Workshop
工作坊
A World of Black Tea: Blending & Tea-Seal Workshop
世界紅 樂融融 - 藏茶工作坊
About the Program
Tea Tasting
Oriental Beauty Tea and Tieguanyin are two of Taiwan's most iconic oolong teas, each reflecting a distinct terroir and tea-making tradition. Oriental Beauty Tea is primarily produced in the Hakka communities of Beipu and Emei in Hsinchu, as well as Miaoli. During cultivation, the tender leaves are nibbled by the tea green leafhopper, triggering the development of its signature honeyed sweetness and ripe fruit aromas. Tieguanyin, by contrast, is celebrated for its rich roasted fragrance and lingering, mellow finish, showcasing another dimension of Taiwan's renowned oolong teas.
This tea tasting is led by Taiwanese tea master Sophia CHIU, who will guide participants through Oriental Beauty Tea and Tieguanyin in sequence. Through their aromas, flavours, and brewing techniques, guests will discover the unique characteristics of these two classic teas while exploring the deep connection between Oriental Beauty Tea and Hakka culture. Join us for a journey into Taiwan's landscapes, traditions, and stories—one cup at a time.
If you don't have time to sit down for the full tea tasting, you're still welcome to enjoy a complimentary sparkling Red Oolong tea, crafted from Taiwan's renowned state banquet tea, and experience another refreshing expression of Taiwan's tea culture.
*Register On-site; First come, first served
Aug 29 & 30, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Tea-Seal Workshop
In the height of Toronto’s midsummer, let a single tin of black tea awaken the senses and connect the world.
In response to this year’s TAIWANfest Dialogue with Scotland, tea master Sophia CHIU has carefully selected three distinctive black teas: the mellow, malty richness of a century-old Scottish tea brand, the sweet, honeyed fragrance of Taiwan’s Taoying Black Tea, and the deep, woody character of Yunnan’s ancient tea region. Participants will be guided through the unique flavours of each tea before blending leaves from all three regions in a golden ratio to create a flavour of their own. To complete the experience, guests will write a blessing for their future selves or loved ones and seal it inside the tea tin through a tea-sealing ritual, allowing the fragrance of tea to carry the memory of this moment and transform stories and emotions from different lands into a warm keepsake of cultural exchange.
*Reservation required
Aug 29 & 30, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the workshop to check in. Your spot may be forfeited if you do not check in on time.
Ms. Sophia CHIU (CHIU Hsu-Mei) hails from Meinong, Kaohsiung, in southern Taiwan. Following her retirement as an elementary school director, she joined the Tea Culture Study Group of the Rotary Club of Taoyuan Artemis (RI District 3502). She holds a certified Intermediate Tea Evaluator qualification in Taiwan and specializes in the appreciation of Taiwanese specialty teas and the aesthetics of the tea setting.
She firmly believes that tea is far more than leaves in a cup — it is a living piece of cultural heritage, a memory woven into the land, and an essential bridge that draws people closer to one another.
Over the years, Ms. Chiu has been actively engaged in tea culture events both in Taiwan and abroad. She travelled to TAIWANfest in Toronto, Canada, where she served as a tea master, introducing Oriental Beauty Tea and Hakka tea culture to guests from around the world — earning warm admiration from audiences near and far.
From the Curating Team
Contact Us
Performance / Vendor / Sponsorship Opportunities
TAIWANfest Toronto is grateful to be held on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, that is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We acknowledge our privilege to be gathered here, and commit to work with and be respectful to the Indigenous peoples of this land while we engage in meaningful conversations of culture and reconciliation.