Jin Shan

One of Mike's favorite places in Zhejiang Province, China, is Jin Shan. One leaves the heat and crowds and climbs up a curvy road through the dark pines and pale bamboo trees to arrive at the ochre walls of the Jin Shan Monastery. Locals in this tiny village prepare a tea that monks have developed over centuries. Light yet flavorful, the tea is beautiful with its twists of green and white. Based upon his research, Mike believes that this area was the source of the teas that were transplanted from China to Japan, which started the long tradition of tea in Japan.