Meet Xuan

Greetings everyone! I’m so happy that you’ve found your way to Xuan Tea. My name is Chen Xuan. Chen is a common family name, and Xuan is my given name, which literally means “fine jade.” It’s pronounced “Shwen” in the rising tone, which is similar to the rising tone used when asking a question in English. I’m from a small village in the picturesque province of Guangxi in southern China. Tea has been a part of my life since I was little, the most popular in Guangxi province being “you cha,” or “oil tea,” which is the drink of choice among the ethnic groups that make up Guangxi province. Many other teas were also popular in my region, but none of them even had names – they were just what people there made and drank themselves. Later on I became much more familiar with the overall world of Chinese tea. In 2004, I participated in Shenzhen City’s Chinese Art of Tea training, under the tutelage of Master Li Hao, who recently published a book on the types, history, and culture of Chinese tea. After completing this training, I became a member of a tea house performance team that entertained domestic and foreign guests with Chinese tea ceremonies. Since this time, I have had an inseparable bond with tea. The world of Chinese tea is as both broad and deep. Its history goes back even longer than the Pyramids in Egypt. There is an old saying in Chinese, “清早开门7件事，柴米油盐酱醋茶” – When the door opens in the morning, there are seven important things: firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.” Tea is a necessary part of Chinese life. Allow me to be your guide by offering you the best tea my country has to offer.