Above is a preview of the calligraphy our tea mentor, Tony Lin prepared for us this Lunar New Year. The first words of each of the three phrases comprise our brand name in Chinese: 一口茶 — which is a homonym for Eco-Cha! The Chinese meaning is simply "A Sip Of Tea".

Tony has practiced Chinese calligraphy for decades, and his brushworks has been featured on numerous occasions at the Lugu Farmers' Association Tea Museum and formal tea parties hosted by the Living Art Of Tea Club, which he founded. He has also provided his brushwork for exhibitions at the Nantou Global Tea Expo. He has also volunteered his services every year to make the Lunar New Year auspicious red paper decorations that are ubiquitously posted around entrances of homes.

While more conventional phrases are prominent, anything that connotes fortune, health, happiness, and contentment are common themes. Over the years, we have chosen our own phrases from classic poetry, philosophical texts, as well as simple adages like the seven items that make a dwelling a home: "firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea" (柴米油鹽醬醋茶). The one we chose last year is from the famous Lao Tzu's Dao De Jing: "Covet less, achieve contentment. Covet more, encounter confusion."

Tony has not only offered us doorway decorations. Years ago, he brushed a classic poem written by a Buddhist monk about the spiritual benifits of drinking tea for us. Tony and Andy translated it into English together. It has since hung in our living room as a cherished gift. This poem is just one example among thousands of poems and odes to tea composed in classic Chinese culture. Tea and calligraphy are tightly woven into the fabric of traditional Chinese culture.

一飲滌昏寐

The first brew cleanses the dreary mind
情思朗爽滿天地
Illuminating my perception of the entire world
再飲清我神
Another brew purifies my spirit
忽如飛雨灑輕塵
Like a flurrying mist softly coating the the ground
三飲便得道
The third brew engulfs the self into The Way
何需苦心破煩惱
Why endure hardship to be free of suffering?

Author: 皎然, Jiao Ran (c. 8th century)

Tony and his wife Lisa Lin have welcomed us into their home and made us feel like we part of the family. We spend every Lunar New Year's Eve in their home, participating in the celebrations. Tea, calligraphy, and so much more have been offered in true Taiwanese cultural form. Eco-Cha is truly a manifestation of this life-long connection. Here we are, with four new family members, sitting down to New Year's Dinner a couple years ago...

Here is the video of Tony Lin explaining the meaning of the calligraphy he composed for us on red paper to bring us good fortune in the coming Year of the Tiger!

We now have a special offer during the Lunar New Year 2022 to get your own hand-brushed calligraphy by Tony Lin! Just order anything in our store for a minimum of $75, and enter the code TIGER in the discount code window of our checkout page. We will have your unique calligraphy on red door paper composed by Tony Lin over the New Year holiday next week, and include in your shipment when we get back to business in the Year of the Tiger!

UPDATE: It’s now Lunar New Year’s Eve, and we just posted Tonys red paper calligraphy in our doorway.

Here’s the Chinese:

一茗驚人世珍品，
口齒留香味甘醇，
茶藝生活品人生

Here is our English translation:

A captivating tea of world class value 

Lingering on the palate with a rich complexity 

A life in tea offers a refined appreciation of living 

This is simply our way of expressing the rich culture and deep sense of generosity we have received over the years in our immersion into the local Taiwan tea culture!

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