product guide

gift pack formats

extremely rare teas

training and classes

entry level products

core products

peripheral products

shops

OEM possibility

literature & pop supports

mingcha premium chinese tea

2005 Lee Kwan Tea Trade Limited 1 Hoi Wan Street #703 Chinachem Exchange Square, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
phone: (852) 2882 9812 fax: (852) 2577 9117http://www.mingcha.com.hk e-mail: enquiry@mingcha.com.hk

the package design:

a simple vision
In MingCha, we believe in promoting the appreciation of the quality of
premium teas. That is why we employ in our packaging only elements
that keep in the goodness of the product and that communicate what is
delivered, rather than decorative, exotic or trendy approaches. We hope
we are able to maintain the same calibre of premium quality in the design
and materials that reflects the content.
the classic MingCha paper pack
Thick food grade true
aluminium laminate for
air and light tightness
Tea name in Chinese
Harvest seal specifying
harvest batch and/or tea
type subclassification
Tea name in English
Origin, taste and health
benefits description
(in English on the
opposite side)
Brand philosophy in
English and Japanese
Flat bottom for free
standing display
(Inside) Tea infusion
booklet (in Chinese,
English and Japanese)
100% hand formed
jacket made of top
quality uncoated EU
certified recycled paper
Wire lock for re-closing
pack after seal is open
MingCha delivers harvest
specific premium quality teas
of authentic origins and plant
pedigrees produced by
experienced masters with
traditional methods. The
range of tastes and health
characters in the products are
natural and inherent in the tea
plants. This is a manifestation
of our faith in the true
benefits of pure and
traditional products.

MingCha harvest seal:

statement of quality

MingChas premium line products are all single garden non-blended tea of
authentic origins. In order that our customers are well informed of the quality
of their purchase, a batch-relevant seal marks each pack or can with detail
harvest information to supplement what is already quite specific on the
standard labels. Not unlike fine wines, harvest conditions do make their marks
on the taste characters of each batch and therefore this seal is most useful for
the demanding connoisseurs.
Plant and location specific

Analysis of a seal

Mature batch specific

(fermentation style and grade
in Chinese)

International grade equivalence

& plant specific (Local nickname
of tea in Chinese)

This particular seal specifies one of

our most popular products, Phoenix
Supreme. There are quite a few types
of plants from which we harvest this
tea, all varying slightly from one
another by the differences in aroma
and taste characters. There are also
two premium harvests in the year:
Spring and Winter. This seal denotes
the plant type: Milan Xiang, which
gives a honey-like sweetness in the
aroma and a higher and sharper note
in taste. This tea is finished in the
classic style, as different from the
light or the dark style.
The one below focuses rather in the
location, which for Wuyi Dark Rock, is
important for the subtle differences
in the effects of the growing
environment. This one also notes a
quality supremacy: flowery, which is
a distinctive character of this tea and
is why its original name in Chinese is
a flower name, daffodil.

Finishing style and craftsman

specific (2002 harvest and
matured till 2003 for re-baking)

Some other representations

of our harvest seals that
focus in the details of specific
quality variables that most
related to the final taste
characters of the tea.
MingCha Product Guide 2004 page 2

the premium line:

tea selection
Core premium line selections: 20 tea varieties from the categories of: black*,
white, red**, green, oolong and flower scented.
* Black tea refers not to the English concept of the same name. In Chinese tea
categorization, black tea refers to a unique post-fermented tea category that make
this the only truly fermented tea. ** Red tea refers to fully fermented (oxidized) tea;
this is the same tea making concept as Indian black tea in the traditional sense.

Lee Kwan Tea Trade Limited. All rights reserved.

the premium line:

paper packs and canisters

Tea Selections

Paper Packs

Canisters

Teguanyin Supreme

MCP-100

70g

MCC-100

120g

Teguanyin Classic

MCP-101

70g

MCC-101

120g

Phoenix Supreme

MCC-200

55g

Phoenix Sung Special

MCC-201

55g

Mandarin Orchid

MCC-202

55g

Wuyi Supreme

MCC-220

55g

Cassia Supreme

MCC-221

55g

Wuyi Dark Rock

MCC-222

55g

Silver Needle Supreme

MCC-300

50g

White Peony Supreme

MCC-301

45g

X'tra Old Tippy Puer

MCP-400

70g

MCC-400

120g

Golden Tip Puer

MCP-401

70g

MCC-401

120g

MCC-500

60g

MCC-601

90g

MCC-721

55g

Golden Gungfu Supreme

Tanyang Golden Rim

MCP-501

70g

Red Plum Classic

MCP-502

55g

First Flush Longjin

Taimu Silver Snow

MCP-612

45g

Green Spring Classic

MCP-633

80g

Honey Pearl Pekoe

MCP-701

85g

Phoenix Osmanthus

the paper pack in twin

pack box

the MingCha canister

MingCha Product Guide 2004 page 4

connoisseur line
and private reserves
GTE-600

Every year our farmers and producers will present to

us special great quality small batches of any type of
tea. Some we think we can share with some of our
customers who are more demanding than others.
These picks will be small packs for release in highly
selected spots. These are some examples of products
in the Connoisseur Line:

