[CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY FRIENDS OF NCI] >> WELCOME TO "TRAVELSCOPE," WITH JOSEPH ROSENDO, WHERE EACH WEEK YOU JOIN US AS WE ACCEPT THE WORLD'S INVITATION TO VISIT.

>> YAHOO!

>> TODAY ON "TRAVELSCOPE," I HEAD TO TAIWAN TO DISCOVER THE ART AND CRAFT OF TEA, TAIWAN'S ROYAL BREW.

>> "TRAVELSCOPE" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY DK EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES.

DK CITY, COUNTRY, AND DRIVING GUIDES FEATURE EVOCATIVE PHOTOS, 3-D MAPPING, AND ILLUSTRATIONS FOR KEY SITES AND TRAVEL ITINERARIES.

DK EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES, THE GUIDES THAT SHOW YOU WHAT OTHERS ONLY TELL YOU.

AND ROSETTA STONE, CHANGING THE WAY THE WORLD LEARNS LANGUAGES.

>> TAIWAN'S IMAGE TO THE WORLD IS MODERN AND URBAN, YET ITS CULTURAL HERITAGE LIVES ON IN ITS ARTS, CRAFTS, AND TEA.

JOIN ME ON MY TAIWAN ADVENTURE.

WHILE TEA HAS BEEN KNOWN IN MAINLAND CHINA FOR 5,000 YEARS, IT ONLY REACHED TAIWAN WITH THE CH'ING DYNASTY IN THE 18th CENTURY.

TO UNDERSTAND THE ART OF TEA IN TAIWAN, I HEAD TO LUGANG, A CITY NOTED FOR ITS TRADITIONAL ARTISTS.

TEA, LIKE WINE, COMPLEMENTS FOOD.

THE YU JEN JAI PASTRY SHOP IS AN HISTORIC PURVEYOR OF ELEGANT TEA SNACKS.

IT'S MORNING IN LUGANG, AND IN TAIWAN, IT'S ALWAYS TIME FOR TEA, AND IN THIS SHOP, IT'S TIME FOR TEA SNACKS.

WHAT ARE WE MAKING TODAY?

>> [SPEAKING TAIWANESE] IN ENGLISH, IT'S BEAUTY'S CAKE.

>> NOW, THESE ARE IT?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> I UNDERSTAND THIS WAS THE FIRST PRODUCT YOUR COMPANY EVER MADE?

>> YES.

>> HOW LONG HAS YOUR COMPANY BEEN IN OPERATION?

>> UH, SINCE 1877, SO IT'S OVER 130 YEARS.

>> OK. LET'S GET STARTED.

>> YEAH.

THIS IS RICE POWDER, AND THIS IS SUGAR, SUGAR POWDER, AND THEN RIGHT NOW, WE JUST PULL THEM, MIX THEM TOGETHER.

>> THE RICE POWDER AND THE SUGAR.

LET ME HELP YOU A LITTLE BIT.

OOH, SO I CAN FEEL-- OH, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF LUMPS IN THE... IS THAT THE SUGAR THAT'S LUMPY OR THE RICE POWDER?

>> SUGAR.

>> OK. >> AND THEN WE USE THIS ONE.

>> NOW, YOUR FAMILY HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR 133 YEARS.

THAT'S HOW MANY GENERATIONS?

>> WE ARE THE FIFTH GENERATION.

>> HOW MANY PRODUCTS DO YOU HAVE NOW?

>> OVER 100.

>> OH, MY GOSH.

OK.

SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE ALL 100 TODAY.

>> IF YOU WANT TO.

>> I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO MAKE THEM, BUT I MIGHT TRY THEM ALL.

I MIGHT TASTE THEM ALL.

OK. >> YOU CAN TASTE ALL.

>> LET ME GET IN HERE AND TRY THAT.

SO WE'RE ROLLING BACK AND PUSHING OUT.

