, Beth

Getting Ready for China

I am getting ready to leave for China and while this was an unexpected trip I kind of like the last minute nature of it, not a lot of time to think! It also helps me really get organized, necessitating numerous decisions bringing projects to fruition.

Once again I will be traveling around to many different locations, going further north than ever before,to Qingdao, and visiting new towns and tea gardens in Fujian province as well as visiting some old favorites like Mr. Fong in Tunxi, Anhui province and Huangshan Mountain. The spring harvests are late this year due to the extreme winter in China this year. I also hope to travel to one of my favorite cities Nanjing, to see the plum blossoms in full bloom.

Many of the new teas we have been formulating over the past 3-4 months are arriving in the US today and we hope to have them to share with everyone by the end of next week. We are working on many new blends with the newly formulated Organic Relaxing Blend and Organic Cold Comfort already released for sale.

Lots of other cool things are happening with Teas getting a lot of media attention recently, especially with the launch of the CarbonFund green feature on the website.

Oh and check out the new flowering tea video on youtube! It's the Golden Prosperity set to music, so turn on your speakers. My son Chris shot and produced the video so it is particularly good from my point of view. Hope you enjoy it and until next time, Beth