Lee Kwan Tea Trade Limited. All rights reserved.

1001-XH

Xianghua Red Stalk

80 g

1002-XH

Xianghua Pieu Xiang

100 g

1003-GD

Gande Red Stalk

90 g

1004-XP

Xiping Traditional

90 g

6003-KH

Kaihua First Flush

70 g

6004-GZ

Guzhu Purple Flush

70 g

6005-PL

Original Pilo Chuen

60 g

Leo Kwans Private Reserve series is a

distinctive benchmark of traditional tea
at its highest possible quality.

At times when just premium is not enough, we provide the rarest or the
most extraordinary. Like the harvest from the oldest tea bush on Mount
Wudong in northern Guangdong. The 4.5 metre tall plant was planted
in the Sung Dynasty (11th to 13th Century A.D.) and is said to have
yielded one of the first oolongs. Its harvest once filled the cup of
Chairman Mao and is thus nicknamed The East is Red by local
farmers. The 2 kilo a year yield now is in extreme demand. The
MingCha premiere release stirred quite a bit of local and international
media coverage. We carry also the production from its second
generation bushes.
For those who are really demanding in the most delicate taste, we
select annually limited yields of the most discerning quality from not-solegendary but most carefully tended mature bushes and release them
with the special attention they deserve under our Leo Kwans Private
Reserve label. One such limited release was selected in 2002 by the
ceremony committee of the Academy Awards for Oscar as the first
ever tea and the first ever Chinese product to be included in the well
talked-about Celebrity Gift Baskets. For those who are really
discriminating in taste, this line of product is the apex of tea.
Please contact MingCha for update details of current year
availability and releases.

The 55 gram pack of 2nd generation

Wudong Sung Bush oolong. The Sung
Bush is proven to be a producing plant
in existance during late Sung Dynasty
(13rd Century). Wudong is said to be
the origin of oolong tea production.

Pencil numbered edition in

the Private Reserve product

All production reserved specially under

the gran tea masters signature are
edition numbered and stamped with his
personal stamp. This is a signature for
quality fit for his highest demand in tea
enjoyment.

MingCha Product Guide 2004 page 6

jek th : the gourmet line

for market diffusion

jek th Mini-glass Tubes

The gourmet line is

developed to promote fine
tea drinking to a broader
audience. We have branded
it jek th, after a Chinese
dialect in a key tea
production area for eat
tea. This top quality line is
already considered by many
as premium. Packages are
designed with user-friendly
approaches for appeal and
with similar communication
requirements as in the
MingCha lines.

jek th Glass Tubes

Lee Kwan Tea Trade Limited. All rights reserved.

Green Oolong JT-117

Phoenix Classic JT-205

Wuyi Yan Cha JT-223

Eco Packs

Tea Selections

Tent packs

Eco packs

Green Oolong

JTT-117

38 g

JTP-117

100 g

Phoenix Classic

JTT-205

24 g

JTP-205

50 g

Wuyi Yan Cha

JTT-223

24 g

JTP-223

50 g

Genuine White

JTT-305

24 g

JTP-305

50 g

Yunnan Tippy Puer

JTT-402

38 g

JTP-402

85 g

Jasmine Silver Tips

JTT-708

38 g

JTP-708

85 g

2-Pack Sets
Combinations A: any 2 of these teas combined: 117, 205, 223, or 402
Combination C: 305 with 708
Glass Tubes

Genuine White JT-305

Thistle Blossoms

JTG-703

63 g

Autumn Damask

JTG-710

36 g

Mini-glass Tubes

Truly Black

JTM-436

47 g

Jasmine Pearls

JTM-701

45 g

Jasmine Snow

JTM-702

40 g

Thistle Blossom

JTM-703

33 g

Rose Buds

JTM-704

25 g

Finest Orange Pekoe

JTM-502

25 g

Bitter Kuding

JTM-813

35 g

Yunnan Tippy Puer JT-402

Tent Packs

2-Pack Sets

Jasmine Silver Tips JT-708

MingCha Product Guide 2004 page 8

gift packs
9-Pack Sampler Set

Silver Ensemble

Gourmet Carnival

Small Glasstube Sets MCK-002 & 003

Lee Kwan Tea Trade Limited. All rights reserved.