SO TEA IS VERY IMPORTANT HERE IN TAIWAN AND IN ANY CHINESE CULTURE.

AND OF COURSE, EVER SINCE THEY HAD TEA, THEY HAD TO HAVE SOMETHING TO EAT WITH IT.

>> YES.

>> THIS IS A HUGE ROLLING PIN.

YOU FEEL LIKE A REAL CHEF WHEN YOU USE THIS.

>> THIS IS NOT THE BIGGEST.

>> THIS ISN'T THE BIG ONE?

>> WE HAVE A BIGGER ONE.

>> WHAT IS IT, THE TWO-PERSON ROLLING PIN?

>> UH-HUH.

>> OH, MY GOSH.

OK. >> OUR MASTER CAN DO IT VERY QUICKLY.

>> OK. >> AND YOU KNOW, UNTIL NOW, THIS ONE GOT TO DO IT BY HAND.

IF WE DO IT BY MACHINE, IT WON'T BE VERY TASTY.

>> OK.

SO IT HAS TO BE HANDMADE.

>> MM-HMM.

>> OK. NOW WHAT?

>> NOW WE MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS INSIDE.

>> I CAN BE YOUR SOUS CHEF IN A WAY, HELP YOU OUT HERE.

TERRIFIC.

OK. >> YEAH.

TWO IS VERY GOOD.

>> WELL, THANK YOU.

>> AH.

SIFTED, MAKE IT EVEN FINER.

>> YOU WANT TO TRY?

>> YEAH.

>> SO YOU CAN FEEL IT.

USE YOUR HAND.

THE POWDER IS SO SOFT.

>> YES.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE FACE POWDER.

IT GETS SO THIN.

>> OOH, YOU'RE PERFECT.

>> YEAH, NOT BAD.

>> YOU'RE DOING LIKE A MASTER.

>> THIS IS...THIS IS NOT...

I CAN DO THE SHAKING PART.

I THINK IT'S MY CUBAN BLOOD.

THE SHAKING I CAN DO.

>> HA HA.

>> WOW.

AND ALSO THIS IS GOOD FOR... >> YEAH.

UH-HUH.

>> FOR MAYBE LOSING A FEW POUNDS AFTER EATING ALL THAT GOOD FOOD HERE IN TAIWAN.

OK. WELL, WE'VE GOT TO GET THROUGH ALL THIS.

>> AND THEN IT'S VERY EASY.

USE YOUR LEFT HAND TO HOLD THIS TIGHT.

OK?

AFTER THAT, YOU USE THIS ONE-- >> SO I USE THIS TO SCRAPE IT OFF?

>> YEAH.

SCRAPE OFF.

AND EVEN THE BOTTOM.

>> EVEN THE BOTTOM?

>> BUT YOU DON'T USE THE-- UH-HUH.

YEAH.

CAN YOU HOLD IT UP?

>> YES.

>> UH-HUH.

AND USE THE... >> SCRAPE THE BOTTOM.

>> OK. AAH!

>> YOU CAN DO IT AGAIN.

>> OH, MY GOSH.

>> IT'S OK.

IT'S OK. >> YOURS IS RIGHT.

MINE IS ALMOST RIGHT.

>> IT'S VERY SOFT.

SO IT'S NOT EASY TO TURN.

>> OK.

SO THEN YOU PUSH IT OVER ON ITS SIDE.

>> YES, AND THEN YOU CAN PUT IT IN YOUR MOUTH AND TASTE IT.

>> WELL, SHOULD WE HAVE SOME TEA?

>> YES.

IT'S AGED TEA.

>> FABULOUS.

FABULOUS.

AND IS TEA-DRINKING IN TAIWAN LIKE WINE-DRINKING AROUND THE WORLD, THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEA AND YOU SIP THEM AND YOU SMELL THEM?

>> YES.

>> YES?

>> YES.

WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF TEA-- AGED TEA, YOUNG TEA, FRESH TEA, DIFFERENT KINDS.

