All the Tea in China

Tian Shan Tea City - Shanghai

One of my favorite experiences in China was on our last day in Shanghai when we visited Tian Shan Tea City. Who knew tea was so complicated!! We sat in the shop of Ms. Lin li Zhen for infusion after infusion of Chinese teas (courtyard, shop # 1250). The 'city' itself looks something like a temple from the outside and has a courtyard of shops and a mall like structure with 3 floors of shops selling tea and any tea related accessory you could imagine.


Finding a tea you like is a lot like finding a wine you like, having a sample of one or two will give you a starting point from which to explore further. There are 4 basic types of tea you will find at the mall. Green tea most people are familiar with, a lightly oxidized tea. Oolong, a semi oxidized tea is often pretty close in flavor to green tea. Red tea, or what we know as black tea, is more heavily oxidized. Pu'er is special tea, actually from a different type of tea plant, and is the top top end for tea aficionados. Aged pu'er teas are sought after and are extremely pricey, running more than 50 rmb per gram. You'll see dinner plate sized cakes of this tea, wrapped in identifying paper, adorning the walls of the shops (pictured below). I didn’t try any of the Pu’er teas, but I did have an aged tea that was…not so great tasting, but it is supposed to be good for you, so I bought it! I have plenty to share, so feel free to come over for a cup or two. Also, there are different grades of tea and different methods of rolling and drying, there are flavored teas (lychee, rose, ginseng, etc... ), herbal teas, etc... and it would take you a solid week of tasting to conquer them all.



A good place to shop for cups and the accessories is Mu Yun (ground floor, shop # 1023), stocked with handmade ceramics and carved bamboo. Their selection is a cut above the rest and many of the items are actual works of art, without being priced accordingly, instead of mass produced look a likes. Even if you aren’t interested in buying a whole tea set, Mu Yun has functional and unique little pieces of art that make great presents. Really the prices in all of tea city were 'real' as opposed to inflated tourist prices. (I also found a very unique chopstick shop in a different part of town…ask me if interested.)



Although not that much English is spoken this definitely won't stand in the way of a very enriching time and, language barrier or not, the shop owners want to share their teas with you and help you understand the richness of the tea experience.

Xian Part 2 - Dumplings

My first Chinese dumplings were the best! A friend who once lived in New York told me where to go...not sure if I found the exact place she was referring to, but I did find at a great little hole in the wall that rocked. The line was out the door and down the sidewalk - always a good sign! For some reason, I can’t seem to find great dumplings in Dallas, so I have to go places to get that dumpling fix – tragic I know!!

Rice was not grown in the Xian region, so the local population relied on wheat and wheat flour products including dumplings, steamed breads and noodles. THE place to go is 'the legendary' DEFACHANG one of the oldest and most popular of Xiann’s dumpling houses. The restaurant specializes in handmade steamed, boiled, fried, and baked dumplings with over 100 different fillings. I only tried 19 delicous varieties– I guess I will have to go back a few times to see which is the best!

OH, and the friend who told me about the dumpling place in NYC, also went to China with me! She is thinking that a trip back to this restaurant is in order too...great minds!

Xian - On and Off the Beaten Path

The Terra Cotta Warriors have made it into the awareness of most savvy travelers, but there is so much more to Xian than just the warriors. Sure, the warrior excavations are the greatest archeological discovery of the 20th century and an absolute MUST when visiting China, but wow, Xian has a lot to offer.

Xian is the capital of China’s Shaanxi Province and is one of the most historic cities in the world – not just in China. The region boasts more than 6,000 years of recorded history spanning 13 different kingdoms and dynastic periods.

My guide for 2 days was Professor Wang Baoping who is one of China’s most knowledgeable archeologists on the Han period (206-220 AD). Prof Wang is the director of the Yangling site – the most technologically advance excavation site in the world and is the result of the collaboration of top archeologists from 8 countries….a very big deal! I won’t bore you with the details here, but if you want to know more, let me know. Truly fascinating.

Essentially, like the Egyptians, the ancient Chinese sought to take some of this life with them into the next. The emperors would start work on their tomb as soon as they came into power. The Terra Cotta Warriors is only a portion of the tomb for the emperor Qin.

The actual tomb of Qin has not yet been opened - just some of the satelite pits which is where the warriors are. The advances in technology continue to grow and the Chinese are just being cautious to optimally preserve the contents.

Amazing area of the world! If you are interested in participating in the excavation work, let me know…I can hook you up!

Also in Xian is The Great Mosque and the Old City - one of the most interesting sites in Xian. It is a great reflection of the history of the Silk Road and the cultural interchange that China and the West underwent in the 8th Century. The Great Mosque was actually built in the late 14th century and given imperial recognition during the Ming dynasty.

Another super exclusive thing we got to do was go to the Shaanxi Provincial Museum for a private viewing of the frescoes taken from Tang Dynasty (618-907) tombs with conservator Wang Jian Qi. Amazing. We couldn't take pictures there, but the frescoes tell the story of the Tang Dynasty period and have been invaluable to historians.

Most people only give Xian 1 day...maybe 2. It is really worth more time if you are at all interested in history. This too is where the dumpling originated...more to come on that.