June 12, 2019Wellness

SHANGRI-LA ROSE FARM VISIT!

I never set out to start a flower tea brand.

I thought I'd start a Pu er tea brand and coming to Yunnan would be going to the source. Yunnan is the birth place of tea and home to Pu er teas. But little did I know I'd come across the Shangri-la Rose the locals enjoy as a tea and the whole experience was so beautiful and transformative... well... the rest is history. And below, I hope you enjoy this virtual tour of our Shangri-la Rose visit.

We take transparency and providing you the purest and the best flowering herbs very seriously. We first visited our Rose farm back in 2018. We recently went back again to visit our Rose farm in Shangri-la for its spring harvesting as we launch the new season’s pickings!

It takes total of 4 flights and 22 hours of non stop traveling. It goes something like JFK -> LAX -> HKG -> KMG -> DIG plus another 2 hours of car ride and getting lost multiple times because the GPS has yet figured out its path in this hidden locale (and I hope it never does as sacred places should remain sacred...).

It was a rainy and partially cloudy day when we have finally… arrived. What welcomed us were deep rolling mountains of lush green - far away from any pollution and contamination and far away from the hustle and bustle of NYC.

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We planned our trip months in advance to witness the prized 1st pick of the Spring as the Roses do not flower over the winter months. For close to 9 months they take in all this glorious sun, rain, nutrients from the soil, and nature’s energy so the 1st pick of the Spring is the most prized as it contains the highest level of minerals, flavonoids, nutrients, and glory.

Shangri-la is situated in the most southwestern province called Yunnan in China that borders Tibet, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. Yunnan produces 90% of all flowers sold in China and holds the biggest flower market in entire Asia all thanks to its natural high elevation and rich soil. The Qi Roses grow at 10,000 ft above sea level.

Every May the famed Roses bloom stunningly. They fully bloom from rosebuds to large flowers in the early morning after the sun rises in 2 - 3 hours. Then each Rose is handpicked by our dedicated family farmers just minutes after they are fully bloomed in order to preserve all this gloriousness.

According to my QiGong master - when plants flower they are at their peak and climax, so the flowers contain the most life energy (Qi). When people ingest these flowers that massive life energy gets transferred to us to help us heal and strive too. (1)

All along the way, the expert growers check for quality, flower fullness, flower wholeness, aroma, and more. Then every single rose is laid out on cotton mesh by hand to dry right after. Again to preserve all of its goodness. Then each is hand packed, sealed and boxed to be enjoyed wherever you are around the world.

Enjoying a cup of fresh Rose tea at our hotel that used to be a local general's house was quite the experience on its own. To serve friends and guests tea is probably one of the most wonderful way to show respect and hospitality across cultures around the world. There is something so warming about making someone a cup of hot tea. The very first tea I tasted in Yunnan was this Rose tea and perhaps that is why I was never able to see or taste anything else there after the entire trip - it was that beautiful and transformative. And upon coming back to NYC I started The Qi!

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The locals love this special varietal Rose. So much so loads of fresh petals also get made into this delicacy Rose pastry that is known from Yunnan.

The filling is made of only two ingredients: fresh rose petals and local honey.

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The pastry is a light, rosy and sweet treat. I might just try to make this now that we are back in NYC to bring me back to this profound Rose harvesting trip! If you have any questions or just want to say hi you can always reach me at lisali@the-qi.com.