WITH THE SWEET SNACK.

>> YOU CAN'T HAVE TEA WITHOUT TEA SNACKS, AND THANK YOU, XIE XIE, FOR TEACHING US ABOUT TEA SNACKS AND LETTING US MAKE IT WITH YOU.

>> OK.

THANK YOU.

>> XIE XIE.

>> XIE XIE.

>> IT'S NO ACCIDENT THAT WEN-MIN'S FAMILY HAS CREATED AN ART OUT OF TEA SNACKS.

LUGANG HAS MORE RECIPIENTS OF TAIWAN'S LIVING HERITAGE AWARD THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY.

FROM POTTERS AND TIN SCULPTORS TO INCENSE- AND LANTERN-MAKERS, MASTERS OF ART AND CRAFT ABOUND.

LUGANG IS ONE OF THE OLDEST TOWNS IN TAIWAN.

THE FIRST SETTLERS CAME HERE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 17th CENTURY FROM FUJIAN PROVINCEN CHINA.

IT WAS A MAJOR PORT AT THAT TIME.

TODAY IT'S MAINLY NOTED FOR ITS WELL-PRESERVED OLD TOWN AND AS THE HOME TO MANY OF TAIWAN'S FINEST LIVING HERITAGE CRAFTSMEN, SUCH AS MASTER WU HERE, WHO HAS BEEN AWARDED PRIZES FOR HIS TRADITIONAL FOLK LANTERNS.

SINCE WE'RE HERE FOR THE LANTERN FESTIVAL, IT'S ONLY FITTING THAT WE COME TO VISIT HIM AND WATCH HIM AT WORK.

I'M WITH MASTER WU'S SON, MR. WU, AND HOW LONG HAS HE BEEN DOING THIS?

SEVENTY YEARS?

>> YES.

>> NO WONDER HE'S A MASTER.

NOW, WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE COLORS AND THE FACES ON THE LANTERNS?

WELL, XIE XIE.

>> THANK YOU.

>> MASTER WU, XIE XIE.

LANTERNS LIGHT THE WAY INTO THE NEARBY LONGSHAN TEMPLE, BUILT IN 1777.

THE TEMPLE'S DEITIES SHOW OFF THE CELESTIAL TALENTS OF TAIWAN'S CERAMIC ARTISTS.

TO DISCOVER MORE FAMILIAR BUT NO LESS HEAVENLY EXAMPLES, MY GUIDE MAXINE LU AND I HEAD TO MASTER POTTER CHAU CHING TAAL'S STUDIO.

>> SO HE'S KNEADING THE CLAY THAT'S GOING TO BE USED TO MAKE TEAPOT.

BASICALLY WHAT HE DOES IS THAT HE PUSHES THE AIR OUT OF THE CLAY.

>> THAT GETS IT READY FOR THE THROWING.

OK. ALL RIGHT.

THIS IS FUN TO WATCH.

HE'S MAKING SOMETHING PEOPLE ARE GOING TO USE.

>> YEAH.

>> IT IS AN ART PIECE, BUT IT'S NOT AN ART PIECE THAT PEOPLE ARE JUST GOING TO LOOK AT.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE USING IT IN THEIR LIFE, AND I LOVE THAT KIND OF ART, UTILITARIAN ART, THINGS PEOPLE CAN USE EVERY DAY AND SEE IT ALL THE TIME, BECAUSE THESE PIECES OF ART GIVE YOU SO MUCH, JUST HANDLING THEM, USING THEM.

>> SO IT'S NOT JUST A PIECE OF ART.

IT HAS TO BE PRAGMATIC AS WELL.

>> AND LOOK HOW CAREFULLY HE WORKS.

THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PERSON WHO'S JUST MANUFACTURING TEAPOTS AND A PERSON WHO'S CREATING TEAPOTS.

THERE'S A DIFFERENCE.

>> TEAPOT IS NOT ONLY JUST A TABLEWARE.

