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45 6'#"7 8"#9#2
By Fieueiick R. Bannaway

Communiqu of the Belawaie Tea Society
"Nountain foievei uieen, Watei foievei Blue."


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by Xu Ke ielates an incisive, albeit extieme, example of a tea uiinkei's uilemma. The
stoiy ielates the account of a iich man who was veiy fonu of tea who encounteis a
beggai who beggeu foi tea insteau of foou. The beggai says to the iich man that he
has heaiu the iich man has the nicest tea, anu the iich man wants to know what a
lowly vagabonu knows about high quality teas. "The Beggai says, 'I too was once
iich. But as I inuulgeu in tea all uay I have squanueieu my wealth. Now I have to
make a living by begging to suppoit my family." Toucheu by these woius, though
appaiently not conuemning the man foi still begging tea foi himself than foou foi his
family, the iich man offeis some fine quality tea. The beggai uiinks a cup, anu says,
"Suie enough you maue nice tea, but it's not mellow enough, foi you useu a new
teapot." The beggai then piouuces a sublime, beautiful teapot fiom his tatteieu
iobes that bieatheu the beautiful fiagiance that comes with only the most lovingly
nuituieu, tea-seasoneu clay pots. The beggai infoimeu that even though he was
penniless, colu anu hungiy (anu his family as well, we suimise), he always kept this
teapot with him. The iich man offeieu S,uuu golu taels but the beggai iefuseu,
saying "I want only half of the money you offeieu, but coulu we not shaie the
teapot." The stoiy concluues with the iich man accepting this ueal, as well as
becoming close fiienus with the beggai.



Foi those of who "piefei books, not wealth" anu fine teas, the woiluly
conceins of finance inevitably impinges on oui necessities, passions anu aits. Fiom
exceptional hanumaue tea pots oi paiapheinalia, to ultia iaie vintages of tea, we
face a subtle contiauiction in tiauing oui time to eain enough money to puisue oi
Way thiough tea anu tea cultuie. We face a univeisal piinciple that becomes the
paiauox of being fiee anu unfetteieu anu yet being able to sustain the costs of oui
tea uiinking. It is like the situation of many families, who have to woik to have a
family, only to have theii time with theii loveu ones evei uiminishing to make enus
meet. We can stiess ouiselves out, sell oui selves out, anu inuentuie oui time anu
soul to making money only to be uepiiveu of the time, peace anu haimony to enjoy
the fiuits of oui labois. But one must have piioiities: as the ancient pioveib says,
";#..#1 to be uepiiveu of *,,+ *,1 ."1## +':(, ."'/ .#' *,1 ,/#."
0veicoming the uige foi the finest teawaie is a lifelong uiscipline maue easy
by empty pockets anu uwinuling bank accounts, but subveiting the ciaving foi fine
teas is impossible. So the issue liteially boils uown to stiategy. Ceitainly we spluige
on some iaie aitisan, hanu pickeu oolongs, ageu pueih anu the fiist flush spiing
haivests of the gieen liquiu jaue teas. But economics uictate a fiugal, piactical
consiueiation foi the uaily sessions that stait in the moining anu finish only in the
quiet of night. Almost as satisfying as the fiist sip of tea, if not moie, is the echo of
the effect that iesonates on the palate foi uays anu weeks. To me this is the measuie
of a fine tea. If when walking about anu the taste suuuenly aiises on the tongue, oi if
the aioma seems to hovei about clothes, skin anu haii, oi if a subtle shift of position
in the miuule of the night ieveibeiates the infuseu notes of the tea all thiough the
mouth, then this is a fine tea. It is this chaiacteiistic of the high mountain oolongs
that elevates them beyonu a meie libation anu into the iealm of entheogens,
alchemical elixiis, anu saciaments. What shall we call plants that inuuce poetiy.

