Savor Tea, Speak Mandarin — A Taste of Taiwan in Auckland

10 hours ago

2 min read

Tea, Mandarin and culture came together at TCML – Chi-Yuan Education Centre on 20 September for a special afternoon of learning, tasting and connection.

On 20 September 2026, more than 20 local adults and culture enthusiasts joined TCML – Chi-Yuan Education Centre for Savor Tea, Speak Mandarin — an interactive experience combining Taiwanese tea culture with practical Mandarin learning.

Participants tasted three distinctive teas — Jasmine Tea, Oolong Tea and Sun Moon Lake Black Tea — while discovering their different aromas, flavours and the stories behind Taiwan’s tea culture.

But this was more than a tea tasting.

Mandarin was naturally woven into the experience. Participants began with simple expressions such as “Nǐ hǎo” (Hello) and “Xièxie” (Thank you) before learning to describe what they could smell and taste:

好香！Hǎo xiāng! — So fragrant!好甜！Hǎo tián! — So sweet!好喝！Hǎo hē! — Delicious!

By the end of the session, participants were confidently saying sentences such as “Wǒ xǐhuān hē wūlóngchá” (我喜歡喝烏龍茶) — “I like drinking Oolong tea.”

The afternoon was filled with conversation, curiosity and cultural exchange. Sean from the Puketāpapa Local Board joined the experience, while participant Sofija shared that she had expected to taste Taiwanese tea but was delighted to also learn practical Mandarin and discover more about tea culture.

Most encouragingly, after the event, participants began asking how they could continue learning Mandarin with TCML.

Savor Tea, Speak Mandarin showed how language learning can become more meaningful when it is connected with culture, everyday experiences and real conversation.

One cup of tea. A few new Mandarin words. And a new connection with Taiwan. 🍵🇹🇼