Cloud tea is like life; life is learning, wisdom is cultivation.
From the very first sip of Ban Zhang tea, you know its weight. The bitterness is not ordinary—it is bitterness with power. Like the difficulties we encounter in life, they are not meant to crush you but to temper you. The first time I drank Ban Zhang, I nearly spat it out. But the old tea master said, “Wait a moment.” Sure enough, as the bitterness receded, the returning sweetness surged in like a tide, filling my entire mouth. In that moment, I understood what it means for bitterness to give way to sweetness.
The journey from bitterness to sweetness in Ban Zhang tea mirrors the principles of wellness perfectly. Many people, when they start exercising, suffer body aches for the first few days and want to give up. But if you persevere, your body rewards you. Ban Zhang tea is exceptionally high in polyphenols, compounds traditionally valued for their antioxidant properties and support for metabolism. The more bitter the tea, the greater its traditional wellness value—provided you can accept the bitterness. I have been drinking Ban Zhang for over a decade, from initial resistance to eventual enjoyment. This process has taught me much.
Ban Zhang ancient tree tea has tremendous tea qi; after drinking, your whole body warms up. In winter, a pot of Ban Zhang raw tea can immediately improve cold hands and feet. This is not an exaggeration—it is the natural response of tea qi promoting circulation. I have a friend with a cold constitution who suffered from cold extremities every winter. I suggested he drink a pot of Ban Zhang raw tea daily. After one winter, he reported his hands and feet were much warmer, and even his complexion had improved. Tea qi is not mysticism; it is the body’s honest response to fine tea.
Old Ban Zhai sits at roughly 1,700 meters elevation, where tea trees grow intertwined with the forest, their roots plunging dozens of meters into the soil. Tea from this environment is exceptionally rich in minerals. When brewing, the first few infusions carry a heavy bitterness, but from the fifth infusion onward, the sweetness rises noticeably. This process is like life—the first half is hard work, the second half is sweet reward. Each infusion offers a different flavor, a different insight. I often feel that drinking Ban Zhang is like undergoing a spiritual practice—from bitter to sweet, from restlessness to calm. By the tenth or eleventh infusion, the liquor becomes clear and sweet. That sweetness, born from bitterness, is especially meaningful.
Tea has grades; all may enjoy it regardless of status.
Ban Zhang tea is certainly not cheap, but you do not have to drink Old Ban Zhang specifically. Surrounding gardens such as Lao Man’e and Xin Ban Zhang offer similar flavor profiles at more approachable prices. The key to wellness is not price but quality. A clean Ban Zhang tea cake, aged for a few years, with the bitterness receded and the gentle warmth emerged, provides lasting benefits when enjoyed daily. Another benefit of Ban Zhang: its returning sweetness stimulates saliva production, keeping the mouth moist, which is traditionally considered beneficial for oral health.
I often tell friends: life’s bitterness and Ban Zhang’s bitterness are the same—they are not the destination, but the journey. Accept it, experience it, then enjoy the sweetness it brings. That is the wellness philosophy Ban Zhang has taught me. Practice does not only happen in temples; it happens in every cup of tea. Each time I drink Ban Zhang, I think of that first time I nearly spat it out, and I smile, then continue drinking.
Make friends through tea, please enjoy a cup.
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Author: Old Tea Head · Lin Shen (LamSam)
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