At a time when oolong tea in Formosa had yet to earn its name, the major Qing ports were filled with thousands of sailing ships. Loaded to the brim with goods, they would set sail with the wind, journeying back to Britain, where their cargo would then travel across Europe. Among the most important goods they carried was tea—a drink second only to water in popularity.

Taiwan, 1865. At the recently opened port of Tamsui, trade ships were converging, and the number of foreign companies was steadily increasing. It was a new homeland for emigrants, a free land brimming with opportunities and risks—a true paradise for adventurers.

John Dodd, a Scottish adventurer and businessman, and Li Chunsheng, a shrewd and experienced comprador from Xiamen, came to Taiwan in search of new opportunities.

These two stark opposites met in Formosa to form a close partnership, aiming to break into the rapidly expanding American market and betting their dreams on a new product: Taiwanese oolong tea.

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