Han Dynasty cup

This cup is so old, the glaze is chipping off. Smell of earth reminds me of dirt after a Spring rain shower.
Brewing unknown age of Fu Zhuan Black tea brick from 2 days ago, the piece is still solid in a big piece. Although I had enough of it for almost 3 days, but the sweet red date flavor is still going.
Never though I'd drink out of something this old. Now I would be eager to find something from Xi Zhou - Western Zhou dynasty, when emperor Zhou Wu Wang ruled the land and time. Imagine drinking out of something made in time space when my ancestor was alive.

Ming Yue Hu

If I keep thinking of keeping all the cute pots that come in, I'd starve. Another small (90 ml) round pot that looks good with the other two I kept. Should I?

Afternoon tea

Cheese and Longyan honey, a pot of aged Fu Zhuan black tea brick, easy Saturday afternoon.

Tea getaway

山中半日闲
人间已千年
愿作一幽草
香浅溪映间

Thanks SB~

Going to the east side

I am going to the east coast for the weekend. Ya'll Enjoy your weekend as well!

Updates on Southwestern dought

Water Storage

Water coming out of a new well
Narrow dirt road is not built for auto vehicles, especially large trucks
Dangerous work! Heavy truck load cause edge of dirt road slide off, tree save the day, but also block the road.
Documents stating donation from who to whom.

Thank you letter from the village school
Total collected donation by the group is close to $10,000, 63,000 RMB. Not a lot, but we do what we can. So far, 500 boxes of water was shipped, donation for 5 storage unit was confirmed, using less than half of the total collection.

Volunteer group has limited experience, although meant well, but human resources and experiences are essential in handling large disasters. In the past couple of weeks, this group's effort was plausible, however, some people got sick, work load was also larger than they could handle. They decided to stop the action, rest of the proceeds will be donated in currency for well building or contract shippers for water shipping. They also stop taking donation. No matter what, the effort was plausible, they did what they can. I will not stop on my part, and continue to find reliable volunteers to send my donation to. At this point, straight donation may be a sensitive subject, so I will stop taking that. 14% of my monthly sale will continue to be put aside til I have enough to wire in a substantial amount. Wiring money to China is costly and troublesome. This is a continue battle between man and nature.

Total of 6700 RMB was sent to China as of 2 days ago, approximately $1000 usd. That's all the money I had collected so far.

Thank you all for your participation! Bless your kind hearts!

PS 7.1 earthquake in northwest China.... speechless....

April donation record

TI donation: $100
LK Pot: $33.15
RH 3x#6+3x#7: $270
PS donation: $50
The above amount has been sent to China.

This portion of money will be sent to China by 6/30/2010 (end of this fund raising event), since TH website is down, sales were down drastically. Will combine enough money to send to save wire transfer fee.
SB 2x#6+2x#7: $180
SN 2x#4+2x#5+$150 donation: $250

14% monthly sale collects at end of month

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

Items for sale, donation to Yunnan China

Please list items you want to sell on the comment session and email me a picture of the item, price and weight.

Other tea sellers are encouraged to list your items here to share your compassion!

Here are a few items of mine, please do not purchase through tea habitat website for these items. All sales from this listing are 100% donation.

#6 Tian Yi Xiang - Heavenly Leisure Fragrance Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong Tea (5 available, sold out)
This is the best Single Bush oolong tea I ever had. I bought 250 g of this tea as a reward for my effort in the tea business, as a result of its high price, I hardly drink it. It's been sitting in its bag for many months. I feel this is the right time to sell it at minimum. It is resource I can redistribute to the needy, at the same time ones who want to have a chance to experience something so rare where it used to be available only at my store when the occasion was special, they can now have a taste of it where ever you are.

#7 Cha Wang - King of Tea Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong Tea (5 Available, sold out)
This is one of the top ten famous old trees on the hill side of Wu Dong Mountain, more than 600 years old of age. It was purchased to comfort my so called hard ship with building a tea business on my own. I also have 250 g of this tea as well, same reason as the other out of this world DCs I obtain for my selfish enjoyment. My obsession with tea has brought me to the realm where I'd give up clothing, handbags and makeup for a cup of best out of a batch of great teas. I was oblivious to the rest of the world. How many families this 250 g tea could had fed? In remote areas, it might feed a family of 4 for 3 months or more maybe? I don't know, even a month is more than enough for my effort.

#1

Chao Zhou Red Clay Tea Pot #7

#2 (sold to LK, thank you!)

