On February 2nd, People’s Collective held its first event of 2022. We celebrated the Year of the Tiger with Gong Fu Cha, or “The Chinese Art of Tea.”
Led by So-Han Fan, tea expert and founder of West China Tea, attendees received a gift: a Big Tree Moonlight White Snow Pearl dragonball and a Red Tea coin to brew during the event. The evening was rich in history and culture, with friends from People’s Collective.
Attendees were encouraged to wear festive or brightly-colored attire, especially red. The color red in Chinese culture is considered auspicious during the Lunar New Year, believed to scare away spirits of bad fortune.
SO-HAN FAN & WEST CHINA TEA
So-Han Fan is the Chinese-American founder of West China Tea, which was started in 2012. It was borne from So-Han’s passion for sharing Chinese tea culture and sourcing the finest and most unique farm-direct tea and artisan tea ware. West China Tea’s goal is to have tea houses all over the world, using tea culture as a way of uniting communities globally in a transnational network.
Attendees received a gift: a Big Tree Moonlight Snow Pearl dragonball and a Red Tea coin to brew during this special event. Please read about these two wonderful tea selections from West China Tea.
BIG TREE MOONLIGHT WHITE SNOW PEARL
(大樹月光白雪珠, DÀ SHÙ YUÈ GUĀNG BÁI XUĚ ZHŪ)
This is a Dragon Ball – a 7g sphere of whole tea leaves – of Big Tree Moonlight White. These charming dragon balls are made of Da Shu Cha 大树茶 – “big tree tea,” which are delicately sun-dried. White teas like the Moonlight White Tea are rich in antioxidants, which helps in slowing down aging, lessening inflammation, and improving one’s immune system. It has polyphenols that relax one’s blood vessels to prevent heart diseases, and it also has EGCG which helps in metabolism.
RED TEA COIN
(曬乾紅茶幣, SHÀI GĀN HÓNG CHÁ BÌ)
A new addition to our family of Nannuo Mountain tea coins, this tiny cake is actually a micro-sized 7g bing pressed from whole-leaf Nannuo Mountain Sun-Dried Red Tea. Red tea, which is the fully-oxidized species of tea known in the West as black tea, has a warming character, is dark red in color when steeped, and has a satisfying back-of-the-mouth flavor. The process of massaging and sun-drying the tea results in a fruity, sweet profile with low astringency. Each coin represents a full gong fu-sized pot of tea and makes 7-10 full-bodied steepings in a 100-150ml vessel.
ABOUT PEOPLE’S COLLECTIVE
People’s Collective brings together a diverse group of advocates and ambassadors for People’s Community Clinic, united by a shared vision of a healthier Austin for everyone. Through outreach, education, social events, and community building, members promote access to community health and provide support for People’s Community Clinic.
Only $20 a month or one payment of $240. Benefits include:
- Access to a curated calendar of events
- Community building
- Volunteer opportunities
- Health and fitness activities
- Educational experiences
