News

The calligraphy on red door paper was hand-brushed by our tea mentor in celebration of the Lunar New Year. They were sent on their way to our supporters who ordered them. Tony chose an abbreviated line of a poem by the famous poet Du Fu of the Tang Dynasty.

We spent several days over the last couple weeks filming in tea country (Lugu) and in Taichung City with the Buddhist-based Da Ai Television station. It will a while before the program is aired, but for now we can share some behind the scene shots. Here we are at Tony and Lisa Lin's tea table playing with tea design ideas.

Highly unusual weather conditions during this year's spring tea growing season have resulted in considerable damage to the produce.

I took this photos some years ago on my way to one of my favorite mountain getaways, Dong Pu Hot Springs in Nantou County, Taiwan.

Name & Mission 

Eco-Cha is pronounced the same way in English and Chinese and carries meaning in both languages. Eco-Cha in Chinese means 'A Sip of Tea'. 

Created out of our dedication to artisan tea culture and the realization of how small, family-run farms in Taiwan are progressively employing eco-friendly methods of tea cultivation, this name is testimony of our commitment to the preservation of traditional artisan tea production and the promotion of sustainable agriculture in the tea industry.

No matter which language or culture Eco-Cha is spoken or heard in, it carries meaning. In English 'Eco-Cha' represents our commitment to sustainably produced teas and the artisan tea industry in Taiwan. In Chinese it is a reminder to stop, breathe, take a sip of tea and be in the present moment. 

Name & Language 

The English pronunciation of Eco-Cha is almost the same as the Chinese pronunciation of 一口茶. The only difference being that Chinese is a tonal language, and must be spoken with certain intonation. 

• 一 (Yi) means 'One' and is pronounced like the 'ee' in 'bee' 

• 口 (Kou) means 'Mouth' and is pronounced like the 'co' in 'co-op'

• 茶 (Cha) means 'Tea' and is pronounced like the 'Cha' in the dance 'Cha-Cha' 

When Chinese words are combined in a phrase, they often take on a different meaning from individual words. 一口 means 'One Sip' while 茶 means 'Tea'.

一口茶 means 'A Sip of Tea'. 

Name & Personal Connection  

When Andy initially shared this idea for the English name Eco-Cha with his tea mentor and friend Tony Lin, Tony instantly responded by uttering the words written in Tony's own brushwork above, the Chinese words for 一口茶 or "A Sip of Tea". Andy spoke the words in English, Tony heard them in Chinese. This profound simplicity resonated deeply, and Andy was at once convinced that it was meant to be.