Chao Zhou Sandy Brown Clay Tea Pot #19

#3

Chao Zhou Sandy Brown Clay Tea Pot #20

#4 (5 available)

Yu Lan Xiang (Magnolia Fragrance)- Special Grade

#5 (5 available)

Da Wu Ye (Big Dark Leaf) - Special Grade

I should have a few 80's yixing pots coming my way as a result of a charity auction, funds also go to build wells, water storage and delivering water to the needy. I'll list them here once they arrive, proceeds will once again go to the people of Yunnan.

email: tea@teahabitat.com

These people need help!

Source of water~
Dried up water reservoir


*pictures provided by the volunteer group

Ever since September of last year, southwestern China has not seen a drop of rain until last week, for a brief 10 minutes. Drought condition is the worst in the past 100 years. As Spring is well into its midst, harvesting is no where near in sight except dried twigs on cracked soil. Nothing but yellow dirt!!! We can blame global warming, government policy and what so ever for the cause of such devastating out come. The priority is to help the local people to get through the drought immediately, saving lives before fixing the environment.

This has nothing to do with tea drinking, as a tea drinker without tea in mind for the moment, it's livelihood that supersedes every matter! Water for drinking, food for hunger, these people needs help NOW!

Unlike other natural disasters with sudden impact, drought has the effect of boiling a frog in a pot of cold water, slowly cooked to death before you even realize it. Slowly in the past 50 years, Yunnan has turned from a lush foresty province into bare dirt plateau of today. I don't want to get in to the cause of it, for one, I don't know enough to say, 2nd there isn't immediate solution to turn thing around right away.

Donating money to a civilian volunteer organization (non-government related or regulated) is what I have been doing. This organization ships drinking water to the most remote and most affected areas deep into the mountains, providing funds to dig wells and build water storage unit at cost of $440 each, well digging is extra. Donating to charity organizations always leave an empty void at the other end, not knowing what they will do with your money, how much is used for administration cost, at what discount rate will the receiver obtain if and when they do, all of these unanswerable questions keeps people and myself from giving proudly. With daily almost live feed backs from the organization I donated to, my mind is at peace that my intend was well presented in best of what one can do without being there personally.

Due to the confidence in this volunteer group, I ask many of you for help on behave of the sufferers far from our comfort zone. By doing so, for the next 3 months, 14% of all sales through Tea Habitat website will be sent to China. Your donation is also welcome, I'll post total being sent at the end of each month. You may also participate by selling tea items you no long use frequently, I'll start a new page for the listing, please provide a picture, weight of item (for shipping estimation) and price. All sales will be donated to China as well. I will email buyer shipping info to seller. Please link this article to every possible media if you can. Thank you and wish our world the best!

It's great to share your interest with like minded, but it's a great deed to lend a helping hand when in dyer need.

锦上添花虽好
雪中送炭更刻骨铭心

PLEASE HELP!


email: tea@teahabitat.com
paypal: tea@teahabitat.com

For donation: you may paypal tea@teahabitat.com directly. All proceeds will be wired to China first week of the following month.

If you'd like to donate directly to China, here is a list of banks for Sanzui, volunteering for supporters whom couldn't reach the suffocating land.

银行名称 开户行 户名、帐号 电话银行
招商银行
西安城东支行 户名：伍刚
95555 029 0012 5878 95555

建设银行
西安经二路分理处 户名：伍刚
4220579980102076555 95533

中国银行
西安互助路支行 户名：伍刚
4563513600008381758 95566

交通银行
西安东开发区支行 户名：伍刚
60142835817375208 95559
中国工商银行
西安市解放路支行 户名：伍刚
6222023700005529864 95588

农行 西安兴庆路支行
韩森路分理处 户名：伍刚
9559980210266243117 95599

Today's tea - Kan Tou

Kan Tou Old Bush Dan Cong Oolong, means edge of retaining wall, gained its name due to its location. It is a confusing name since most of high mountain DC's were grown on hill side with retaining walls everywhere. Well, out of that many, only this one marked its territory in name of history, and for good reason!

For almost a month, today is the first time I spend time to observe tea whole hearted. I choose Kan Tou out a few that I have not posed on website out of procrastination. There are a few trees I got after last year's China trip.

Fragrance is between Orange flower and Pomelo flower, lighter than orange flower, and stronger than pomelo flower. The fragrance is mostly in the taste lingers on every surface of mouth, warmth of tea soothes every inch of through as the liquid traces down, embracing with nectar of nature - sweet and floral. It's been more than a month since I had this tea, procrastination is not to be praised.

For some reason, I like spending time to learn about a new tree before posting it. 3 to 5 times over the period of months is not a long time to learn about a new subject, person, job, place, so is a tea. Kan Tou is definitely one of the teas on top of my list now.

My new year resolution is to be more diligent, especially on tea reviews. :P