IT'S ALSO A COOKWARE, BECAUSE BASICALLY YOU BREW TEA INSIDE A TEAPOT.

SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS THAT GOES INTO IT.

FOR EXAMPLE, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO EVEN THE HEAT.

>> SO IT'S NOT JUST A POT FOR HOLDING TEA?

>> NO, IT'S NOT JUST FOR SERVING.

>> IT'S A POT FOR MAKING TEA.

THE BETTER TEAPOTS, THE BETTER TEA YOU GET BREWED IN THERE?

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

AT THIS WORKSHOP, THEY ONLY CHOOSE TO MAKE THE SPOUT IN THE SHAPE SO YOU DON'T JUST HAVE THE SPOUT, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE SORT OF A WELL BEFORE IT COMES OUT.

SO WHEN THE TEA COMES OUT, IT WILL BE REALLY SMOOTH.

>> OH, BEAUTIFUL.

SO IT COMES OUT OF THE POT, INTO THE WELL THAT'S A HOLDING AREA, AND SO IT GIVES THE TEA ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO SMOOTH OUT, TO SOFTEN.

>> AND THE SPACE AS WELL.

SO THE TEA LEAVES WILL HAVE THE SPACE, ONCE IT'S BREWED... >> TO EXPAND AND REALLY GET THE TRUE FLAVOR.

LIKE I SAY, THIS IS MORE THAN JUST MANUFACTURING A POT.

THIS IS REALLY THE ART OF TEA BREWING IN THE DESIGN OF THE POT ITSELF.

FABULOUS TO WATCH.

>> SO HE PERSONALIZES IT WITH HIS STAMP.

AND IT ALSO MEANS THAT HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS PIECE OF ARTWORK.

FINALLY, THE END RESULT.

XIE XIE.

>> XIE XIE.

>> WHAT I'VE LEARNED HERE WITH MASTER TAAL IS THAT IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A GREAT POT OF TEA, YOU HAVE TO START WITH A GREAT POT.

SINCE IN CHINA, GOING FOR SMALL SNACKS OR DIM SUM IS KNOWN AS YUM CHA, WHICH MEANS "DRINK TEA," I CONSIDER MY CULINARY ADVENTURE WITH OYSTER OMELETS AS A TASTY AND NECESSARY PART OF MY TAIWAN TEA EDUCATION.

>> [SPEAKING TAIWANESE] OOH!

THERE'S EGGS, THERE'S LETTUCE, AND BEST OF ALL, THERE'S OYSTERS.

MMM!

WHAT'S THE NAME?

WHAT'S THE NAME?

>> [SPEAKING TAIWANESE] >> ALL RIGHT.

LET'S GO TRY IT.

IT LOOKS GOOD.

MMM.

OH.

XIE XIE.

XIE XIE.

WOW.

LOOK AT THAT.

THIS IS THE REAL McCOY.

MMM.

DELICIOUS.

IT'S TRULY BETTER THAN IT LOOKS.

HA HA.

FROM LUGANG, I TRAVEL TO CHAIYI, WHERE THE ART OF LANTERN MAKING REACHES NEW HEIGHTS AT TAIWAN'S ANNUAL LANTERN FESTIVAL, THE FIRST FESTIVAL CELEBRATION OF THE NEW LUNAR YEAR.

HUNDREDS OF THEMED LANTERNS, OFTEN ILLUSTRATING BELOVED LEGENDS, BESTOW GOOD FORTUNE, PEACE, AND PROSPERITY.

TRADITIONALLY THE LANTERN FESTIVAL WOULD BE HELD ON THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE FIRST LUNAR MONTH OF THE NEW YEAR AND ACTUALLY WOULD BE THE LAST DAY OF THE CHINESE NEW YEAR.

HERE IN MODERN-DAY TAIWAN, IT MOVES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, AND THIS IS THE 21st TAIWAN LANTERN FESTIVAL.

