Day: May 25, 2023

The hippest tea master ever…

5/25/2023

Today was a blast. First, we heard a presentation by Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation and participated in a Q&A. Then, we went to Bai Chin Chang Tea Farm in Wenshan District, Taipei City and met Mr. Bai Jun Yu. He had a really cool fit on with his Super Mario Bros t-shirt and backwards cap. While he was giving us a tour of the farm, we could tell that he was passionate about his tea farming business. I was particularly excited when he mentioned his organization for new young tea farmers during his final presentation. I think the brand he’s envisioning can truly get young folks interested in tea.

The tea tasting was an experience I’d never forget. Working with the professors to guess the highest quality Baozhong in a lighthearted and joyful manner shaped my perspective on the trip. I’m glad that we’re able to have moments of fun while conducting our research.

After the tea farm tour, we all headed to the Ningxia Night Market. According to our tour guide Jessie, it’s the most popular night market in Taiwan. I thought I’d only be encountering foods I’ve never tasted before. But there were also things I haven’t seen in my hometown of NYC. From a man walking a pet pig to another person carrying their cat on their shoulders, I was shocked by the variety of animals in Ningxia. The night market wrapped up our trip nicely. We ate delicious food while talking about moments of our day.

Bai Chin Chang Tea Farm is named after Mr. Bai Jun Yu’s father
The tea farm has a beautiful view
Mr. Bai introduced himself as a fifth generation tea master
Mr. Bai demonstrated that younger leaves are harvested for tea.
Mr. Bai provided a detailed explanation on the harvesting process
We asked many questions and listened intently
We then harvested tea leaves ourselves
Mr. Bai showed us the first method of drying tea leaves
The second method is more streamlined

NTU lecture and neighborhood walk

We visited the NTU campus in the morning. Professor Zhou gave us an introduction of the university and the department. Professor Huang presented her recent works on garden city and showcased three cases she was involved in (pictures). Then we toured their affiliated farm and several projects on campus.

With Siennah, we walked through the old city quarter of Taipei and witnessed the change of the city landscape. It was like going back to the old time by a time machine, unreal but unforgettable….