Tea Production & Culture: Interview with Tea Producer, Wei-Xiang Ye

Introduction

Meet Mr. Wei-Xiang Ye (葉偉翔), Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Tea Producer (CTP) of Chimney & Tea’s family tea plantations in Alishan, Taiwan. 

This interview follows Mr. Ye's journey as a second-generation tea maker who is preserving his parents' legacy in tea production. With a decade of experience and an Excellence Award from the Alishan Township Farmers' Association (阿里山鄉農會), Mr. Ye shares insights into oolong tea's cultural and historical significance. He explains the techniques and challenges of crafting premium tea in Alishan, Taiwan, while discussing modern cultivation methods and globalization's impact on traditional practices.

This article is tailored for tea enthusiasts, connoisseurs, and professionals around the world who are interested in tea culture and oolong production.

Interview Q&A

Personal Experiences and Stories

What inspired you to become a tea producer, and how did you start your journey in this industry?

I grew up around tea-making and would often help out when I was young, but most of my time back then was focused on school. During weekends and holidays, I had the chance to learn many of the basic steps of tea production. It wasn’t until I returned to the family business later on that I really started to study the craft more seriously and deepen my skills. I was fortunate because many of the tea masters from my father’s generation were still active at the time. They personally guided me and shared their knowledge before they eventually retired, and that’s when I began taking on more responsibility and truly stepping into the role of a tea maker.

What is a memorable experience that stands out from your journey as a tea producer?

Tea-making is a craft where experience truly matters. Managing the tea garden is one thing, but during production, even though the process might look repetitive, every day feels different. The tea leaves you harvest change daily, the weather changes, and these small, often subtle differences mean your approach has to change too. When I first started, I didn’t understand this—I just followed the steps without really noticing the variations. Over time, with more practice and experience, I began to feel those differences and understand how each decision impacts the tea. Especially with oolong tea, from cultivation to processing, it takes many years of training and accumulated experience to truly master it.

How has your work in tea production shaped you as a person? Or, how has your perspective on tea production evolved since you started your career?

What tea-making has really taught me is the importance of sensitivity and patience. Like I’ve said before, if you don’t work with the tea leaves every day, you can’t truly feel their character. When I first started learning, I only saw the surface—I couldn’t recognize the subtle qualities of the leaves. With time and experience, I began to notice that every day, the tea leaves are different, and the way they respond to processing is never exactly the same.

You make choices on how to handle them, and sometimes you’re right, sometimes you’re wrong—but once you’ve made that decision, you can only learn from it and try again with the next day’s leaves. It’s a lot like meeting someone new—you can’t treat them as if you already know them inside out. It takes time, observation, and connection to truly understand. Tea-making has taught me to slow down, pay attention, and let understanding grow naturally over time.

History and Environment

Could you share the fascinating history behind your family tea plantation in Alishan?

In the early days, Alishan—sitting 1,300 meters above sea level—was a remote place. The roads were rough, and the local economy depended mostly on simple crops like rice and bamboo shoots. Life was humble, but making a good living from those alone was difficult. It wasn’t until tea farming began to take root here that life started to improve for many families.

Back then, tea production was small-scale. Once the roads and infrastructure improved, making it easier to bring in tea planting and processing equipment, people began planting tea more widely. My father recognized that tea could become the most valuable crop for this region, so he dedicated himself to building a tea business. That’s how our family’s tea plantation truly began to take shape in Alishan.

What aspects of Alishan's environment make it ideal for producing oolong tea? How do the unique climate and soil conditions contribute to the distinct flavor profile of your oolong tea?

Alishan’s history with tea is relatively young compared to other tea regions in Taiwan. The area was originally covered in dense forests, and its first major industry was logging. That’s why the Alishan Forest Railway was built—to transport timber down the mountain. When the forestry industry declined and could no longer support the economy, people turned to other crops. At first, they planted bamboo and harvested bamboo shoots, but the economic return was low.

