During my last visit to Thailand in November 2004, I traveled through the scenic Yunnanese village of Mae Salong, located in the mountains of the Golden Triangle. Mae Salong is a very unique and important place, not only because of its historical origins but also as the one of the most important tea growing regions in Thailand. Many of the villagers trace their ancestry to members of Chinese Nationalist party who fled China (and resettled in Thailand) during the communist takeover in late 1940’s. Strolling around the small town, you’ll find the Chinese influence very strong with most of the shops and many of the homes decorated with Chinese ornamentation and with many of the inhabitants speaking Mandarin.

Tea is king here; the surrounding countryside is covered by a green carpet of tea, as far as the eye can see. Small tea tasting rooms are scattered throughout the small village selling so many different grades of tea including green oolong, which seems to be the creme de la creme of the tea world. The largest tea plantations are located just outside of town and are well worth a visit. Ms. Ming, the gracious owner of Mae Salong Villa (the hotel where I stayed) explained to me about the origins of the tea industry and about the different grades of tealeaves sold commercially. It seems that the Mae Salong Chinese community has maintained very close ties with Taiwan, which remained a stronghold of the Chinese nationalist party after the Communists took over mainland China. The tea industry got a kick-start when some choice tea plants were carried over from Taiwan and planted in the hills of Mae Salong. Ming’s husband owns one the major tea plantations in the area but as Ms. Ming explained to me, there is more money to be made in the tourism business these days as the tea business is very labor intensive and the profit margins are small.

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