New Taipei: Chinese Tea Ceremony at Idyllic Shi-Yang Cultural Restaurant
One of the local things I wanted to do while in Taipei was to attend a traditional tea ceremony. The online search led me to Shi-Yang Cultural Restaurant located in the mountains of Xizhi District in Xinbei (New Taipei), approximately 30-45 minutes from Taipei, depending which area you will be coming from in the city.
Shi-Yang bids a tasteful, cultural and idyllic take on Chinese dining. The restaurant is nestled in the midst of flora and fauna, far away from the busy streets of Taipei. It is being run by Buddhist monks who live, work and pray there. The design of the restaurant is open and minimalistic (Japanese style), blending in well with the natural surroundings and the values the restaurant represents.
By the way, Taipei and New Taipei are 2 different municipalities in Taiwan. The latter completely physically surrounds Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.
The cultural restaurant offers three types of services and these are:
1) Set lunch program
2) Set dinner program
3) Tea ceremony
They do not have a menu and the food served depends on the season’s produce. They have vegetarian options. The restaurant serves the set lunch and set dinner in aesthetically presented courses and you can combine this with a tea ceremony. It is not cheap to eat here.
(This is a long post with lots of pictures!)
MAKING A RESERVATION
My initial plan was to have lunch + tea ceremony at Shi-Yang and when I reserved a month before the trip, I was informed that they do not accept a 1 person for lunch, and not for dinner as well. To eat here, you must come as a party of two, or more. However, they do accept a 1-person reservation for the tea ceremony.
Because I wanted something different for this trip, I went ahead and reserved the tea ceremony. I saw the pictures of the lovely and serene place in the mountains and wanted to see it and experience it, even for just a few hours. Basically, I just want to get out of the city and it was timely as it was raining the whole day when I was there. What better way to spend the afternoon indoors having a warm cup of tea in a beautiful and peaceful place like this.
Reservations at Shi-Yang are best done by telephone. They speak English. One must also reserve way ahead of time, at least 2 weeks prior and 6 weeks or more for special holidays.
GETTING TO SHI-YANG
The restaurant can help with transportation by giving directions to your chauffeur or taxi driver.
From Ximending, I took the metro to the end station, Nangang Exhibition Centre. Outside the Nangang station, I grabbed one of the waiting taxis. To make sure that I get to my destination correctly, I printed out the address of Shi-Yang in Chinese (my hotel helped me with this) and showed it to the taxi driver. My taxi driver was a soft-spoken woman in her 60’s and although she was a very nice lady, she drove as slow as a turtle.
Halfway through the ride, the restaurant called me asking if I am pushing through with the tea ceremony. I told them I am on the way and gave the phone to the driver so they can talk and make sure we are driving to the right direction.
The drive from the Nangang station to Shi-Yang was approximately 20 minutes. Taxis in Taipei can be trusted, they operate with official meters and they really use it.
When we arrived, the woman taxi driver did a wrong turn and ended up on the steep end road of the restaurant. She was having a hard time backing up because of the slope and I was very tempted to grab the wheel and do it myself, lol. I can sometimes truly understand the many horrible and even sexist jokes about women drivers. This was the best example!
THE WAITING “ZEN” ROOM
A woman was waiting outside on the road to escort me to the cultural restaurant. We walked on a stone path along a pond and at the end of it is the building. From my understanding, Shi-Yang Cultural Restaurant has a few buildings in the property. So one must be sure to take note of the address of the building property they have made reservations with.
I looked up the black and glass structure before me and I just loved what I saw. The building is designed in a modern and minimalistic way, similar to Japanese modern design that you see in Architecture and Design magazines. The walls were all fitted with floor to ceiling glass and doors. Everything is transparent. The outdoors are part of the interior. #love
The woman asked me to leave my shoes in the foyer and I was given a pair of slippers. Then a Buddhist man in red linen costume welcomed me and asked me to follow him through a corridor. As I walked behind him, we passed by many airy rooms elegantly designed with taste and privacy. We went up to the first level and he opened a glass sliding door and we entered into this room which spells oasis to me.
The Buddhist man, who I shall name ‘Shang’ and who will be my company for the next 2 hours, told me to relax in the room. He will be back in 15 minutes. The idea here is that I should take the time to relax and meditate before the tea ceremony. Basically, have some personal zen ‘me’ time =)
I managed to take a quick video:
FIRST PART OF THE TEA CEREMONY
When Shang came back, I was ready and fully energized yet relaxed to do the tea ceremony. He then led me to another floor and to a small room where we will have the tea drinking together.