Around that time, other regions like Pinglin and Lugu were already producing tea, but demand for Taiwanese tea was growing, and supply couldn’t keep up. So, Alishan was chosen as a new tea-growing area. Tea planting here started about 40 years ago, slowly expanding over the years. My parents began cultivating tea in 1991, and our tea factory has been in operation since 1994.

Editor's Note: Alishan’s high elevation, cool misty climate, clean mountain air, and fertile soil make it ideal for oolong tea cultivation. The temperature differences between day and night slow the growth of tea leaves, concentrating their flavors and aromas. Combined with the region’s natural spring water and unique terroir, these conditions create the signature smooth, floral, and layered taste that Alishan high mountain oolong tea is known for. (Learn more: What does oolong tea taste like?)

Has Alishan's tea production history influenced your oolong cultivation? How do you blend traditional knowledge with modern techniques?

The tea-making process has changed a lot over the years. In the early days, almost everything was done by hand. The equipment wasn’t as advanced, and production capacity was very limited. Sometimes, because of weather conditions or the lack of proper machinery, we couldn’t process the tea leaves right after picking. They would occasionally sit too long and become overripe, which caused big fluctuations in quality. Today, with improved technology and better equipment, we’re able to process the leaves much more efficiently and consistently, capturing them at their best state. This stability in production allows us to preserve the traditional craftsmanship while elevating quality with modern precision.

Tea Culture & Production

How do you see the role of oolong tea evolving in the global tea culture landscape? What impact has globalization had on the tea culture and practices in your region?

This is a tough question, but one of the biggest challenges for tea—especially oolong—is that, even with globalization, it remains deeply rooted in Chinese-speaking communities. Oolong tea drinking is still most prominent in places like Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, and Singapore, where it’s part of everyday life and people have a natural understanding and appreciation for it.

Outside these regions, oolong tea culture hasn’t yet fully expanded or found its authentic expression. Often, attempts to introduce it elsewhere feel like imitations of traditional practices, and they don’t always capture the true quality and depth of tea during brewing.

For us (Taiwan), tea has always been more than just a drink—it’s a way of life, an attitude toward living. Traditionally, whenever people met, they would sit down to brew tea together. Every home had a tea tray and teaware ready to share tea with guests. It was a cultural habit, a way to connect with others, and a tradition passed down through generations.

But nowadays, that’s becoming less common. Technology has made life faster, time feels scarce, and fewer people make space for this ritual. The truth is, tea is something that can stay with you all day if you allow it. Yet in today’s fast-paced society, it’s harder for people to slow down enough to enjoy it. We can try to simplify tea for modern life, but whether it will keep the same charm and spirit—I’m not so sure. The image I hold close is still of tea being shared among four or five people, family, friends, neighbors, just gathering together. Sadly, that picture is slowly fading.

But I believe this is slowly changing. More people around the world are becoming curious about the story, craftsmanship, and culture behind real tea. As awareness grows, there’s a real opportunity for oolong to step onto the global stage—not as a trend or imitation, but as an authentic, meaningful experience that people everywhere can connect with.

Can you tell us a bit about the team behind the tea plantation?

Tea production involves many different teams working closely together. It starts with tea garden management, which is essential but heavily influenced by climate conditions—decisions often depend on the weather and environment. 

In the factory, production is usually divided into three key teams. The first handles withering, the second oversees the 'kill-green' process (stopping oxidation), and the third is responsible for rolling the leaves. All of this must be completed within 48 hours to produce what we call 'mao cha' (rough tea). After that, we have a separate roasting process to refine the flavor.

So, producing good tea isn’t just about one person—it takes a coordinated team with skill, experience, and the ability to react quickly to changing conditions to create high-quality oolong.

In your experience, what are some essential characteristics of a good tea producer (grower, harvester)?

