Rong Gao Serving Tea

Deep roots, curious approach

Xiang Tu Cha Shuo aims to be the world's preeminent resource for all things tea; featuring guides, insights and original, in-depth first-person storytelling.

Founder's Stories

The ancestral home of tea

We travel to China's historic tea regions to find the farmers and crafts-people who care about tea as much as we do. We ask questions. We listen. We learn. We explore. We drink (a lot) of tea along the way and pick our favorites to share directly with you.

Explore Tea Offerings
Destination Tastings in Wuyishan led by Xiang Tu Cha Shuo

Destination Tastings

An intimate journey of cultural, and wisdom experience, subtle feelings through the palate.

Destination Tastings are immersive cultural explorations of China, the ancestral home of tea. Led by Rong Gao's first-person storytelling and thoughtfully punctuated with local culinary offerings, anthropological musings, and tea tastings set comfortably amidst historic terroirs.

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Collaborate

We collaborate with hoteliers, galleries, bookstores, restaurants, schools, universities and wellness centers with shared values to engage with their customers in new ways.

We also partner with businesses and institutions who want to introduce their staff or students to Chinese culture in an approachable, engaging way.

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Respect the earth

We work with artisans and craftspeople who uphold responsible practices which have minimal impact on the environment. Our teas are made using natural cultivation methods and we choose packaging that is plastic free and compostable or recyclable whenever possible.

Our Sustainability Pledge

Where it all began

The mother town, the earth, the roots, the one who nurtures — where everything begins. Xiang (乡) means village or hometown; Tu (土) means earth or soil. Together, it represents an essential longing for a sense of place to return — to remember who you are and where you come from.

It is a calling and an intention. A calling to share the lives and stories of the people we encounter searching for the roots, an intention to encourage and inspire more people to return to their own Xiang Tu.

Xiang Tu Cha Shuo (乡土茶说) translates to: Tea can tell its own story and the stories of the lives of the people who make it.