AND DEPENDING ON THE TOWN, IT WILL RANGE FROM A WEEK TO TWO WEEKS.

BASICALLY, IT'S A TREMENDOUS LIGHT SHOW, VERY CORPORATE SPONSORED, BUT ALSO THERE ARE TRADITIONAL LANTERNS, AND MAYBE WE'LL SEE OUR FRIEND FROM LUGANG.

VISITORS TRAVEL THROUGH THE BLESSING LANTERN FOREST, VISIT THE "HOPES AND WISHES" SECTION, AND CAVORT THROUGH THE JOYOUS LANTERN AREA AS WELL AS ENJOY TRADITIONAL SNACKS ON FOOD STREET AND AT THE NIGHT MARKET.

THE CENTERPIECE OF THE FESTIVAL IS A 65-FOOT, 36-TON GIANT DEPICTING THIS CHINESE NEW YEAR'S ZODIAC ANIMAL, THE TIGER.

>> WHAT DOES IT SAY?

THIS IS LIKE A TAIWANESE ROSE PARADE.

THE FLOATS AREN'T MOVING, BUT IT IS A NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATION.

WELL, I GUESS THEY ARE MOVING IN A WAY.

I DIDN'T FIND MR. WU FROM LUGANG, BUT I DID FIND HIS LANTERNS, AND THEY WISH US WEALTH AND HAPPINESS FOR THE NEW YEAR.

[FIREWORKS EXPLODING] WE FOLLOWED THE TAIWAN TEA TRAIL TO THE CITY OF TAINAN, WHICH WAS THE FORMER CAPITAL OF WHAT IS NOW TAIWAN FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS.

TAINAN IS THE OLDEST HARBOR IN TAIWAN, AND IN MERCHANT HOUSES LIKE THIS DURING THE 19th CENTURY, THERE WAS A BUSTLING TRADE IN OPIUM, SUGAR, CAMPHOR, AND TEA.

BUT THE STORY OF TAINAN AND TEA IS NOT ALL HISTORY.

TWICE A YEAR HERE, YOU CAN HAVE A HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE.

EVERY SPRING AND FALL IN THE PARKS SURROUNDING THE SHRINE OF KOXINGA, A NATIONAL HERO OF TAIWAN, TEA GROWERS, PRODUCERS, AND CONNOISSEURS GATHER FOR A CELEBRATION OF THE SEASON AND TEA.

AFTER PAYING HOMAGE TO THE GENERAL WHO FREED TAIWAN FROM THE DUTCH IN 1662, THE EVENT IS KICKED OFF BY THE MAYOR AND PARTICIPANTS.

THE...[SPEAKING TAIWANESE] TEA SERVERS, SET UP TEA ARRANGEMENTS UNDER THE BANYAN TREES, WHERE THEY DEMONSTRATE THE HERITAGE, CEREMONY, AND BEAUTY OF TEA.

PRODUCERS, SUCH AS JIEN LING FROM THE SNOW TEA COMPANY, PERFORM GONG FU CHA, TEA BREWING, WITH GREAT SKILL.

I FIRST ENCOUNTERED JIEN LING AT HER FAMILY TEA PLANTATION NEAR NANTOU CITY, 87 MILES NORTH OF TAINAN.

ALTHOUGH STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL, JIEN LING HAS BEEN IMMERSED IN THE TEA CULTURE FOR YEARS.

HER FATHER, JIN-CHANG, A TRUE MASTER, LEADS HER THROUGH AN EXACTING REGIMEN WHICH TRAINS HER TO UNDERSTAND THE COLOR, AROMA, AND TASTE THAT EACH TYPE AND CLASS OF TEA MUST EXUDE.

YET, LIKE WINE, THE PATH TO FINE TEA BEGINS IN THE FIELDS.

WHILE TEA IS GROWN IN SEVERAL COUNTIES, TEA FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF NANTOU COUNTY IS FAMOUS.

