TaoHuaShan Series-桃花山古树系列

TaoHuaShan Ancient Tree Raw Puerh Series

A leaf, grown in the mountains of Fengqing;
a passage of time, unfolding in Sydney.

TaoHuaShan lies within the mountainous region of FengQing, in the north-west of the puerh tea area. This landscape remains largely covered by natural forest, where mist and rainfall move through the valleys, and rich organic soil supports the growth of ancient tea trees. Many of these trees date back to the early Qing dynasty, and within this same mountain system stands the oldest known tea tree in the world — over 3,200 years old.

Teas from this north-western zone are often structured and expressive. With older trees, the initial bitterness quickly transforms into a clear and lasting sweetness. TaoHuaShan ancient tree raw puerh is particularly known for its pronounced sweetness and long, evolving aftertaste.

MY Teahouse began working with TaoHuaShan ancient tree raw puerh in 2012. Through ongoing collaboration with local tea makers and repeated practice, an important observation gradually emerged: the same tea, when stored in different environments, follows different ageing paths. Teas kept in Sydney developed in a way that was distinct from those stored in the producing regions.

From this point, a longer-term practice took shape. Beginning in 2016, tea has been produced each year from the same mountain and the same processing factory, with part of the production brought to Sydney for long-term storage and observation. At the same time, in order to care for the tea forest, harvesting is carried out on an alternating-year basis, allowing the trees to rest and grow naturally.

Each year’s tea is named with two Chinese characters. Over time, these names form a continuous poetic structure — a way of recording time through both tea and language.

Peach blossoms veil the mountain valleys after lingering rain,
At the source, clear streams and mist dissolve beneath open skies;
Pure resonance and hidden fragrance drift in the spring breeze,
Crimson grace and tender green warmth — swallows speak softly.

(A poem unfolding over fourteen years.)
桃花山峪含宿雨
源涧岚清露云晴
清韵暗香春风醉
红媚绿暖燕语轻

All wrapping paper is handwritten in Chinese calligraphy by Raymond Mao, recording not only the tea, but also the gradual movement of time.

This series is not about selecting a single “best” year.
It is an ongoing observation —

of how a mountain leaves its trace in tea,
and how time reveals itself, slowly, within a single leaf.