The Tea Market Series (In China) – Article 1

The Dream – My First Trip to China’s Tea Market

A list of some well known and colossal Chinese tea markets from left to right 1) Annual Guangzhou Tea Expo 2) Fangcun Wholesale Tea Market in Guangzhou 3) Maliandao Tea City in Beijing 

Tea enthusiasts are a different breed when we hit the tea markets, especially the "Big One". We hit them running and we don’t stop until the day is over. We are a tough, stubborn and unrelenting lot. Our never say die attitude literally translates to, “we will drink till we die”. For those who don’t know, you’ll find out what that means here.

The Tea Market Series (In China)

The Tea Market Series consists of 4 articles detailing my experience and impressions of the colossal Chinese Tea Market. It is a firsthand account by one dreamy tea enthusiast who during the early years of his pursuit of puerh tea started his run at one such market and experienced the high emotions of bliss and overindulgence followed by the crash and a dose of reality. The series chronicles my initial impressions, gained understanding, growing insights on the tea trade and how this opened my eyes to the world of business. In conclusion I share the lessons learned and provide advice for those who may one day also decide to make a run at one such wonderful and challenging a market.

2005 Gan En Nannuo (Gushu)

The region of Nannuo is famous for its old tea trees which range from being hundreds to well over a thousand years old. Many of the finest old and rare vintages of puerh tea today is believed to comprise of raw materials collected from Nannuo. The Menghai Tea Factory built in the 1940s was strategically located to ensure that the factory could have access to good raw materials from its surrounding tea regions. As a result the tea leaves from Nannuo became a part of the factory’s many blends and formulations. It is believed that even the old teacakes from the Masterpiece Era under Menghai Tea Factory such as the 1950s Red Label, Blue and Green Mark were comprised of tea leaves harvested from the Nannuo region.

The Journey Begins – My Story

Modern life has become a fast paced superhighway, where time is short and there is much ground to cover. The need for speed and the desire to stay on the road longer and longer makes for a dangerous journey that does not usually end well.

When I consider how much puerh tea has become integrated into my life now, it amazes me that this remarkable and yet challenging tea was invisible to me for so long. It was only through sickness that I would discover puerh tea which in a way I suppose is quite fitting as it is aka China’s medicinal tea.

2005 Gan En Ban Zhang (Gushu)

The 2005 Gan En Ban Zhang is a tea that does not need much of an introduction to avid puerh enthusiasts. It is a tea with a visible online presence and therefore a history that is worth further research by way of Google for both the famed tea and region. This tea has made the rounds with a number of tea enthusiasts receiving praise and critique towards becoming an item that is both sought after and at times spurned in part due to its Ban Zhang composition that has whipped the market into a frenzy in past years and where demand and high prices continues to soar to this day.

Take Note + Take Action = Get Reading

Take Note: Achieving an in-depth understanding of puerh tea takes time and effort alongside patience and perseverance. Unfortunately with the price explosion of age puerh tea during the past decade a healthy bank statement has also become increasingly essential to access older puerh vintages from the past decades.

Drinking tea and the perception of tea is such a personal experience that I urge you to be mindful of the differences and variations that will naturally come when comparing notes. I believe one individual’s perception and understanding of a situation is unique and is heavily influenced by what he has gone through in life. The power and sensitivity of a person’s physical senses is accounted for by genetics* in part, influenced by the consumption of food diversity and taste preferences, then impacted upon by medication and illnesses, level of physical health, age, mental clarity of thoughts and alertness and possibly many more factors.