JIEN LING, WHAT KIND OF TEA LEAVES ARE THESE?

IS THIS A SPECIAL TEA FROM THIS AREA?

WHAT WOULD THIS TEA TASTE LIKE?

WHAT ARE THE ATTRIBUTES OF THIS TEA WHEN YOU DRINK IT?

HOW LONG FROM WHEN YOU PLANT A TEA PLANT UNTIL YOU CAN HARVEST IT?

OK. XIE XIE.

IN PLOTS WHERE LOWER-GRADE TEAS GROW, THE PICKING IS DONE QUICKLY BY MACHINE.

YET DON-DING, AN OOLONG TEA ORIGINALLY FROM CHINA'S FUJIAN PROVINCE, AND OTHER QUALITY PLANTS ARE HANDLED WITH CARE.

SO WE'VE LEFT THE TEA PLANTS UP ON THE HILLSIDE, AND WE'RE DOWN HERE IN A LITTLE LOWER ELEVATION, WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY PICKING TEA LEAVES.

WHY ARE THEY PICKING THESE TEA LEAVES BY HAND?

NOW, WHICH PART OF THE PLANT DO THEY PICK?

AH, OK.

SO THERE'S THE BUD AND TWO LEAVES.

HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE THEM TO PICK THIS FIELD?

WOMEN LIKE THIS, HOW MUCH CAN THEY PICK IN A DAY, AND HOW MUCH DO THEY GET PAID?

XIE XIE.

XIE XIE.

LET ME HELP HERE.

SO THIS HERE?

THIS ONE, LIKE THIS?

AH.

OK. OK. JUST HELPING OUT HERE.

>> OK. >> OK. >> OK. HA HA HA!

>> OK. [SPEAKING TAIWANESE] NO, NO, NO.

>> HERE?

HERE?

OK. [SPEAKING TAIWANESE] PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.

THAT'S FOR SURE.

THESE LADIES HAVE PROBABLY BEEN PICKING TEA LEAVES FOR DECADES.

THIS IS REALLY HARD WORK.

SO NEXT TIME YOU DRINK A CUP OF TEA, YOU'LL KNOW WHAT GOES INTO IT, RIGHT?

WHILE AN EXCELLENT CUP OF TEA MAY BEGIN IN THE FIELDS, IT IS IN THE PROCESSING PLANT THAT IT IS DRIED, WILTED, FERMENTED, AND ULTIMATELY TRANSFORMED INTO THE MAKINGS OF THE WORLD'S FAVORITE DRINK, SECOND ONLY TO WATER.

ONCE THE FERMENTED TEA LEAVES COME OUT OF THE FERMENTATION ROOM, THEY COME INTO THIS ROOM AND GO STRAIGHT INTO THE ROSTER, WHERE THEY'RE ROASTED AT 280 DEGREES CENTIGRADE FOR 6 TO 8 MINUTES IN ORDER TO STOP THE FERMENTATION.

THEN THEY'RE TAKEN FROM THERE TO THIS MACHINE, WHICH ROLLS THE LEAVES INTO A BALL, AND THEN THEY'RE TAKEN TO THE DRYER, WHICH SLIGHTLY DRIES THEM.

THEY SIT OUT OVERNIGHT, DRY A LITTLE BIT MORE.

THEN THE NEXT MORNING, THEY'RE TAKEN BACK INTO THE ROASTER.

THEN IT'S ROASTING AND ROLLING, ROASTING AND ROLLING.

ROASTING AND ROLLING.

AND EVERY TIME IT'S ROLLED, A LITTLE BIT MORE MOISTURE COMES OUT, WHICH GETS ROASTED 10 TO 15 TIMES.

FINALLY IT'S TAKEN BACK INTO THE DRYER FOR THE FINAL DRYING, AND IT COMES OUT WITH THESE GOLDEN KERNELS OF FLAVOR.

