tea as life, life as tea

Ups and down in life, as a cup of tea, bitter as tea, sweet as tea.
  • All
  • The brand of ownnwo
  • The subject for Sun Moon Lake Black Tea
  • The geographic location of ownnwo
  • The Introduction of ownnwo

During Japanese rule era, sharecroppers were encouraged to cultivate black tea in large amount, the produced tea was then exported back to Japan or England such other places and received great approval, it once roared in the international market and paralleled with black tea in the world, the quality and charm were evident. Yu Chi black tea experienced the heyday until the commencement of economic development, labor and processing cost increased caused obstacles in export, production and cultivation area decreased by year; in the 90th year of ROC, with the development of traditional agricultural specialty as the orientation to develop agriculture products possessed the most local characteristics, “Black Tea” was elected as one of the agricultural products with local characteristics, “Sun Moon Lake Black Tea”, one with the most Taiwanese characteristics is introduced to the world.

Located in the subtropical monsoon climate, moderate temperature, relatively high humidity, dry winter, warm and rainy summer, because of the slightly acidity soil and well drainage geographic environment factors simultaneously, an excellent Black Tea in the tea farm has been destined, highland area with heavy morning dew, afternoon mist rises earlier, natural agricultural organic cultivation, leisure with the fauna and flora from dawn to dusk in four seasons.



Sun Moon Lake is situated in center of Taiwan, Nantou County, Yu Chi Village, Taiwan’s biggest and most beautiful high mountain plain water lake. The lake is bordered by La Lu Island, the east is shaped like the wheel of the sun, the west is shaped like the hook of the moon, the colors varies in the two lakes, the great sight is well known for the “double lake , autumn moon”. Sun Moon Lake is the merge of mountain and water, creating picturesque mountain and water, clear-jade lake surface, surrounded by groups of mountains, mountainous reflection in the water, creating the beautiful scenery of misty fog and clearly layered change in the mountain views, one view, one object, as a painting completely made by nature. From morning to dusk, spring, summer to autumn and winter, may it be clear sunny or misty rain, the splendid allure remains, at dawn the lake is covered by a thin veil, resonating the blurry beauty; when the sun rises from the mountains, the original blurry lake gradually shows its outline, its surface reflected the shapes of the mountains and the trees, the buzzing of bugs and the chirping of birds complemented one another; at dusk, the lake is dyed glistening gold by the setting sun as if in a wonderland; when the night falls, the reflection of light swayed with the waves of the lake, followed by cool breezes.

Grandpa originally ventured in fabric trades, a sudden fire burned the shops to nothing, so my father started to work as a sharecropper, at that time the landlord can decide on the tenant as he pleases and with harsh conditions, the rent of the farmland was paid in advance, sometimes with flexibility, sometimes not. Apart from keeping some as seeds, my fathered handed in the rest of all the harvested crops, after a year of hard work, even rice porridge for three meals was a luxury, therefore he proactively reclaimed the wasteland, with a hoe and a bamboo basket, he reclaimed beside Bu Wei river, there wasn’t even road then, shrubs, thorns and beasts were everywhere. Slowly he dug and slowly he scooped, clearing thorns and weeds, the dug up field might be lost in typhoon under the torrent of rain and flood, with no answer from above or below, one could only pray for the safety of the whole family, day after day, year after year. As I recalled, since youth I had accompanied my father in the reclaiming wasteland, the rich kids can study and play, while I could only leave early and return late, devoted to digging and weeding the whole field, catching insects when there were pests, when I was tired from work I looked up at the blue sky and the white clouds, daring not expect a future, when leisure I would gather vegetables, collecting wood in the deep mountains and preparing for the three meals, when the young shoots could be seen on tea trees, and the tea market is stable, one would know soon there would be income for the family and no need to suffer hunger and the cold, even the drops of sweet from the foreheads seem sweet, lips smiled naturally, but when the price of tea worsen, worried increased as the young shoot grew taller day by day, frowning everyday not knowing what to do, when the industry declined, one must face the decision of whether to give up the tea one planted by hand, the laborious devotion on the land, the sweat and the tears, all became worthless overnight.

Sun Moon Lake with its unique natural properties, cultivated many unique local produce, black tea is well known internationally, among them Taiwan Tea var. 18, alias Hongyu “Black Jade”, is the best made by Tea Research and Extension Station, crossing Myanmar big leaf seed tree with Taiwan wild Camellia parent tree, categorized as large-leaf specie, after brewing after from the bright red tea color, because of the genes of Taiwan Camellia, it also carries a natural subtle scent of cinnamon, leaving a unique freshness as cool as mint in the month, it is a black tea with both the scent and the sweetness, very suitable to drink, therefore it was once recommended by black tea expert as a black tea with special “scent of Taiwan”, an excellent authentic tea that amazes nationally and internationally alike.

Spend half of my life plowing, laboriously covered my head in work, started to roam in the black tea plantation since young, never knew whether it was sweet or rain on my face, the redden shoulders by the carrying pole, body bitten by tea bugs, swollen palms with blisters, remembering now, the difficult days the whole family went through, joined in hands and hearts, sadness and affections were branded in one another. Everything in childhood was natural and carefree, heavy dew in dawn, the sky is so blue during the day, at dusk flocks of wild swallows flew from the field to Shui She Mountain, after the thundering storms in the afternoon, fireflies filled the valleys, native original producers! All the fields you see now were left by that generation, with the decline of tea, tea plantation and tea trees decreased from hundreds of thousands to a pitiful few, old bush tea tree of almost hundred years old can still be seen, remembering the past, boiling a pot of spring water, grabbed and put in a handful of black tea, carried the teapot to work in the field, when tired or thirsty, drink a mouthful of black tea on the curb, it was so natural and simple, recalling now the combination of “water” and “leave”, black tea’s original flavor reappears.