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    A FASCINATING HIGH-END TEA CULTURE

    Written by: From Reference News
    Posted on: July 28, 2012 | | 中文

    15 years ago, the Lin family enterprise bought a shipment of long-stored tea from a bankrupt Hong Kong restaurant. Today, its worth has increased by 10,000 times, as the Lins find themselves part of a phenomenon that as much an investment trend as it is a cultural fever. “It’s like magic,” Sam Lin confided in the AFP reporter, as he made the tea.

    The price of well-aged Pu’er tea has soared in the last two decades. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has been encouraging high-end tea culture, developing its potential as an alternative to the wine culture abroad. The country takes justifiable pride in this high-grade commodity it produces.

    According to Sam Lin, the high-end Pu’er tea market began witnessing rapid growth in the 1990s, with increasing numbers of middle class investors joining the purchasing upsurge formerly dominated by the elite.

    In a quiet tearoom situated in the busy Mong Kok area of Hong Kong, several stylishly dressed young people are learning tea art with tea master Eliza Liu. “It’s just like drugs. I think I’m addicted to it,” 21 year old student Yan Ganxing says. “By learning tea art, I think, I’m learning China.” Having attended the class for six years, Yan still considers himself “a beginner in this field.” The students first observe the color of tea in each cup and take in the fragrance. Then they taste the tea, savoring its flavor, as they listen to Eliza Liu explaining the value of the well-aged tea.

    It was reported that in 2002, a quantity of prime-quality Pu’er was bade at 250 U.S. dollar per gram in an auction. The very rare Dahongpao oolong tea has also been known to fetch a price this high. But artists such as Eliza Liu question the extortionate prices. They prefer to lay emphasis on the long-term status that tea enjoys in Chinese medicine and philosophy.

    The fancy tearooms which have emerged in London and Sydney are indicative of the success of this venture of exporting the high-end tea culture. Liu and her students also believe that the culture they are so fascinated with is not in the least a mere trend.

    Being very devoted to promoting Pu’er tea, Yan says: “Before learning about the tea culture, I had a lot of friends who thought that it was an activity for senior people. Now I guess they’ve all changed their minds.”
     


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021