YOU KNOW, THEY SAY GREAT THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES, AND THAT'S CERTAINLY TRUE WITH THE TEA OF TAIWAN.

I'M WITH JIMMY HUANG.

HE'S MY TEA CONNOISSEUR, AND WE'RE HERE AT THE TEA CEREMONY.

WELL, WHAT TEA ARE WE HAVING TODAY?

>> WE ARE HAVING THE HIGH-MOUNTAIN OOLANG TEA FROM LEE MOUNTAIN.

>> LEE MOUNTAIN.

IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR FLAVORS THAT WE GET FROM THIS TEA?

>> THIS IS HIGH-MOUNTAIN TEA.

IT WILL BE SIMILAR TO THE OOLANG TEA, BUT HAS MORE STRONGER TEA AROMA THAN THE REGULAR OOLANG TEA.

THIS IS A VERY TRADITIONAL TEA CEREMONY, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE PAPA.

THE PAPA IS THE LUTES.

THEY'RE PLAYING THEM.

>> IT'S ALMOST LIKE THEIR HANDS ARE DANCING.

IT'S LIKE THAT'S PART OF THE ARTIST OF IT, TOO.

>> FOR THE CUP, SHE'S PREPARING, YOU SEE, AND... SEE THE BOTTOM?

THERE'S A CHINESE CHARACTER.

THAT'S A POETRY.

SO WHILE YOU ARE DRINKING THE TEA, ENJOY THE POETRY AT THE SAME TIME.

>> SO IT FEEDS YOU MENTALLY AS WELL.

IT'S JUST LIKE BALANCE, ISN'T IT?

IT'S JUST...

IT'S THE WHOLE PERSON-- THE MIND, THE HEART, ALL THE SENSES ALL IN ONE PLACE.

FABULOUS.

AND WHY DO WE HAVE THE TEA CEREMONY HERE IN THE PARK TWICE A YEAR?

>> WE WILL ONLY PICK SPRING AND THE FALL.

IT'S VERY COMFORTABLE.

>> I LOVE THE NATURAL WOOD THAT SHE HAS OUT THERE.

>> IT'S A WHOLE ROOT, CUT FROM THE ROOT.

>> FROM THE ROOT.

SO, IN A SENSE, IT'S LIKE SAYING THE TEA CEREMONY IS PART OF THE ROOT OF THE CULTURE.

>> NATURAL.

>> I KNOW THAT TEA HAS BEEN IMPORTANT IN CHINA SINCE, LIKE, THE FOURTH CENTURY.

>> YEAH.

EVEN, YOU SEE, IN THE OLD TRADITION, WHEN WE GET MARRIED, RIGHT, WE HAVE TO PREPARE 6 KINDS OF GIFTS TO MY MOTHER-IN-LAW.

SO TEA IS ONE OF THE GIFTS.

>> ONE OF THE GIFTS.

>> WHEN YOU'RE DRINKING TEA, YOU KNOW, THE TEA CEREMONY HAS MANY, MANY PURPOSE-- FOR YOUR HEALTH AND FOR FRIENDSHIP.

LIKE, WE NEVER MET BEFORE, BUT WE SIT HERE, WE DRINK TEA AT THE SAME TIME, BECOME A GOOD FRIEND.

>> SO OUR TEA IS A CONNECTION, THE BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE.

>> CORRECT.

>> I SAW SOME OF THE TEA SNACKS THEY HAD HERE AT THE CEREMONY.

THEY HAD A SWEET FROM TAIWAN AND A PIECE OF SWEET FROM CHINA.

SO IT WAS LIKE TAIWAN AND CHINA PEACEFULLY TOGETHER ON THE SAME PLATE.

>> CORRECT.

TEA, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTS PEACE.

>> NOW, WHAT I NOTICED, THE COLOR THE CUPS EMPHASIZES THE COLOR OF THE TEA.

>> YES, CORRECT.