Evangelist Herald

Tasters Experiment

4-pack Gift Set

Glasstube Sets

Gift Box Sets

A most popular gift idea and very useful for its

display quality in the ambient product shelves,
the tubes themselves are made of fine German
glass. The corks are secured with food grade tape
and sealed with 100% natural beeswax.

Each small box contains an individual thick food

grade aluminium pack to seal in the goodness of
the tea. Selection may vary according to harvest
conditions.
9-Pack Sampler Set

Tasters Experiment
MCK-001
193g
5 x 20 cm tubes with the following selection:
Teguanyin Light, Mandarin Orchid, White Peony
Supreme, Cassia Supreme, Golden Tip Puer*

MCK-0069
143g
Phoenix Classic, Green Oolong, Wuyi Yan Cha,
Mandarin Orchid, Yunnan Tippy Puer, Genuine
White, Jasmine Silver Tips* & a seasonal selection
4-Pack Gift Set

Gourmets Delight
MCK-002

46g

2 x 12 cm tubes
Golden Tip Puer, Silver Needle Supreme*

MCK-0061
55g
Phoenix Classic, Green Oolong, Wuyi Yan Cha,
Mandarin Orchid*
Tea Guide with 3 tea samples

Natural Fragrance
MCK-003

61g

2 x 12 cm tubes
Honey Pearl Pekoe, Mandarin Orchid*

PAP-007T
3 tea selections in the mini-box packed with the
MingCha Guide to Premium Chinese Tea Not
All Teas Are Created Equal (PAP-007)

Mini-Hampers
Silver Ensemble
hamper S
4 top of the line selection canisters in hard gift
box with foil stamped MingCha logo:
Phoenix Supreme MCC 200
Wuyi Supreme MCC 220
Silver Needle Supreme MCC 300
& First Flush Longjin MCC 601
(May vary according to season)
Gourmet Carnival
hamper G
The full line of jek th tent packs in an
environmental friendly drawer case.
Evangelist Herald
hamper E
9-pack Sampler Set MCK-0069 with the
MingCha Guide to Premium Chinese Tea Not
All Teas Are Created Equal (PAP-007)

Tea Guide + 3 tea samples

PAP-007T

* Tea combinations may vary according to the

market and season.

MingCha Product Guide 2004 page 10

teaware

hand-thrown gaiwan

hand-thrown teapot

A cha pan is a tray with drainage for tea preparation. This

one illustrated is made of compressed laminated bamboo.
hand-thrown caddy

chahai

Specialist teaware came into being for the need to facilitate the enjoyment of
tea. It is now an important category of artifacts in addition to being a utensil.
MingCha holds a large collection for both the utilitarian as well as the
artistically minded customers. All items are selected for their beauty in quality,
functionality and workmanship. Most items are handcrafted in premium
traditional quality appropriate even for the imperial court. We source our
artisan productions from the best studios in authentic origins of each material
technology, such as underglaze blue china from Jingde, but the utilitarian
wares from modern specialist factories, such as our bone china from Hunnan.
The list of our teaware categories is displayed hereunder, each
representing various materials and styles in expert to collector grades. Please
contact your MingCha distributor for the latest detail catalogue.
Cha-hais (small tea decanters)
Cha pans (trays with drainage devices for tea making on top)

tea tools

Gaiwans (cups with lids for teamaking as well as drinking from)

Cups

infuser mug

Cup sets

Teapot stands

Infusers

Tea sets

Infuser mugs

Tea tools

Strainers

Tea towel

Tea bowls

Tea trays

Tea caddies
Teapots
wide-mouth tea cup
Lee Kwan Tea Trade Limited. All rights reserved.