The tea ceremony at Shi-Yang consists of 2 parts. For each part I will be served with a different tea. Forgive me, but this was last January 2017 and I didn’t manage to take down notes, so I totally forgot the names of the teas served. One thing I do know is that the first tea was a black one (Oolong type) and the second was a flower type.
Shang explained to me how to prepare tea the proper traditional Chinese way. He also showed me how to enjoy and appreciate it. The key thing with tea drinking the Chinese way is smelling the tea before drinking it. The first teacup is not only substantially stronger in taste but the smell is different and more enduring as well, compared to the second or third cup.
Drinking tea the Chinese way is being 100% attuned to ourselves and our sensory glands. The mind is fully aware but the other sensory organs are functioning actively, such as smelling and tasting. In order to truly appreciate tea, one has to stop, set the worldly things aside and take some time to relax. Focus on the little things, such as the sound of the water being poured from the boiling pot into the teacup. Raising the cup, bringing it to your nose and smelling it. And tasting the tea drink with your heart, mind and soul. It really is just you and your tea situation.
Here is a short video I made:
The funny thing with this experience is that Shang and I were somewhat brought together by coincidence. Shang lived in the Netherlands for 6 years. He was about to get his permanent residency in the country when he made the decision to live the life of Buddhism. He went back to Taiwan and immersed himself in the simpler and purer ways of life. He eventually ended up here at Shi-Yang. Strangely enough, as we talked and drank tea, we realised that we were both at the point of our career life where we need to make a decision which way to go. We were both standing at a fork road.
Shang and I connected. It was a very nice meeting of minds and experiences. It was like therapy to me.
A BREAK AND A STROLL
Then it was time for a break. I needed to go to the toilet anyway, which by the way was designed really nice in a, as expected, a zen way. The toilet was also equipped with high-tech Japanese water closets with electronic commands. I really love this but they are very expensive here in Europe.
Shang also told me to take time. I basically have about 15 minutes break and that I can check out the rest of the building if I want to. Of course, I did, and I took a lot of pictures!
It was raining the whole day in Taipei but rain in the mountains has a different effect compared to rain in the city. There was mist hovering in the mountains. The thick fog was coming out of the trees enveloping the immediate area around the property. It was one of those nostalgic and dreamy days. Quite magical I thought.
It reminds me of the Netherlands (and the colder countries in Europe) when it’s snowing outside. I just want to stay indoors in my woolly pyjamas and curl on the sofa with a thick plaid wrapped around my body and a warm cup of chocolate milk in my hands.
So having said that, it was the best moment to be here at Shi Yang to enjoy a warm cup of tea.
Here are the pictures I took during my break stroll:
SECOND PART OF THE TEA CEREMONY
Shang asked me if the Dutch would appreciate a traditional tea ceremony like this. I gave it a quick thought and said, ‘In general? No, I don’t think so.’
He gave me a grin and said, ‘I agree with you.’
The second part of the ceremony was a different type of tea, which I cannot remember the name anymore, but it was a flowery variant. This one was not the same as the Oolong tea which lasted us several teacups. But what I loved about this particular tea was the lovely, very fragrant lingering smell. For each new cup of tea Shang poured, we enjoyed a different flowery smell.
Shang did a great job teaching me how to smell, taste and appreciate tea. It is an art, a therapy and a celebration. It was an amazing experience for me. Thank you!
We said our goodbyes at the end of the tea ceremony and we wished both that we will hopefully find the path that is best for us.
Well, I did. It wasn’t a new (career) path. It was to stay on the path that I have already chosen and created.
OUTDOOR STROLL
As I wait for the taxi I ordered to arrive, I did a quickie stroll around the estate.
I have read that there are trails here leading to the other buildings on the property, which is encouraged if you come during the daytime. Unfortunately, it was raining the whole day so the trails were wet and slippery. Not a good moment to be hiking in the wooded mountains, so I did not go too far.
TIP: Reserve at least 3.5 to 4 hours for this activity. 1 hour for transport back and forth to Taipei. 2 hours for the actual tea ceremony. 30 minutes to 1 hour for outdoor stroll and allowance.
Before long the taxi arrived and I was zipping through the mountains back down to the busy streets of Taipei. I decided to get off at the same area I came, at the Nangang Exhibition Centre MRT station and then took the metro to Xinyi District for a needed very late lunch.
I was famished. I drank litres of tea with an almost empty stomach. #detox
Stay tuned for my next Taiwan post.
Travel Period: January 2017
Destination: Xizhi District (New Taipei), Taiwan
Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
All pictures were taken by a point and shoot pocket camera or a smartphone.
The restaurant and tea house in the mountains.