PUT YOUR CUP INTO YOUR PALM... AND SMELL THE TEA AROMA FIRST.

>> CLOSE TO YOUR HEART.

>> IN FRONT OF YOUR HEART.

AND RELAX.

RELAX, YOU KNOW.

RELEASE YOUR SHOULDERS.

HA HA HA.

>> I NEED TO DRINK MORE TEA.

ONE... TWO... >> HMM.

>> XIE XIE.

>> SHE'S ASKING YOU DOES IT TASTE GOOD?

>> YEAH, IT'S VERY GOOD.

JUST BREATHING IN THE SMELL OF THE TEA MAKES YOU CALMER.

>> YEAH.

TEA AROMA IS INSIDE YOUR THROAT, YOUR TONGUE, AND MAYBE-- >> INSIDE YOUR HEAD, INSIDE YOUR SOUL.

>> YOU CAN FEEL THE AFTER SWEETNESS.

>> WHAT A SURPRISE.

I NEVER THOUGHT DRINKING TEA COULD BE SO BEAUTIFUL.

HA HA HA!

XIE XIE.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME ON MY TAIWAN ADVENTURE.

TAIWAN IS OFTEN PERCEIVED BY THE PROSPECTIVE TRAVELER AS A MODERN AND TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED COUNTRY, AND THAT'S RIGHT.

IT IS.

YET, ALTHOUGH MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE THE PORTUGUESE EXPLORERS DUBBED IT ISLE FORMOSA, THE BEAUTIFUL ISLE, IT STILL RETAINS ITS CULTURAL HERITAGE.

YOU'LL FIND IT IN ITS ARTS.

YOU'LL FIND IT IN ITS CRAFTS.

YOU'LL FIND IT IN THE CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS OF ITS PEOPLE, SO THAT YOUR TAIWAN EXPERIENCE, LIKE A HANDFUL OF FINE, TIGHTLY WOUND TEA LEAVES OR THE TEA CEREMONY ITSELF, BECOMES MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN YOU COULD HAVE EVER EXPECTED.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, THIS IS JOSEPH ROSENDO, REMINDING YOU OF THE WORDS OF MARK TWAIN--TRAVEL IS FATAL TO PREJUDICE, BIGOTRY, AND NARROW-MINDEDNESS.

HAPPY TRAVELING.

>> "TRAVELSCOPE" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY DK EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES.

DK CITY, COUNTRY, AND DRIVING GUIDES FEATURE EVOCATIVE PHOTOS, 3-D MAPPING, AND ILLUSTRATIONS FOR KEY SITES AND TRAVEL ITINERARIES.

DK EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES, THE GUIDES THAT SHOW YOU WHAT OTHERS ONLY TELL YOU.

AND ROSETTA STONE, CHANGING THE WAY THE WORLD LEARNS LANGUAGES.

FOR A DVD OF TODAY'S SHOW OR ANY OF JOSEPH'S "TRAVELSCOPE" ADVENTURES, CALL 888-876-3399 OR ORDER ONLINE AT Travelscope.net.

YOU CAN ALSO E-MAIL US AT TV@Travelscope.net OR WRITE US AT THE ADDRESS ON YOUR SCREEN.

>> NOW THAT WE'VE SIPPED TEA TOGETHER IN TAIWAN, LEARN MORE AT Travelscope.net, WHERE YOU CAN FOLLOW MY ADVENTURES THROUGH MY E-MAGAZINE, BLOG, AND PODCASTS.

KEEP IN TOUCH.

888-876-3399 OR TV@Travelscope.net.

[CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY FRIENDS OF NCI] THIS IS A VERY TAIWANESE THING.

THE GARBAGE TRUCKS IN TAIWAN PLAY MUSIC.

YOU CAN GET EVERYTHING FROM A NICE LITTLE POPULAR DITTY LIKE THIS OR CLASSICAL MUSIC ON THE BIGGER TRUCKS.

[MUSIC PLAYING]