We arrived and went into the front desk to be assigned a tour. The young lady was kind enough to let us run into the tour that was just starting. She gave us our "tickets" which were actually packages of tea. I really liked that! Each tour group gets a different flavor so if you are picky, just ask what flavor you are getting. If you don't want that flavor you can ask what the next tour flavor will be. Each tour is about 30 minutes so they start every half hour as well.
They have you watch a little video and then hand you a hair net. You head into the factory and get to see how things run. I won't go into detail here because it's hardly exciting and it certainly wouldn't be exciting to read about.
Once the tour was over the real fun began! We skipped the gift shop and went back into the café, which is where the tour starts. Here they offer FREE samples of every tea they make. I would like to add that "Free Samples" doesn't do it justice. They give you a small mug or cup. You can go to the counter and serve yourself one of the dozen teas that are hot and ready to be sipped OR you can go to the counter and ask to try any of the dozens of teas listed on their menu. They will happily serve you, answer questions, share little tid bits or spout off neat little facts. After you have yourself a glass of tea you can head over to the counter and add whatever you'd like to your cup. They have everything you can imagine! From cream to honey it's all there. Once you have yourself a drink you can sit at a table or couch. They have magazines and newspapers and they sell snacks. There is even a bathroom. They honestly want you to sit and enjoy as many cups of tea as your heart desires. It's heavenly. They won't even look at you funny if you go up for your 10th cup of tea. I know because I did it. I was starting to feel guilty and mentioned it. The lady reassured me that they are happy to give you as much tea as you want!
At the end of the day it's really a great marketing strategy. I didn't think I'd buy tea after the tour but after drinking about a dozen different varieties I had no choice but to go back to the gift shop to buy a few boxes.
Whether you are a local or are just here for a visit, I highly recommend you go check this place out!
