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But the heyday of the international tea trade eventually came to an end. Changes to the business climate and to Taiwan’s own tea industry, together with the government’s 1982 withdrawal of its regulations governing tea manufacturers, led to small farmers processing their tea leaves themselves. This had the dual effect of making it much harder for tea merchants to obtain raw tea and removing them from their central position in the industry. When the tea merchants went into decline, the golden age of Taiwanese tea ended.
Wang Tea saw the writing on the wall. It opened its first retail outlet on Taipei’s Jinan Road in 1976 in an effort to raise its profile and begin a transition from exports to domestic sales. “My father personally drove a small delivery van to markets to sell our tea. He ran it something like a modern-day coffee truck,” says Jason Wang. Wang Tea’s efforts happened to coincide with the rise of Taiwan’s economy and tea’s emergence as an everyday beverage, enabling the company to establish a solid footing in the new market.
The Formosa Black Tea Company responded to the changes differently. Recognizing that the company’s black tea production was no longer competitive with that of major international manufacturers, Luo shifted its focus to Japan in the 1970s. He imported Japanese sencha processing techniques and equipment, and began selling tea there. Luo also developed his own process for making green tea powder: steaming the tea flushes, baking them dry, then crushing them into a powder that is mixed with water and drunk. The tea contains catechin, a powerful antioxidant, and is marketed as a health drink.
Formosa Black Tea recently rebuilt its old factory to repair damage suffered in the Jiji Earthquake of 1999 and to get out of the way of a road widening project. It also took advantage of the reconstruction to convert some of its floor space into the Formosa Tea Industry and Culture Gallery and house precious portions of the factory’s 80-year history there.
Sin Hong Choon was less fortunate than either Wang Tea or Formosa Black Tea. Although the company avoided physical damage during World War II, it couldn’t adapt to the decline in Taiwan’s tea industry and closed in 2004.
After designating Sin Hong Choon’s facilities a historic site in 2009, the Taipei City Government used a transfer of development rights to preserve its main building, and hired a construction company to restore it.
Four years of renovation work transformed the Sin Hong Choon building back into the gorgeous and frequently visited hotspot it had once been. The city government commemorated its reopening with a special Sin Hong Choon exhibition on the first floor that recaptured Dadaocheng’s glory days and enabled visitors to experience the old company’s magnificence for themselves.
The Wang family ancestral shrine was moved back into the building just a few days before we met with Wang Guozhong to talk about Sin Hong Choon. In fact, he had to first run up to the shrine on the third floor to light some incense in front of the ancestral tablets before we spoke. He explained that he had been doing this routinely for years in a different location, but was pleased to see the tablets returned to the site of the family business because now his ancestors can continue protecting their descendants.
Just as Sin Hong Choon’s history has been preserved, we too can continue to pass along the wonders of Taiwanese tea. For all that the heyday of Taiwanese tea exports has ended and we now import roughly 30,000 tons of tea per year, we are fortunate to still have with us many old tea merchants who remember and are willing to share the story of how things used to be. The next time you enjoy a cup of tea, savor the taste, but also take a moment to reflect on the glory days of yore.
Grading and tasting raw tea leaves. (courtesy of Wang Tea)
Sin Hong Choon’s roasting room delivers a new media experience in a very old space, with screenings of a film in which Wang Guozhong explains the roasting process.
Wang Tea’s roasting bins have seen hard use over the years.
Wang Guozhong lived through the glory days of Taiwanese tea. Although his family’s Sin Hong Choon tea company has closed, its facilities have been preserved. Now renovated, they tell the story of Taiwanese tea. (photo by Chuang Kung-ju)
A photo showing a truck filled with crates of tea, from the collection of the Formosa Tea Industry and Culture Gallery.
Luo Ching-shih says proudly that Formosa Black Tea has exported its products to some 85 international ports.
Jason Wang, the fifth-generation head of Wang Tea, has applied the creativity of youth to the task of revitalizing the old brand.
The second floor of the Sin Hong Choon building includes an exhibit on the historic structure’s restoration.
The Formosa Tea Industry and Culture Gallery is a converted warehouse that now displays many precious historical photos.
The interior of the Sin Hong Choon building includes an atrium that lets in light and air. (photo by Chuang Kung-ju)
The family shrine on the third floor of the Sin Hong Choon building includes the Wang family’s ancestral tablets in the center, with deities on either side. (photo by Chuang Kung-ju)
Even though Taiwan’s tea industry has declined, it has become an integral part of our culture. Local tea farmers, processors, and retailers continue to work tirelessly to bring us each cup of our beloved beverage.