Shi-Yang bids a tasteful, cultural and idyllic take on Chinese dining. The restaurant is nestled in the midst of flora and fauna, far away from the busy streets of Taipei. It is being run by Buddhist monks who live, work and pray there. The design of the restaurant is open and minimalistic (Japanese style), blending in well with the natural surroundings and the values the restaurant represents.
By the way, Taipei and New Taipei are 2 different municipalities in Taiwan. The latter completely physically surrounds Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.
The cultural restaurant offers three types of services and these are:
1) Set lunch program
2) Set dinner program
3) Tea ceremony
They do not have a menu and the food served depends on the season’s produce. They have vegetarian options. The restaurant serves the set lunch and set dinner in aesthetically presented courses and you can combine this with a tea ceremony. It is not cheap to eat here.
(This is a long post with lots of pictures!)
MAKING A RESERVATION
My initial plan was to have lunch + tea ceremony at Shi-Yang and when I reserved a month before the trip, I was informed that they do not accept a 1 person for lunch, and not for dinner as well. To eat here, you must come as a party of two, or more. However, they do accept a 1-person reservation for the tea ceremony.
One of the many traditional and minimalist rooms in Shi-Yang Cultural Restaurant.
Because I wanted something different for this trip, I went ahead and reserved the tea ceremony. I saw the pictures of the lovely and serene place in the mountains and wanted to see it and experience it, even for just a few hours. Basically, I just want to get out of the city and it was timely as it was raining the whole day when I was there. What better way to spend the afternoon indoors having a warm cup of tea in a beautiful and peaceful place like this.
Reservations at Shi-Yang are best done by telephone. They speak English. One must also reserve way ahead of time, at least 2 weeks prior and 6 weeks or more for special holidays.
GETTING TO SHI-YANG
The restaurant can help with transportation by giving directions to your chauffeur or taxi driver.
From Ximending, I took the metro to the end station, Nangang Exhibition Centre. Outside the Nangang station, I grabbed one of the waiting taxis. To make sure that I get to my destination correctly, I printed out the address of Shi-Yang in Chinese (my hotel helped me with this) and showed it to the taxi driver. My taxi driver was a soft-spoken woman in her 60’s and although she was a very nice lady, she drove as slow as a turtle.
Location of Shi-Yang in Xizhi District, New Taipei. Yes, it is outside the city, in the mountains.
Halfway through the ride, the restaurant called me asking if I am pushing through with the tea ceremony. I told them I am on the way and gave the phone to the driver so they can talk and make sure we are driving to the right direction.
The drive from the Nangang station to Shi-Yang was approximately 20 minutes. Taxis in Taipei can be trusted, they operate with official meters and they really use it.
When we arrived, the woman taxi driver did a wrong turn and ended up on the steep end road of the restaurant. She was having a hard time backing up because of the slope and I was very tempted to grab the wheel and do it myself, lol. I can sometimes truly understand the many horrible and even sexist jokes about women drivers. This was the best example!
The personnel from the restaurant helping my (female) taxi driver backup the car.
THE WAITING “ZEN” ROOM
A woman was waiting outside on the road to escort me to the cultural restaurant. We walked on a stone path along a pond and at the end of it is the building. From my understanding, Shi-Yang Cultural Restaurant has a few buildings in the property. So one must be sure to take note of the address of the building property they have made reservations with.
I looked up the black and glass structure before me and I just loved what I saw. The building is designed in a modern and minimalistic way, similar to Japanese modern design that you see in Architecture and Design magazines. The walls were all fitted with floor to ceiling glass and doors. Everything is transparent. The outdoors are part of the interior. #love
This is my "Zen" waiting room.
The woman asked me to leave my shoes in the foyer and I was given a pair of slippers. Then a Buddhist man in red linen costume welcomed me and asked me to follow him through a corridor. As I walked behind him, we passed by many airy rooms elegantly designed with taste and privacy. We went up to the first level and he opened a glass sliding door and we entered into this room which spells oasis to me.
The Buddhist man, who I shall name ‘Shang’ and who will be my company for the next 2 hours, told me to relax in the room. He will be back in 15 minutes. The idea here is that I should take the time to relax and meditate before the tea ceremony. Basically, have some personal zen ‘me’ time =)
I managed to take a quick video:
Can you hear the sound of nature? Refreshing and relaxing.
FIRST PART OF THE TEA CEREMONY
When Shang came back, I was ready and fully energized yet relaxed to do the tea ceremony. He then led me to another floor and to a small room where we will have the tea drinking together.
The tea ceremony at Shi-Yang consists of 2 parts. For each part I will be served with a different tea. Forgive me, but this was last January 2017 and I didn’t manage to take down notes, so I totally forgot the names of the teas served. One thing I do know is that the first tea was a black one (Oolong type) and the second was a flower type.