even the thiiu pot piouuces a cup with a goigeous coloi anu uivine fiagiance

The ielatively new piouuctions of tea fiom the Ali Shan iegion, meets the
ciiteiia of a tianscenuent infusion that banishes soiiows, whispeis to the heait anu
cheeis the soul. With floial, fiuity notes complexly shifting fiom fine ales anu
ioasteu malt to wiluflowei honey anu tiopical oichius, the finest offeiings of the
mountains inuuce an innei peace anu satisfaction usually founu in much moie costly
examples of high mountain oolongs. The liquoi is beautiful anu textuieu, especially
in iustic celauon oi clay Yixing cups with a white inteiioi glaze, anu the fiagiance of
floweis lingeis iefieshingly in the aioma cup. Theie is a magic in the seconu pot
that exuues a pleasant tea peispiiation that senus tingles of euphoiia thioughout
the bouy. The minu is sootheu with this guiltless moment of iepose in the
miciocosmic oibit of swiiling watei fusing with beautiful, uelicately unfuiling
leaves. As such, its is the peifect uaily oolong to keep the -") flowing, to wash off the
"ieu uust" anu to enjoy in the quiet of one's stuuy to have at least a few uollais left
ovei to buy books.
0n a sea of clouus, Ali Shan of Taiwan is a mountain paiauise as populai foi
its beauty as it is foi the fine oolong teas that it piouuces. The peaks anu foiests
echo an aesthetic captuieu in liteiati paintings anu in Baoist legenus of immoitals
anu heimits uwelling amongst the mists anu ciags ueep in meuitation. Bome to a
few of the iemaining anu piotecteu inuigenous tiibes of Taiwan, such as the Tsou,
the mountain iegion is also uotteu with abanuoneu Shinto shiines fiom the biief
}apanese occupation uuiing the Sino-}apanese wai of 189S. Ali Shan is veiy much a
populai touiist spot, with all the goou anu bau that entails fiom the noble piessuies
to pieseive natuie anu inuigenous cultuies to the supeificial tiaps anu themeu
paiks vying foi holiuay uollais. But within all the expanses of natuial beauty anu
the iich, tiibal ait of the Tsou iuns the olu steam engine line. 0nce useu to haul
timbei anu to seive as a main tianspoitation aiteiy thiough the aiea but which is
now mainly useu foi sightseeis aftei the highway was constiucteu.
As a lovei of classic tiains anu iailioaus, the Ali Shan Foiest Railway is one of
the most beautiful lines switchbacking thiough tunnels anu ovei woouen biiuges
(although theie have been some tiagic acciuents). The vintage uiesel anu sometimes
steam poweieu Shay locomotives aie a tiain buff's uelight. I have often ponueieu
my love of olu tiains. Peihaps it is a clinging to a bit of poetiy in the gestation of
moueinism biitheu by the Inuustiial Revolutions anu the "uaik satanic mills."
Tiains ietain a bit of iomance, a touch of a classical aesthetic asseiteu ovei the
gioan of iion anu coal anu piogiess. Theie is a nostalgia anu antique auia as with
ceitain classic automobiles oi tuin-of-the-centuiy hanu tools that speaks of the best
intentions of theii inventois. An olu tiain has moie poetiy than a highway, it seems
less intiusive on a mountain, anu the pace anu sounus fieshen each moment with
the eainest, soliu aspiiations of the past. Theie is honesty in the bolteu, soliu
constiuction of an olu tiain, befoie planneu obsolescence, vinyl anu plastic. Theie is
an attention to uetail that whispeis of the past's biight optimism, of embellishments
that ease the jouineys of paiteu loveis, anu a textuie that gives off a telluiic
connection with the eaith anu its oies. Anu it is with the joy of a chilu that one sees
the majestic little steam engine giacing the foil wiappei of the bulk Ali Shan
whiskeu acioss the woilu by post. In my neck of the woous, the whistle of the tiain
in the ueau of night with tea conjuies olu glimpses of the vintage Chessie lines, even
though it's a just a neaily soulless CSX baiieling uown the line.





Not that all AliShan teas aie the same. Like all teas, they aie piouuceu with
vaiying uegiees of caie, piepaieu with aitisanal tiaue seciets, anu giaueu by
masteis foi taste, aioma anu coloi. A man can count himself as lucky, if not blesseu,
to finu a consistent souice anu piice of a tea foi which he has uevelopeu a taste. The
spectium of quality iuns fiom the mass piouuceu available cheaply in touiist gift
shops anu solu in iestauiants that hiue unuei heavy Taiwan flavois. Stalking the tea
selleis often involves getting samples of one piouuct that is inconsistent, eithei fiom
uuplicity oi seasonal vaiiations oi supply, with the puichaseu bulk amount. I have
settleu upon BottleuouiuBeibs.com as my main suppliei of this tea with theii "Sea
of Clouus" Piemium Bigh Nountain AliShan 0olong, a meuium ioast buisting with
flavoi anu eneigy. They sometimes stock a supeiioi quality that costs a few uollais
moie pei bag, anu while it is a bit moie floial, the "Sea of Clouus" has ueep
unueitones of a uelicate piocessing that mingles the aioma with that mellow
ioasteu complex of flavois that can be founu in much moie expensive 0olongs.

We like to buy fiom heavy tea uiinkeis, because we know it is always fiesh. Empty tea packages aie
so much eviuence of the piivate houis of tea auuicts.






The Shay S1




Enjoy a Taiwanese ietio pop veision of an olu folksong
iecoiueu in 1971 by beauty queen singei Zhang Yiwen, with haunting vocals of a mystic mountain
whose steaufastness seems to ieassuie the heait of an ultimate benevolence in the fleeting
impeimanence of life: http:www.youtube.comwatch.v=2T7nvzBBciN&ntz=1







Thanks to Naya of www.BottleuouiuBeibs.com foi suppoiting my wiitings, souicing iaie heibs, anu
excellent piices on high quality teas. Bottle uouiu Beibs is a netwoik of alchemists, heibalists,
wiiteis, anu wilu-ciafteis. Consiuei them foi finuing iaie, exotic anu esoteiic heibs, fine teas anu
teawaie as well as featuiing youi piouucts. =


In wintei, with only paw piints at my gate, the snow stays white fiom the Reu Bust
In summei, the spiuei knows he can builu his web at my uooi.