TBC Lecture Series – A Journey in the Tea Mountains of Yunnan, China, with Dr. Francis T. Hannafey S.J.
TBC invites leading scholars, thinkers and experts to address an eclectic range of topics related to China in an one-hour format as part of TBC’s Lecture Series. On Wednesday, March 14, 2018, Dr. Francis T. Hannafey S.J. gave a lecture on Pu’er tea to students.
Abstract of Dr. Francis’s talk: “Last summer I was pursuing on-site research for a writing project on Yunnan Puer tea. I was in the Lincang region of southern Yunnan staying with tea farmers and their families while exploring Puer tea growing, harvesting, production, and tasting of this distinctive tea from Yunnan Province. Tea is much more than simply a beverage in Yunnan and in Chinese culture. I continue to learn that in Yunnan (and in other regions of China) tea—and especially Puer tea– is about human communication, relationship, friendship, and personal discovery. This presentation will offer highlights of this journey along with special consideration of the people of Yunnan, the beautiful land, and discussion of the importance of Puer tea in Yunnan and beyond…”
The past few weekends have been some of the most exciting of the entire semester, full of trips to the zoo, mountain hikes, ancient parks, and more! Our first trip out of many was a visit to the Beijing Zoo. I had mentioned earlier in the semester that I wanted to see some pandas, since I was in China after all, and our TBC friend Andy made it happen.
Spending a whole semester in Beijing, I knew I had to make the trip down south and check out Shanghai, and the city certainly lived up to the expectations. Everyone describes Shanghai as this super futuristic metropolis, and after spending a weekend there I understand why it has this reputation.