• See the slideshow.

On April 17 at 6AM, Ray hopped on a plane bound for the tea fields of China.  With little more than a 2600 cu in. backpack, he started his trek in Kunming and ended the journey 35 days later in Shanghai’s tea markets.

Through photos, videos, and a map, we document our first trip to China for tea. Though Ray did pack very light, photos taken with a small camera and an ipod Touch for timely updates over wifi, provide a unique view of China and its people, along with our tea friends, producers, and farmers.

The following was Ray’s itinerary, traveling with the  Dobrá Tea family from the US and Europe:

Map

View Journey to the Tea Fields – China 2012 in a larger map

Wednesday, 4/19 – Arrival in Kunming 12:40AM

Thursday, 4/19 – Acclimatisation in Kunming

Friday, 4/20 – Kunming surroundings

Saturday, 4/21 – Tuesday, 4/24 – Supplier Pure Tea co. – Tea-king tree, Processing of Lao Shu Bing Cha, Cha Tou, and other Yunnan Teas – West to Kunming

Wednesday, 4/25 – arrival in Dali

Thursday, 4/26 – free day in Dali

Friday, 4/27 – travel from Dali to Lijiang

Saturday, 4/28 – free day in Lijiang

Sunday, 4/29 – day to relax

Monday, 4/30 – Lijiang – Chengdu (by air)

Tuesday, 5/1 – Chengdu – historical and modern Tea-rooms

Wednesday, 5/2 – Thursday, 5/3 – visit Panda Center & Leshan (giant Buddha statue)

Friday, 5/4 – move to Mingshan – visit Meng Ding Huang Ya (Yellow Tea) supplier

Saturday, 5/5 – Sunday, 5/6 – move to do Liu An/Anhui – by boat on the Yangtze River – Three Gorges

Monday, 5/7 – Liu An – meeting with Anhui Teas supplier, crop and produce of Liu An Gua Pian

Tuesday, 5/8 – move to Wuhu

Wednesday, 5/9 – Wuhu, Tea-market, separation of travelers group

Thursday, 5/10 – Monday, 5/14 – free schedule, went to: Yixing (tea pots!)

Tuesday, 5/15 – Hangzhou – meeting of the travelers group

Wednesday, 5/16 – Zhejiang Tea Import and Export Co., Long Jing in Hangzhou area

Thursday, 5/17 – Friday, 5/18 – Zhejiang Tea Import and Export Co., Zhucha Shaoxian/Ningbo area,

alternatively by sea Ningbo-Putuoshan or back to Hangzhou

Saturday, 5/19 – move from Hangzhou/Putuoshan to Shanghai, meeting of the travelers group

Sunday, 5/20 – Shanghai – final Tea-shopping

Monday, 5/21 – departure from Shanghai and return home.