Patience is the most essential quality of a good tea producer. Tea farming and production is a long, detailed process that requires truly understanding the tea plants themselves. You need to know why a tea tree grows a certain way and how to respond—whether that means adjusting its care, protecting it from harsh weather, or giving it just the right nutrients. It’s a lot like raising a child: when they’re young, they need constant protection; as teenagers, they grow strong and take in everything you give; once they mature, you have to become wiser and more delicate because they no longer absorb nutrients the way they used to.

Beyond patience, a skilled tea maker needs sharp observation. Every batch of fresh leaves reacts differently to the weather (during the tea harvesting and the tea processing period i.e. the sun coverage, the humidity, etc.), its level of maturity, and countless small variables. There’s no formula that tells you exactly what to do.

 Like a winemaker sensing the subtle ripeness of grapes, even if leaves are technically 'mature,' just like grapes used in winemaking, there are subtle degrees of ripeness—and unless you have sharp observation, you’ll miss those nuances. These differences can’t be measured with numbers. It’s like looking at a person and trying to tell whether they’re ten or twenty years old—or even twelve versus thirteen. Sometimes, the difference is incredibly subtle. A great tea maker must be that sensitive and precise in how they read the leaves.

What are some of the most challenging aspects of growing and processing oolong tea, and how do you overcome them?

Tea, after all, is a type of food—and no food can please everyone. It can only resonate with those who truly appreciate it. Every tea master has their own style, and people will experience it differently. So even when a tea gets criticized, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad. There’s always something unique about it that someone out there will appreciate. That’s why tea should be evaluated over time—it’s not meant to be judged in a single moment.

Today, a tea’s score may come from judges or consumers, but during the production process, a tea maker will always bring in their own point of view. Whether that perspective leads to good tea depends on whether their underlying philosophy is sound. If it is, the tea is usually good—just not necessarily to everyone’s taste. It’s one thing to be liked, but being open to criticism and learning how to adjust from it—that’s something else entirely.

Tea-making philosophies are often passed down from others, but you also have to ask: are those philosophies still relevant today, in this specific climate and environment? Personally, even though I have strong foundational knowledge, if I were to leave this factory and make tea somewhere else, I’d need to relearn everything. The space, the workflow, the humidity, the temperature, even the equipment—all of it affects the tea.

But here, in this tea processing factory, I know everything intimately. I know how each machine behaves, the temperature ranges that work best for each stage of production, and how the weather shifts throughout the day—what the mornings feel like, how the afternoons change, and what the evenings bring. That deep familiarity gives me a clear advantage.

If I were to work in another factory, I’d have to start from scratch. With the right understanding  of tea making approaches (philosophy), you can still make good tea anywhere, but being in an environment you're deeply familiar with gives you a much better chance of doing it well. Without that level of understanding, it’s easy to lose patience with tea. You might make a great batch one day, and a more challenging one the next. Without patience, you won’t be able to adapt.

Over the course of a year, you might produce tea for 100 or 200 days. Not every batch will be perfect. That’s why it’s important to be open to feedback to adjust the product in order to achieve consistency in excellent quality. It helps you understand where you are and what needs to change from batch to batch. In my view, patience is more important than anything else in this craft.

Tea production is like coffee or wine, it’s a process of post-harvest transformation. It deeply relies on instinctive judgment, nuance, and experience in order to produce consistency in quality.

Market & Demand

What strategies do you use to make your oolong tea stand out in a crowded marketplace?

Drinking tea is really about understanding that tea is, at its core, an agricultural product—just like vegetables or fruit. If the climate is good in a given year, the tea will taste sweeter and more fragrant. But if there's drought or too much rain, the quality will naturally be affected.

If we approach tea with that mindset, we can begin to appreciate its differences—how every brew, every harvest, carries a slightly different character. Even if it’s from the same region and season, tea picked on different days can taste different. That’s not a matter of one being better or worse—it’s about what flavor you personally enjoy in that moment.

