Question 1

What is the history of this tea shop?

Accepted Answer

The history of this tea shop dates back to the year 2000 in Beijing. The founder, Ms. Taotao, a TV program producer, developed the idea of opening a teahouse after traveling to various locations to film documentaries on agriculture and tea. Upon returning to Beijing, she opened "Liuxianguan" (留贤馆), a teahouse situated near the Guozijian (Imperial College) in Beijing, in October 2000.
The teahouse attracted customers from all over the world, who came to sample its unique tea recipes and carefully selected teas.
 In 2007, Time magazine recommended the teahouse to tea enthusiasts worldwide as Asia's best urban sanctuary.
Joe Biden (from the United States) and his family visited in 2013 and tasted Ms. Taotao’s tea. Consequently, media outlets worldwide began reporting on the teahouse.
Due to certain reasons, Ms. Taotao closed the teahouse in 2016. However, the new brand, taostea, only launched online on Google this year.

Question 2

What is our plan?

Accepted Answer

Our Future
A teahouse without a physical location lacks soul. Ms. Taotao intends to open a teahouse in the United States, but before doing so, she wants to test the demand and feedback from US customers through a website. This will help determine the future teahouse model and profitability strategy.
Times are changing, but humanity's need for high-quality, affordable tea remains constant. We hope to meet you soon on US .

Question 3

Taotao's Tea Blending Technique

Accepted Answer

Regarding her tea blending technique, Ms. Taotao drew inspiration from the traditional principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal compounding.
While traditional Chinese herbal formulas are based on the organizational principle of "Jun Chen Zuo Shi" (君臣佐使, Sovereign, Minister, Assistant, Envoy), which is like assembling a government team, Ms. Taotao's tea blending follows the concept of a family: a couple deeply in love.
The traditional Daoist understanding of all things is inseparable from the concept of Yin and Yang (阴阳). Taotao Tea's blending recipes are also based on the beautiful wish for "Yin-Yang Harmony" (阴阳和谐).

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