Written by Ping Liao
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Ida Eva Zielinska
From June 7 to 8, 2025, the inaugural San Jose Tea Festival, co-hosted by the Nevada Tea Festival and the Tzu Chi USA Northwest Region chapter, took place at the Northwest Region Office in San Jose. The event brought together tea merchants and enthusiasts from across the United States. As the fragrant aroma of tea filled the space, visitors stepped into a welcoming Tzu Chi environment where they could experience a unique blend of cultures and heartfelt hospitality.
The festival attracted over 600 participants, including guests and visitors from near and far, as well as volunteers who registered through the official festival website and Tzu Chi volunteers who also signed up online. Among the attendees were 451 general visitors who purchased tickets, 25 distinguished guests, and nearly 100 Tzu Chi volunteers who helped with reception, guided tours, course support, and other tasks. Thanks to the generosity of exhibitors and proceeds from ticket sales, the event raised a total of $21,021.
Each visitor received a reusable porcelain cup and an eco-friendly bag made in Taiwan, symbolizing harmony with the earth and Tzu Chi’s commitment to environmental protection and simple living. Tea merchants and course instructors also generously contributed tea, utensils, and class materials, imbuing the event with their kindness and blessings, thereby helping ensure the festival’s resounding success.
Bringing the San Jose Tea Festival to Life
The origin of the tea festival can be traced to the longstanding efforts of San Jose Tea Festival Director Sally Wei in promoting Jing Si Tea. Since receiving her training at Tzu Chi USA Headquarters in 2006, she has been dedicated to sharing both the culture of tea and Tzu Chi’s humanistic spirit with the broader community. After 2012, as she began training English-speaking volunteers and became more aware of her own knowledge gaps, Wei sought a deeper understanding of global tea culture. This led to her vision of introducing Jing Si Tea on an international stage and sharing Tzu Chi’s deeper values with the American public.
In 2016, Wei traveled to the United Kingdom to deepen her expertise at the UK Tea Academy, where she studied under a BBC tea culture program advisor and completed a rigorous course that included personally tasting 47 different teas. Beginning in 2018, she began participating in and observing major tea festivals across the United States, including the Las Vegas World Tea Expo, the Seattle Tea Festival, and the Portland Tea Expo. Step by step, her vision of organizing a local tea exposition gradually took shape.
Jing Si Tea made its debut on the American tea festival stage in 2019. Four years later, in 2023, Wei founded the Nevada Tea Festival and invited Jing Si Tea as one of its inaugural participants. By 2025, her long-held dream was realized as the San Jose Tea Festival took root in Silicon Valley, bringing her vision and years of dedicated effort to fruition.
Sally Wei had long envisioned helping Tzu Chi reach a wider audience and foster deeper cultural connections.
I vowed to serve as a bridge between Tzu Chi and mainstream American society until my last breath.
At the festival, four African American women drove four hours just to meet her. “We have been following you,” they told her. Their heartfelt words deeply moved Wei and reaffirmed her belief that the gentle yet powerful path of tea truly offers a way to connect hearts across cultures.
A Gathering of the World’s Premium Teas in One Place
Tea merchants from Nepal, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the United States, and other countries gathered at the Tzu Chi USA Northwest Region Office in San Jose for the festival, bringing with them more than 200 unique tea varieties. Some teas originated from high-mountain plantations, others from lush forests, and many were innovative blends featuring local herbs and creative new recipes.
Highlights included Nepalese black tea, Chicago’s world-champion Gyokuro, selections from Japan and Africa, as well as caffeine-free drinks made with mushrooms and herbs. Each offering not only delivered a distinctive flavor but also reflected the cultural essence of its place of origin.
Tea merchants introduce the unique qualities of each tea variety, offer tastings, and help deepen participants’ appreciation for tea. Photos/Pohan Chen and C.M. Yung
Festival participants were delighted to have the opportunity to explore such a wide range of tea varieties. Michael, who drove in from Modesto, California, shared that it was his first encounter with Jing Si Tea and his first time tasting a delicate variety like Oriental Osmanthus. “I never imagined I’d get to try so many teas from so many regions in one place,” he said. “Many of them aren’t even well known outside their home regions. This really is a rare opportunity to sample teas from around the world and experience true cultural exchange.”