As tea makers, our job is to highlight those natural qualities. When a batch of leaves carries a particular character on the day it's picked, we try to preserve and present that as clearly as possible.

That’s why we encourage people to keep an open mind. A tea’s flavor—whether it’s your favorite or not—will never be exactly the same each time. And that’s part of its charm. We’re crafting artisanal tea, not mass-producing standardized blends where every can or bottle tastes identical. We let the tea grow and express itself naturally, just as it was meant to.

Even brewing the same tea today and tomorrow might offer a slightly different experience. Because tea is a living product, it’s never fixed. It responds to its environment—and that’s part of what makes it beautiful. Those who appreciate this will come to see that tea reflects the weather, the land, and the moment it was made. That variation isn’t a flaw—it’s authenticity.

In fact, even tea made by the same tea master will vary subtly. While the overall character stays consistent, each batch carries a nuance unique to that moment in time. It’s not about scoring which one is better—it’s simply a matter of direction and expression.

What methods do you use to stay responsive to changing consumer tastes and global tea market trends?

In terms of taste, I feel that preferences have shifted. Tea used to have a much stronger flavor, but nowadays, people are leaning toward a lighter, more delicate profile. So we’ve adjusted our fermentation accordingly—what used to be 50–60% oxidation in traditional oolong is now more like 15–20%. This shift likely reflects broader changes in dietary habits and a greater awareness of health. Lighter fermentation gives the tea a fresher, cleaner taste and allows the original character of the leaf to shine through.

Roasted teas, on the other hand, tend to be dominated by their roast profile. The roasting can mask the natural qualities of the leaf. That’s why more and more people are starting to prefer teas that preserve the original taste of the tea leaves—teas that reflect their true nature without being overly processed.

What are some common misconceptions about oolong tea that you would like to address?

Oolong tea, strictly speaking, is actually just one variety of tea plant. Think of it like rice—there are many different types of rice, or like oak trees, which also have many species. Oolong is simply one cultivar among many in the tea world. We grow it because it performs well at high elevations—especially in mountain regions—and it tends to produce a very balanced and well-rounded flavor. 

One common misconception, especially in Chinese communities, is that oolong tea is “old people’s tea.” But that’s not true. It’s just a variety, and how it's processed or presented can be tailored to different preferences. For example, we can craft a lighter, more refreshing style of oolong that fits modern tastes, or we can go with a more traditional, heavier profile like how oolong used to be made.

Much of what people believe oolong tea should taste like is shaped by commercialization. After being commodified, oolong has been packaged in a way that makes people think it only comes in one fixed style. But in reality, oolong is just a plant—it can be expressed in many different ways.

As tea farmers, we understand oolong as a raw material. Of course, in the marketplace, you need names and labels to organize products. But for us, it’s about knowing the plant itself, and knowing that there's more than one way to let it shine.

Future Outlook

What trends in the tea industry do you find most promising for the future? Are there any future plans or expansions you can share about your tea plantation?

I think the future of tea, especially here in Alishan, is still somewhat closed off. Even though Alishan is known as a tea tourism region, the reality is that oolong tea—like many forms of Chinese tea—still mainly circulates within Chinese-speaking communities. It hasn’t yet broken through into broader global markets like Europe or the Americas.

Part of the reason is that each region has its own expectations and cultural associations with tea. In Europe, for example, people have a very different image of what tea should be. The same goes for North America. These cultural differences are deeply rooted, and breaking through those perceptions is incredibly challenging. It takes people who are genuinely passionate and willing to put in the work to shift that narrative.

Even though logistics and international shipping have become more convenient, people’s understanding and emotional connection to oolong tea can’t be changed overnight. That’s why we really hope others can help us promote it—because tea culture in Taiwan is starting to fade, especially among the younger generation.

Fewer and fewer people are growing up with traditional tea culture, which means that if we don’t take action, tea might slowly be forgotten. But we also believe that with effort, we can bring it back—and even introduce it to a wider, global audience.