Tea drinking in Taiwan (and China) is an art in itself.
Shang explained to me how to prepare tea the proper traditional Chinese way. He also showed me how to enjoy and appreciate it. The key thing with tea drinking the Chinese way is smelling the tea before drinking it. The first teacup is not only substantially stronger in taste but the smell is different and more enduring as well, compared to the second or third cup.
Drinking tea the Chinese way is being 100% attuned to ourselves and our sensory glands. The mind is fully aware but the other sensory organs are functioning actively, such as smelling and tasting. In order to truly appreciate tea, one has to stop, set the worldly things aside and take some time to relax. Focus on the little things, such as the sound of the water being poured from the boiling pot into the teacup. Raising the cup, bringing it to your nose and smelling it. And tasting the tea drink with your heart, mind and soul. It really is just you and your tea situation.
Here is a short video I made:
The funny thing with this experience is that Shang and I were somewhat brought together by coincidence. Shang lived in the Netherlands for 6 years. He was about to get his permanent residency in the country when he made the decision to live the life of Buddhism. He went back to Taiwan and immersed himself in the simpler and purer ways of life. He eventually ended up here at Shi-Yang. Strangely enough, as we talked and drank tea, we realised that we were both at the point of our career life where we need to make a decision which way to go. We were both standing at a fork road.
Shang and I connected. It was a very nice meeting of minds and experiences. It was like therapy to me.
A BREAK AND A STROLL
Then it was time for a break. I needed to go to the toilet anyway, which by the way was designed really nice in a, as expected, a zen way. The toilet was also equipped with high-tech Japanese water closets with electronic commands. I really love this but they are very expensive here in Europe.
Shang also told me to take time. I basically have about 15 minutes break and that I can check out the rest of the building if I want to. Of course, I did, and I took a lot of pictures!
It was raining the whole day in Taipei but rain in the mountains has a different effect compared to rain in the city. There was mist hovering in the mountains. The thick fog was coming out of the trees enveloping the immediate area around the property. It was one of those nostalgic and dreamy days. Quite magical I thought.
It reminds me of the Netherlands (and the colder countries in Europe) when it’s snowing outside. I just want to stay indoors in my woolly pyjamas and curl on the sofa with a thick plaid wrapped around my body and a warm cup of chocolate milk in my hands.
So having said that, it was the best moment to be here at Shi Yang to enjoy a warm cup of tea.
Here are the pictures I took during my break stroll:
Lots of glass. Minimalistic design.
This is one of the restaurant sections.
There is a koi pond of course.
One of the waiting rooms.
SECOND PART OF THE TEA CEREMONY
Shang asked me if the Dutch would appreciate a traditional tea ceremony like this. I gave it a quick thought and said, ‘In general? No, I don’t think so.’
He gave me a grin and said, ‘I agree with you.’
Shang used a different teapot (metal) this time.
The second part of the ceremony was a different type of tea, which I cannot remember the name anymore, but it was a flowery variant. This one was not the same as the Oolong tea which lasted us several teacups. But what I loved about this particular tea was the lovely, very fragrant lingering smell. For each new cup of tea Shang poured, we enjoyed a different flowery smell.
Shang did a great job teaching me how to smell, taste and appreciate tea. It is an art, a therapy and a celebration. It was an amazing experience for me. Thank you!
We said our goodbyes at the end of the tea ceremony and we wished both that we will hopefully find the path that is best for us.
Well, I did. It wasn’t a new (career) path. It was to stay on the path that I have already chosen and created.
Shang pouring water into the tea leaves.
OUTDOOR STROLL
As I wait for the taxi I ordered to arrive, I did a quickie stroll around the estate.
I have read that there are trails here leading to the other buildings on the property, which is encouraged if you come during the daytime. Unfortunately, it was raining the whole day so the trails were wet and slippery. Not a good moment to be hiking in the wooded mountains, so I did not go too far.
The pathway is lighted with candles in the evening.
TIP: Reserve at least 3.5 to 4 hours for this activity. 1 hour for transport back and forth to Taipei. 2 hours for the actual tea ceremony. 30 minutes to 1 hour for outdoor stroll and allowance.
Before long the taxi arrived and I was zipping through the mountains back down to the busy streets of Taipei. I decided to get off at the same area I came, at the Nangang Exhibition Centre MRT station and then took the metro to Xinyi District for a needed very late lunch.
I was famished. I drank litres of tea with an almost empty stomach. #detox
Stay tuned for my next Taiwan post.
Travel Period: January 2017
Destination: Xizhi District (New Taipei), Taiwan
Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
All pictures were taken by a point and shoot pocket camera or a smartphone.
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