Hakka Tea Culture Development Center

In the 19 Century, Taiwan began to develop its tea industry. At that time, Tea, Sucrose and Camphor were called "The Treasure of Taiwan,” sold all over the world with the famous name of "Formosa.” Tong-Luo-Quan, located at the Longtan District in Taoyuan, was the second biggest tea plantation during that period. Yet, due to the tea industry shifting, industrialized society and different changes along the way Taiwan had been facing, the tea industries gradually declined.

In recent years, the government actively plans to develop the tea industries, continuously pushing for new projects of tea plantation garden renovation, tea sightseeing factory and tea historical museum, etc. Rebranding the Tong-Luo-Quan area with the new identity of Hakka Tea Culture, the government established the first “Hakka Tea Culture Development Center” wishing to start the Renaissance of Taiwan Tea Industry through this project.

While entering the site, the first impression on the tea garden is its full blossom on the slope. The designers wish to shape the site landscape just as tea garden’s ups and downs on the hill ridge. Focusing on the landscape architecture, the project has 70% of the buildings purposely embedded and arranged under the ground, covered with soil and plantation such as tea trees, bamboos and Taiwan Acacia that represent Hakka culture.

The entrance with retaining walls and soil slope guide guests from the entry hall to the ground level, which is the start of the spatial experience on four transitions of spiritual stages: to balance, calm, purify and complete. These four steps are the emotional changes in mind one can experience while drinking tea. Through a clear guiding direction of the flow, visitors can experience a significant tea cultural collection through guided tours, tea gardens, tea tasting, food, view observation, et cetera, all kinds of rich and fun content. Through the diverse changes of the space, people can for real sense the philosophy of tea tasting: the four stages of its experience.