Ming Pao Magazine— Feature (2015)
Original Mandarin article with English translation —
In 2015, Ming Pao Magazine published a feature on my work introducing high-quality Pu-Erh to Western tea drinkers.
The article captures a particular moment — before the present phase of practice — when the seeds of this work were first taking root in Vancouver.
Western Tea Doctor — Hoping Vancouver Becomes a City of Pu-Erh
He stands over six feet tall, blond hair, brown eyes, speaks Mandarin, and practices Wing Chun. If that still doesn’t surprise you, you must not have seen him brew tea.
As a close student of He Zai Bing, an important figure in Taiwan’s “New Tea Dao,” Erick Smithe is now the resident expert at Vancouver’s first boutique shop dedicated to high-grade Pu-Erh tea. Five-year, twenty-year, and forty-year teas pass through his hands as everyday items. A 1910 Pu-Erh cake is offered for sale at CAD $600,000.
“I’ve tasted Pu-Erh from 1885, but this 1910 cake is currently the oldest product we sell.”
Inside the Six Mountains Tea shop, the décor is sparse and elegant. Shelves along the wall display tea bricks, loose tea, cups, and books. On a long table, a full tea set glows amber under the light. This is where Erick, known as the “Tea Doctor,” works each day.
Western interest in Pu-Erh
“Pu-Erh tea is an ideal drink for modern Westerners — it supports health and can help with weight loss,” Erick explains. The shop opened only recently, but already has many customers. Pu-Erh from the 1970s is especially popular and currently sold out.
“Our tea is high quality but reasonably priced. We focus on the local market and allow buyers to experience good tea directly.”
Many early Western customers were yoga practitioners, who tend to focus on health and body awareness. They were among the first Westerners to encounter tea culture and now experience Pu-Erh’s benefits firsthand.
From Green Tea to Pu-Erh
Tea culture has grown steadily in the West. Erick predicts that while the past decade belonged to green tea, the future will belong to Pu-Erh — and Vancouver may become its Western center.
“Seattle is the city of coffee: Vancouver will become the city of Pu-Erh.”
High-quality Pu-Erh requires time:
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ripe Pu-Erh: at least 3–5 years
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raw Pu-Erh: at least 15–20 years
Much of the Pu-Erh available locally at the time was low-grade and too young to produce meaningful effects.
When asked what those “effects” are, Erick pointed to his own face:
“Good for digestion — and good for the skin.”
Pu-Erh as Collectible
After the Pu-Erh market bubble around 2007, prices stabilized. High-end Pu-Erh continued to rise steadily, often appreciating 15–20% annually.
Erick recalls his teacher once advising him to buy a 1950 Red Mark cake for about $800. He didn’t — and later saw similar cakes sell for $175,000 USD.
Six Mountains Tea’s inventory came from the private collection of founder Kennedy Yeung’s family, whose father was known as one of the world’s major collectors of antique tea.
“We can also act as tea hunters or authenticators for clients.”
Vancouver Storage Conditions
Vancouver’s climate is well suited to storing Pu-Erh tea. Natural ventilation and avoiding air conditioning were recommended.
“If you buy a cake of raw Pu-Erh today and open it in twenty years, you won’t regret it.”
Time passes. Tea remains
The ideas expressed here have matured, deepened, and in some cases have been discarded entirely. What remains is the practice itself — quiet, steady, and ongoing.
