Author Archives: JeffFuchs

About JeffFuchs

Bio Having lived for most of the past decade in Asia, Fuchs’ work has centered on indigenous mountain cultures, oral histories with an obsessive interest in tea. His photos and stories have appeared on three continents in award-winning publications Kyoto Journal, TRVL, and Outpost Magazine, as well as The Spanish Expedition Society, The Earth, Silkroad Foundation, The China Post Newspaper, The Toronto Star, The South China Morning Post and Traveler amongst others. Various pieces of his work are part of private collections in Europe, North America and Asia and he serves as the Asian Editor at Large for Canada’s award-winning Outpost magazine. Fuchs is the Wild China Explorer of the Year for 2011 for sustainable exploration of the Himalayan Trade Routes. He recently completed a month long expedition a previously undocumented ancient nomadic salt route at 4,000 metres becoming the first westerner to travel the Tsa’lam ‘salt road’ through Qinghai. Fuchs has written on indigenous perspectives for UNESCO, and has having consulted for National Geographic. Fuchs is a member of the fabled Explorers Club, which supports sustainable exploration and research. Jeff has worked with schools and universities, giving talks on both the importance of oral traditions, tea and mountain cultures. He has spoken to the prestigious Spanish Geographic Society in Madrid on culture and trade through the Himalayas and his sold out talk at the Museum of Nature in Canada focused on the enduring importance of oral narratives and the Himalayan trade routes. His recently released book ‘The Ancient Tea Horse Road’ (Penguin-Viking Publishers) details his 8-month groundbreaking journey traveling and chronicling one of the world’s great trade routes, The Tea Horse Road. Fuchs is the first westerner to have completed the entire route stretching almost six thousand kilometers through the Himalayas a dozen cultures. He makes his home in ‘Shangrila’, northwestern Yunnan upon the eastern extension of the Himalayan range where tea and mountains abound; and where he leads expeditions the award winning ‘Tea Horse Road Journey’ with Wild China along portions of the Ancient Tea Horse Road. To keep fueled up for life Fuchs co-founded JalamTeas which keeps him deep in the green while high in the hills.

The Tea Boss Arrives…Without Warning

  Wang Ling has arrived giving me only a couple of hours warning, and she is no conventional guest. She is a tea master with a personality that frequently ranges from the absurdly giggly to the mute tones of a … Continue reading

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‘Tea for Me Please’ Reviews our own Jalamteas’ Nannuo Mountain Puerh…and loves it

Our very own Jalamteas’ Nannuo ‘unfermented’  Puerh tea cake gets a sip, a review, and then a good deal more sips from ferocious tea drinker, and tea reviewer,  Nicole Martin. Check out the review here: http://www.teaformeplease.com/2013/05/jalam-teas-nan-nuo-mountain-sheng-puerh.html

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Tom Carter’s China Anthology: “Unsavory Elements” – Stories of foreigners on the loose in China

Proud to be a contributor to this spirited and very ‘now’ book on China’s potent ‘present’ tense. Book now available from Earnshaw Books. Here’s what “That’s Shanghai” Magazine had to say… http://www.thatsmags.com/shanghai/article/view/14672 My own contribution inevitably centres upon the Tea … Continue reading

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South Tea Sips 5: Concluding Sips…for now

Last days inevitably require ‘last sips’, though no sips will really be ‘last’ ones when it comes to tea. Having left Lao Banzhang, Marco and I head back to our base of food, operations, community, and what is left of … Continue reading

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South Tea Sips 4: The Extra Leaf

Bent over, with the smell of freshly fried tea literally steaming into me I am struck that the wafts emanating upwards seem a combination of sweet corn and spinach. Not that it matters really, but I do spend an inordinate … Continue reading

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South Tea Sips 3: Moustaches and Matè Unleashed

  Those who enjoy tea’s ability to “lay the hammer down softly” have always held Jing Mai teas in regard. These words were used once by a Guangdong friend of mine whose abilities to discern teas – despite a ferocious … Continue reading

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South Tea Sips 2: Meals, Forearms, and an Enduring Tea Truth

  Meals seem to at times provide the only respite from the luscious infusions of tea which hit from everywhere at once. We sit in Dafa’s dark wooden kitchen on the second floor of his home deep into Nan Nuo’s … Continue reading

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South Tea Sips l : Marco, Matè, and Menghai

  Marco Antonio Zamboni Zalamena and his matè bag have arrived but I cannot find either. Three different bus stations in southern Yunnan’s hot capital of Jinghong are empty of him. I’m ripped on far too much tea, slightly manic, … Continue reading

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Ascent of Gold Pass

It is said amidst the Himalayas that it takes but a whiff of mountain air to know what is coming weather-wise. Neither Fred, Fik, nor I have a nose quite capable of detecting what is to come, though there are … Continue reading

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Technical Glitches – Please Be Patient

This Paiwan elder and I both apologize for the temporary state of this blog. Dealing with a dreaded – temporary – technological glitch. Thanks

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