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.

Walking the Wall

The Great Wall of China – it is just an amazing thing really. The wall is the longest man-made structure on earth, built over hundreds of years. When visiting Beijing, an outing to the wall will undoubtedly be on your itinerary.

There are actually several sections that can be easily accessed from Beijing... typically, tourists go to the Badaling section of the wall. Since we are not typical, we went to the Mutianyu section – far less crowded and a ‘newer’ (Ming Dynasty) section of the wall so it is in much better condition than Badaling.

The Mutianyu section has a cable car that will take you from the ground up to the wall – or you can hike if you like. Then walk several miles to a bobsled to take you back down to the base. Great fun. Or you can hike down…if you like.

Late October to early November is a beautiful time to visit as all the trees are turning. We were just on the tail end of the Fall color, but still had a gorgeous time walking the wall.

Singing and Dancing and Skipping Rope

This is Sunday morning in Beijing!

My first day was a beautiful sunny day and I set out on my own to find my way to Jingshan Park from the Peninsula - no small feat. I think the walk took almost an hour, but it was well worth it. I saw so many wonderful scenes along the way.

Jingshan Park is on the North end of the Forbidden City and is a hub of activity. The park itself is beautiful, but it is the people that make the experience. At first, all I saw were the ladies doing line dances in the main courtyard, cute. Then at every turn, there was some other activity. There were groups singing at the top of their lungs - apparently it is virtuous to be a good singer and they do take it very seriously.

Clusters of people playing chess or cards, haky sack, jumping rope, people playing instruments, acting troups, etc...it was a beautiful day. I am very very tired, so this is not the most eloquent of posts, but here are some pictures.

The Perpetual Souvenir

When traveling, I find that cooking classes are a great way to get to know a piece of a culture and have something to take back with you that can be shared over and over again.

Now there are full blown cooking schools and then there are simple ½ day classes as well as variations in between. All are beneficial and fun, it just depends on how much of your travel time you want to devote to this one aspect of the travel experience.

Some popular cuisines for cookery schools are French, Tuscan and Thai, but really any where you go has something unique to offer.


All four of the following are excellent schools offered by Orient Express hotels.

Tuscany -
http://www.villasanmichele.com/web/ovil/cookery_courses.jsp

England -
http://www.orient-express.com/web/olem/olem_c5a_introduction.jsp

San Miguel -
http://www.sazon.com/web/osaz/osaz_a2a_home.jsp

Venice -
http://www.hotelcipriani.com/web/ocip/ocip_c7d_cookery_classes.jsp

Each of these schools offer both shorter and longer, more involved classes. There really is something for everyone – including children.

I also love the classes offered at the Mandarin Oriental in Chiang Mai: http://www.mandarinoriental.com/chiangmai/leisure/culinary/ .

It is a fairy tale hotel beyond description and the classes are fantastic.

Local restaurants will also typically provide ½ day courses. Want to learn how to make the best BBQ in St. Louis or the best bread in Provence? Every destination has a culinary gift to offer. Restaurant based classes are great too because you will usually walk to the local market with the chef, learn about the local ingredients while shopping, then return to the restaurant to prepare a meal. And then of course, the best part, you get to eat!

Wherever your travels take you, consider a cooking class as a part of your experience. It is a souvenir that you can share with your friends and family over and over again.

Bon Appetite!

Zoe

My Office Mate Zoe

I recently moved my office from Preston Center to my home. The transition has been good in many ways and I am thankful to not be driving so much. If you know my driving record at all, you would understand.

Anyway, I have a new office mate - and she is great!

Zoe is her name and she is a joy to have around.



She has her corner of the office, I have mine. It works out well for both of us I suppose. She is usually really encouraging and playful and fun, but sometimes she gets a little demanding. I of course oblige her demands.


What a joy to have a beautiful view doing the perfect job with such a delightful office mate!