Dawn at the Source: A Sacred Journey for a Cup of Tea
The air on Bulang Mountain holds the memory of night long after the sun has risen. Before light touches the valley floor, a deep quiet hangs in the mist. Stones cold beneath the shoe, a path worn smooth by generations. Each step remembers. The fragrance—earthy and woody—drifts from ancient trees, and you taste the mountain before any cup of tea is poured.
Here, our journey to source traditional Chinese tea finds its start. Not as a trade, but as a gentle return. Tea leaves, long-formed in the shade and fog, ready themselves for a purpose beyond commerce—a transmission, deep and silent, to the tea house floor in Singapore.
Tea Leaves, Terroir, and the Wide Array of Chinese Tea
Tea is more than a plant. The soil, the steepness, the rainfall—every detail enters the cup. That is why our collection is built on direct relationships with Bulang Mountain and Yiwu, in Yunnan, worlds apart in character, joined only by the wisdom of Chinese tea.
Bulang Mountain’s energy is strong, at times storm-dark. The tea leaves here are shaped by a mineral-rich earth—the colour golden yellow in the liquor, at other times a deep, dark orange. The taste is rugged, sometimes wild, resolving into gentle sweetness. There is chaqi—the tea’s body—a presence that lingers after the last sip.On Yiwu’s gentler slopes, the sunlight falls diffuse, filtered through leaves. The teas are known for a softness in the cup, an aroma floral, honeyed, and round. You may notice hints of Chinese orchids, light green when brewed with care—aroma jasmine unfurling in the steam. Each cup of tea tastes of the mountain’s quiet, unfolding in beauty with each infusion.In our search, we do not blend these varietals to a standard. Each remains distinct, an offering from place and time, and absolutely worth experiencing for those drawn to the art and appreciation of Chinese tea in Singapore.Tea House Relationships: The Heartbeat of Traditional Chinese Tea
Our methods do not follow the crowded roads. We build friendships, not transactions. Each spring, our founder returns to Bulang and Yiwu, skipping the route through market middlemen, choosing instead the path that leads to a family table—a tea house among the trees.
One visit to the Li family—guardians of ancient tea trees—remains close. Their wooden home stands above their small grove. Over roasted teas and simple food, stories return: weather, yield, the planting of a certain tree, the beauty of a past harvest. Instead of contracts, we offer time; instead of speed, a slow walk through rows heavy with tea leaves, listening for the right moment to pick.
This is not just sourcing; it is a practice rooted in gratitude and trust. The tea leaves we carry to Singapore, to our teahouse guests, are the result of hands working in rhythm with mountain and sky. Each cup of tea poured is a gesture that pays tribute to family, history, and place.
The Patience of Selection: Sourcing Premium Chinese Tea
Conventional tea travels through many hands, blending for sameness. Here, in our private tea room, we celebrate difference. This devotion to 品质 (pǐnzhí)—quality—means tasting each season, every year new. Rain makes a tea lush and green; a bright dry spell condenses the honey in the leaves. Variations in the colour light green, golden yellow, or dark orange speak to the truth of the mountain.
After harvest, we sample side by side. The dry leaf: judged for its aroma—sometimes chestnuts or beans, sometimes Chinese orchids or earth. The first cup: considered for clarity, colour, and depth. Our founder and the farming family share the infusion—discussing endurance, texture, how the taste moves through the body. This process is deliberate, free from haste.
In the vast world of Chinese tea, only a few lots are chosen. Each tells its own story. From lightly oxidised oolong with an aroma floral, to dark and rich rock tea, or the highly recommended 极 品 铁观音 from origin Anxi, Fujian—each variety is a chapter in our ongoing journey.
Revisiting the Cup of Tea: Chinese Tea in Singapore’s Tea House Culture
The destination of this journey is not only a teahouse in Singapore, but the cup in your hand. On days of bright sun, the colour of your cup may shift—light green, golden yellow, or the amber of 普 洱 pu’er from Yunnan mountain. The aroma in the air becomes a quiet kind of hospitality—a floor swept, teapots warmed, staff attentive. Here, you can return and explore, sip by sip, the world of traditional Chinese tea.
A cup of tea is never just a drink. It is an experience, a return to the place of origin, to the art and culture of China—one that friends, family, and even the curious will find both perfect and enduring. Whether savoured alone in stillness or offered as a gift, these teas draw you back: to the mountain, to the leaves, to a sense of home.
An Invitation: Experience Premium Tea House Offerings in Singapore
You are invited—to visit, to pause, to continue your own story with us. To explore the wide array of tea leaves and savour the beauty found in the humble act of brewing, pouring, and drinking tea. In our tea house, every cup of tea is a silent return to the source: the dark forest, the green slopes, the kindness of a family, and the patience of the mountain.
Absolutely worth the journey. Always worth the time to sit, to run your hand over the rim of a warm cup, and to taste what tradition, care, and quiet luxury make possible in every sip. Whether you love a delicate floral tea or prefer a richer brew, our carefully curated set of options, including thoughtful tea pairings, ensures there is something to delight every palate.Let the fragrance linger, the colour shine. Our attentive service is here so you never miss a moment of appreciation. Read, explore, enjoy. And, when you are ready, return.