What are your thoughts on the future of oolong tea production in Alishan? What advice would you give to aspiring tea producers who want to make a mark in the industry?

I would… I would ask them to think it through, and think it through again. Because it’s not that easy. First of all, learning to make tea—learning this craft—can be very limiting. I’ve seen many people come here wanting to learn, but they often don’t get good results. That’s usually because they don’t plan to stick with it long term.

They might visit, observe our basic techniques, and think they’ve understood it. But from our perspective, they haven’t even begun to grasp the essence of tea-making. Of course, there are textbooks, and yes, those give you a foundation. But applying that knowledge in real situations is something entirely different. Real skill comes from facing new variables every day—different tea batches, changing weather, and subtle differences in the leaves. That’s what a tea master is constantly reading. It’s not about memorizing a fixed set of steps or solutions.

My own teacher didn’t let me work independently until he had trained me for at least three years. Even then, when he finally told me to take over, I felt like I still didn’t know what I was doing. I still needed him beside me. That’s why I believe that without this kind of long-term mindset, it’s very hard to become a true tea maker.

It’s not a glamorous job. You stay in one place. You don’t perform for applause. The only recognition you get is from customers who truly appreciate the tea you’ve made. That’s why I fully agree with calling tea an art form. Everyone experiences art differently—and tea is no exception.

You can’t judge a tea master just by how they appear. You have to work alongside them for two or three years to really understand their approach and the values they hold. It's not about their optics or mannerisms—it's about their philosophy. The way they persist with certain techniques, the kind of tea (final outcome) they believe in, and the way they refuse to compromise—that's what defines them. Eventually, there will be people who resonate with what they’ve created.

What legacy do you hope to leave behind in the world of tea? In what ways do you hope your tea impacts the lives of those who enjoy it?

I believe that anyone who drinks tea should take the time to really feel and understand the culture behind it. The reason we make tea isn’t just because there’s a demand for it—it’s because tea has become deeply intertwined with our cultural identity here in Taiwan.

When we think of tea, we don’t just think of the drink itself. We think of a scene, a feeling, a moment. (Directing to Regina: You probably have that image too—something from your childhood.) We’ve all grown up in an environment where tea was more than just a beverage. It was part of our daily life and our shared memory.

What I hope is that people can experience how comforting that feeling is—the atmosphere of sitting together and drinking tea. We don’t serve tea in big mugs. We pour it in small cups from a larger communal cup and share it, refill it, and repeat. That simple act of sharing and serving tea carries so much meaning.

It’s not just about enjoying the flavor of the tea—it’s about the interaction and the connection that happens during the brewing process. That shared moment, the togetherness, expresses something much deeper about what tea really is.

Key Takeaways

From our in-depth interview with Mr. Ye, several important insights emerge about traditional tea production in Alishan and the changing landscape of oolong tea culture:

1. Quality and Terroir: Authentic tea production directly reflects its environment. Tea, like wine, captures the essence of its growing conditions, with Alishan's elevation, fog, and temperature variations creating distinctive flavors.
2. Craft vs. Commercialization: Artisanal tea-making requires patience and experience that mass production lacks. Traditional methods prioritize character over consistency, contrasting with industrial approaches.
3. Cultural Preservation: Mr. Ye serves as both producer and cultural ambassador, working to preserve tea traditions within Chinese communities while introducing authentic oolong internationally.

In our increasingly fast-paced world, the mindful ritual of brewing and enjoying tea together provides not only a peaceful pause but also forms a lasting connection between cultures, generations, and individuals, one cup at a time. So, what are you waiting for?

Shop Chimney & Tea's premium quality oolong tea now–from our family's tea plantations in Alishan, delivered right to your doorsteps. Also, don't forget to check out The Oolong Table Workshop (live events), wholesale options, or shop digital giftcards for your loved ones today!