The gai wan (1) is more than just

a cup: tea can be infused in it and
decanted to the cha hai (2) for
serving in a small tea cup (3).

yixing teapots
Clay mined in Yixing has always been the finest materials for tea pots. Its
unique microscopic physical properties, when coupled with the highly
specialist pot-making skills developed over the millennium in this region, result
in pots that maximize infusion quality of even the best tea. That is why
specialist pot makers from all over China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan are either
imitating the material or buying it all the way from the remote small town.
Genuine quality Yixing teapots are therefore a very special category for
both the demanding connoisseurs as well as the collectors. As the number of
Yixing clay mines decreases due to depletion, the product is seeing an
elevation in value.
MingCha presents this specialized tea making tool in 15 different
grades. All expertly and individually handcrafted in Yixing in the respective
grades of the clay. Some are by well-recognized artists and others by devoted
crafts people working hard to make their marks in this highly specialized area.
Each piece is carefully examined by MingCha experts for its functionality and
the different aspects in craft quality.
Pots of the artist grade or higher are given individual certificates issued
by MingCha. All products come with a simple to follow user guide pamphlet.
POS posters, flip book backgrounder and short biographies of selected artists
and crafts-persons are available. Selected information is also included in our
standard interactive POS computer CD.
Connoisseurs Selection

CC grade

Handcrafted Special

HC-1 grade

Handcrafted Traditional

HC-2 grade

Handcrafted Extra Fine

HC-3 grade

Artist Collection 1

AC-1 grade

Artist Collection 2

AC-2 grade

Artist Collection 3

AC-3 grade

Artist Collection 4

AC-4 grade

Artist Collection 5

AC-5 grade

Master Grade

MG grade

Signature 1

S-1 grade

Signature 2

S-2 grade

Signature 3

S-3 grade

Signature 4

S-4 grade

Signature 5

S-5 grade

* Due to extreme limited quantity of these teaware products, styles

and quality vary as stock moves. However, MingCha works hard to
provide the best available at all times.
MingCha Product Guide 2004 page 12

shop planning & POS supports

Stand-alone shop, Hong Kong

Promotion tea bar with ambient product shelves, London

Tea bar development and supplies, Sapporo

MingCha tea bar with ambient product shelves, Hong Kong

Lee Kwan Tea Trade Limited. All rights reserved.

MingChas very own Interactive Tea

Selection Guide helps both the
customer and shop attendants
alike to choose and understand
premium tea from different
perspectives, such as health issues,
taste requirements and daily needs.
This is a most comprehensive and
yet user-friendly sales and education tool available anywhere.

Leo Kwan localizes the tea

infusion workflow for the
tea bar at Daylesford
Farmshop in Glocestershire,
England. Pictured with
deputy general manager,
Mark Lewis.

Since retail and market environments differ dramatically, it is part of

the MingCha strategy to optimize the presentation impact to fit in the
local conditions. These are available services to support your business with
MingCha:
Customized MingCha Retail Protocol layout
Planograms for local standard or specialized furniture for ambient
products
Customized furniture for designated area
Customized and standard POS
Customized bar design
Briefing and supervision for shop development
Teaware supplies
Localized tea preparation standards (teaware, heating facility, serving
pattern and water quality all make dramatic differences in the final
quality)
Bulk tea supplies for catering
Localized tea menu development
Localized food pairing menu
Visuals and design standards for POS
items
Branded package design and production

Customizable menu for

different operational
environments

In markets where
another brand can be of
synergic edge, MingCha
can support by developing OEM packs, such as
this line for Yuji Wakiya
for Yokohama and Tokyo.
MingCha Product Guide 2004 page 14

training and tea classes

Floor staff of a food hall that

carries MingCha products
attending a MingCha tea class

The premium quality of MingCha requires a sales force with specialist

understanding and faith. Even the very systematic setup of the MingCha Tea
Bar is still a far cry from being a so called turn-key operation. Therefore,
basic training of the general floor staff and specialist training of the tea
preparation and the sales staff are instrumental for MingChas success in your
local market, unless there is already a strong understanding of premium
quality tea in your operation.
MingCha Product Basics:
Fundamental concepts
2 hours
Product advantage
2 hours
Basic tasting skills
2 hours
MingCha Sales Specialists:
Product Basics (as above) 6 hours
Taste discrimination
10 hours (mostly practice)
Brand advantage
2 hours
MingCha Evangelists:
(qualified tea bar tender and/or local presenter)
12 days full time

Lee Kwan Tea Trade Limited. All rights reserved.

Vivien Lee, a MingCha Tea

Evangelist helping a tea workshop
attendee to appreciate tea quality
at the Loft in MingCha Star Shop.

Word of mouth is the most important marketing tool.

