Tracing back with my childhood memory...

The following photos were taken on 3/23/2008 while I traveled back to my home town, Guansi, Hsinchu, the place I was born.
Formosa Black Tea Co., Ltd. locates right next to my old house parted merely by a tiny alley. Salute to the owner, Mr. Lou and his family - their hearts and efforts to keep this old tea plant and turn it into a very well designed and displayed tea culture center - the wooden-built warehouse, tea making machines and historical artifacts that have been kept intact till this day. There are many relevant historical literature and pictorial materials that sentimentally fresh up many good memories for the Taiwan tea pros and also a part of life stories for those growing up in Guansi including myself.
I took these precious photos that witnessed the glorious history of Taiwan tea's exports. In old days, we used to brush the Shipping Marks and Destination on wooden cases of tea, with or without jute bags wrapping over. These plates show more than 80 ports all over the five continents of the world, including the European and American markets, Japan, north of China and even to Kenya and Ethiopia of Africa.
Thanks again, Mr. Lou.



I will like to quote some of Mr. Lou's tea wisdom:
As we know, tea culture has many aspects of characteristics;
it is the best commercial commodity in the world as suggested
by a former NHK chairman, because it is good for the body and
mind at the same time; it's also a good sport drinking, good
alternative medicine; it's good for adjusting your EQ status,
also good for conversation and for building up of consensus
for the harmony of a society. To me, it's good pace adjuster
for my daily life; a short tea break can change or adjust the
tempo or rhythm of you daily life to fit your body and
mind.,etc, & etc,
-----
Tea tasting and brewing is an art of expertise. You need
experience and expertise to prepare yourself well enough to
get it whenever available. The conventional wisdom
tell us that you can encounter it but you cannot seek for it,
no matter how long time you spent for it.
------
Japanese tea expert used to call leaf tea a 'kitsune ba' ,
the leaf of a fox, that means, the taste of the tea can change
any time, as your state of mind or EQ status changes.
So, all in all, we have to be smart enough to deal with
fox' leaf and not to be fooled.
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Thomas Shu (6/9/2009)