Hangzhou Zhiqinghe Tea Tech Co.,Ltd.
Since 1992.
82-year-old Director Yuan: A master who lives and breathes tea
In the organic tea garden of the Lin'an Oriental Tea Research Institute, there is always a stooped but still going strong figure, busy back and forth from dawn till dusk. He is a true icon in the tea industry. From a young lad to a silver-haired elder, he has devoted himself to tea for more than 60 years.
During the peak tea season, he’s on the go non-stop. He does everything himself, from cleaning tools to inspecting the finished products. He firmly grips the handle of the cart loaded with over a hundred jin of raw tea leaves, steadily walking toward the processing workshop. His back is slightly bent, and he glances back at the tea sacks every now and then, showing his earnestness and dedication.
Once he steps into the workshop, Director Yuan completely forgets his advanced age. He squats right by the tea fixation machine, carefully sorting and tidying the freshly picked tea leaves piled inside. The machine roars loudly in the workshop, but he remains in a world of his own. His fingertips graze each leaf, gauging its temperature and texture to ensure each fresh leaf gets even air circulation and stays tender.
Covering the tea garden with black film is a key step in growing matcha. It directly affects how tender the tea buds are and how strong their fragrance will be. New steel frames stand over the rows of tea. Director Yuan, standing amid waist-high tea bushes, tugs at the edges of the black film, tilting his head up to adjust and secure it, demonstrating for the workers. The wind whips up the film with a rustling sound, and his silver hair flutters gently in the wind. His gaze is locked onto the edge of the film, not letting up for even a second.
He’s not the type to just lean on past experience and is always willing to travel and learn new techniques. He takes managers and masters to Anji and Jingshan, leaving no detail overlooked, and personally puts what he has learned into practice across every corner of the tea garden. You can see his artisan spirit in his restless footsteps at over eighty years old, his focused gaze during demonstrations, and his devotion to caring for each and every tea leaf.
Now, as the tea buds pop up batch after batch, Director Yuan hasn’t slowed down for a second. To him, the tea garden and tea leaves have long been part of his life. He guards every leaf with his own two hands. And through a lifetime, he lives out what a tea master’s purest passion and devotion really look like.