Therefore, the most powerful promotion force for
MingCha is the faith of the customers in our products.
The more they understand about our quality and our
idea for tea, the more they will influence others to use
MingCha. That is why tea classes for the customers is
a natural product to satisfy both the curiosity of the
customer as well as our need to educate them for
quality appreciation. Because of our winning quality,
we believe that a well-informed consumer is a good
customer.
To certain markets, arrangement can be made to train well-qualified
individuals in your locality to become teachers for the MingCha Authorized
Tea Classes. Standards and syllabuses have to be followed to deliver a wellbalanced understanding. There are four tiers in the syllabus and the meeting
structured can be localized. A student may choose to receive a final
examination in Hong Kong by Leo Kwan on successfully completing all tiers.
Satisfactory result in the examination qualifies him/her as a MingCha
Evangelist.
The 4 tiers are 4 levels of classes with increasing depth of coverage:
MAT 100s:
Basic concepts and nature of premium tea
Foundation categorization
MAT 200s:
Infusion tools & techniques
Quality discrimination
Heritage and background

Japanese TV celebrity Chef

Noboru Ishii presenting tea as
part of the test for MingCha
Evangelist Certification.

MAT 300s:
Usage and conditions
Food pairing and services
Specialist practice and
trade understanding
Evangelist Qualification
Examination:
Understanding and
rendition of MingCha
quality
Articulation in various
ideas of premium tea

publicity supports

Endorsement programme

Joint promotion programme

regular newspaper column

various press coverage,

international as well as local

Unique position in mass media coverage

Internet coverage

Guest presenter in Slow Food, Italy

Meeting customers during book launch

Selective profile reinforcement

Chinese tea is fast becoming a consumer trend in many markets.

Recent scientific interest in the health benefits of tea does lend some
publicity edge as well. However, our mission to elevate the market and
the very fact that our quality is so dramatically different demand
publicity content and activities other than just surfing on a trend.
Our brand direction carries a strong quality perception, an
evangelist aura and a contemporary cultural touch that is the strength
of MingCha. How we interface with the market is our essential asset.
These are some activities we have covered and may be repeated
in your local markets:
commercial publishing

Launch of Not All Teas Are Created Equal A MingCha Guide to

Premium Chinese Tea (product code PAP-007) in bookstore networks
with localized promotions.
Regular contributions to specialist and mainstream printed media,
national as well as international
A wealthy stock of visual and textual materials for reference or quote
by the media
Regular interviews with journalists on different aspects of the brand,
the product, the business and characters behind the operation, most
notably Leo Kwan the brand creator, resulting in uniquely high press
and internet coverage
Leo Kwan actively participating in different international and local
talks, seminars, presentations and demonstration as the guru of Chinese
tea, such as in Tea Expo Paris, Great Chefs at Great in Hong Kong.
Informative and well designed MingCha website, updated regularly
for search engines
contributions to
international trade media

Regular e-mailing of the MingCha newsletter the Infuser

Active networking for profile growth through joint promotion with
other brands and renowned characters, such as with the NHK TV tea
program host, Yuji Wakiya and the white tea joint promotion with
Bvlgari parfum.
Periodic launches of special products with media coverage

Major incidents in the immediate future:

informative website

Leo Kwan to represent the Chinese tea production

community and to lead a group of tea producers to partake in
Terra Madre, the World Meeting of Producers held by
SLOW FOOD in Italy and sponsored by FAO.
Publishing of a new MingCha book
Redesign of the website under mingcha.com
An episode fully dedicated to certain aspects in the MingCha
operation in a TV program by the popular Hong Kong public
TV station

Communicate with your MingCha contact to explore the possibilities in

how our resources can be supportive in your local operation.
regular internet newsletter

the tea difference

MingCha products are traditionally handcrafted: such as this batch of Phoenix tea which is undergoing one step of the process: sun-withering

Combine the elegance of cosmetics, the sophistication of a vintage, the

seduction of a traditional handicraft, the medicinal expression of an herb,
and the sentiment of a life-style in a global, contemporary, and yet unmistakably Chinese totality. Then you have the shell of MingCha. Passion,
specialist understanding and truly tip-top quality is the soul to its charm.
Premium quality tea can be accessible and desirable once again for all
people, whether connoisseurs or laymen, Chinese or not. MingCha
liberates tea from traditional trading concepts and marketing gimmicks to
be a class of its own, simply because it is different, from the inside out.

2005 Lee Kwan Tea Trade Limited. All rights reserved.

MingCha and
 are internationally registered trademarks owned by Lee Kwan Tea Trade Limited 1 Hoi Wan Street #703 Quarry Bay Hong Kong
phone: (852) 2882 9812 fax: (852) 2577 9117 e-mail: mingcha@mingcha.com.hk http://www.mingcha.com.hk