In addition to the tea market, the festival offered a rich array of workshops and lectures, with 231 tickets sold for various sessions. These included a hands-on Jing Si tea ceremony and classes on the art of tea appreciation, tea history and culture, and tea-based wellness, all of which received high praise from participants. Experienced instructors led the workshops, while guest lecturers from the Eastern U.S. and Asia presented on topics such as “Oriental Tea Ceremony and Mindful Living” and “Chinese Herbal and Healthy Tea Beverages.”
Sherman Tylawsky, a second-generation Tzu Chi volunteer, gave a lecture at the festival and even invited a former high school classmate to volunteer at the event. Currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Alabama, Tylawsky spoke on the topic “Tea and U.S. History,” tracing its cultural and political significance from the Boston Tea Party onward. “Our country,” he shared, “has been intimately connected with tea since the very beginning.”
Alongside tastings and workshops, the festival also featured live cultural performances and educational activities for children, creating a welcoming space where guests of all ages could engage with the spirit of tea.
To further expand access, courses and sharing sessions were conducted virtually, with lecturers from around the world – including London, England, Chicago, and the U.S. Midwest – allowing even those unable to attend in person to connect with the stories and spirit of tea, and help spread its culture and philosophy.
Teas Cultivated With Purpose and Spiritual Care
Among the many tea producers featured at the festival, Jing Si Tea stood out for both its purity and guiding philosophy. It originates from a century-old tea farm in Sanyi, Miaoli County, Taiwan. Over the past two decades, the land has undergone a remarkable transformation into an organic farm, using pineapple enzymes and organic soybean powder to enrich the soil. Through continual refinement of its tea-making techniques, the farm can produce tea that is aromatic, sweet, pure, and natural.
Cultivated using non-toxic, natural farming methods, every cup of Jing Si Tea embodies Tzu Chi members’ respect for the land and compassion for all living beings. Sally Wei, Director of the San Jose Tea Festival, noted that the promotion of Jing Si Tea does not focus on the product itself but rather serves as a “soft approach” to connect with people. She said, “We don’t sell tea. We help others experience the spirit of Tzu Chi through tea tasting.”
Master Hsiao Gong from the Modern Zen Culture Center shared red tea from Tiantai Mountain in China at the festival. According to Master Gong, the Tiantai tea farm is situated at an elevation of over 800 feet, where fresh air and pure water create an ideal environment for growing premium-quality tea. The farm harvests only once a year and adheres to strict natural farming practices, never using pesticides or chemicals, and treating both the land and tea plants with utmost care to preserve their purity.
“This is not for commercial purposes, but to promote a culture of harmony between man and nature,” Master Gong said, adding that the tea was made by monks, brewed with compassion and a sincere intention to protect the environment – an outlook they hoped to share with everyone who savored it. For Master Gong, the production and enjoyment of tea can serve as a form of spiritual practice, one that embodies respect for heaven and earth and expresses love for others. This philosophy closely aligns with the spirit upheld by Tzu Chi.
The Tiantai Mountain tea booth attracts many tea enthusiasts with its lively atmosphere, ongoing tastings, and engaging conversations. Photos/Pohan Chen
The San Jose Tea Festival was truly a living embodiment of Tzu Chi’s principle: “Foster friendship and connect hearts through tea.” A single cup of tea brought people of different cultures, generations, and backgrounds together, allowing them to come to Tzu Chi and experience the warmth of care and humanistic culture. In a time of global turbulence, a simple cup of tea can offer a moment of peace and kindness. Tzu Chi hopes this shared experience will serve as a bridge, welcoming even more like-minded friends to gather again next year and carry forward the beautiful tradition launched with the inaugural San Jose Tea Festival in 2025.
