Wang De Chuan

Wang De Chuan dates itself to 1862, in the reign of the Tongzhi emperor of the Qing dynasty. Wang An Shang crossed the strait from Jinjiang county in Fujian, settled in Taiwan, and founded the first tea house in Tainan, then the capital, in the southwest of the island. The business has stayed in tea since. The Taipei flagship moved from Changchun Road to Zhongshan North Road at the end of 2012. Its design keeps the house mark of black-ink calligraphy on a red ground, and the tea is held in cabinets built to recall traditional library-card drawers. The house sets out its approach as that of the Chinese literati, with every detail researched before it is presented. Guests are given space and time to taste before choosing. The selection is drawn from named places rather than sold as types. Oolongs come from Lishan, Nantou, Mu Zha and Sanxia, and there is a charcoal-roasted Tieguanyin and a honey-fragrance black tea. Puer arrives from Lincang, Baoshan, Xishuangbanna and Yunnan, both raw and ripe. Teaware is sold alongside the leaf, and gift sets are made up in the shop. Tea specialists on the floor have travelled to the producing regions and will talk through what is in the cup. Further branches trade across Taipei and at addresses in Hong Kong and Tokyo.