By Elin Headrick

The Tao of Tea has found its niche in downtown Portland, operating a traditional Chinese tea house inside the Classical Chinese Garden that offers visitors an authentic cultural experience without the cross-Pacific travel.

Portland’s Classical Chinese Garden opened in 2000. Its tea house, the Tower of Cosmic Reflections, is a national landmark resulting from a collaboration between the City of Portland and its sister city, Suzhou, China. A group of 80 artisans, many traveling from China, worked for a year on its construction.

Authentic Chinese tea houses are rare in the United States, and this is the only one in the Pacific Northwest. The two-story building offers visitors a place to relax and partake in the culture of tea while enjoying views of the Garden and downtown Portland. The tea house was built according to Chinese tradition, from the elaborate exterior to the garden and interior. Its trees, plants and pools comprise a living museum, while inside is a blend of antique furniture from the Ming and Sung dynasties.

Visitor Nancy Reilly described it as “a great opportunity for Americans to experience another culture.”

“The spirit of tea is seen at the Chinese Garden,” said Veerinder Chawla, owner of the Tao of Tea.

The City of Portland approached 40 merchants for the opportunity to operate in the tea house. Chawla believes his company won the bid because of “our approach to create harmony between the Garden and tea house and offer hospitality in a public space.” He added that he felt the Tao of Tea’s selection of forty Chinese teas also contributed to being chosen.

The company is a tenant of the Classical Chinese Garden and works in conjunction with it. In business for eight years, the Tao of Tea has a strong presence in the Garden, yet blends in. The business of selling tea shouldn’t detract from the experience of the tea house, Chawla said.

The collection of teas includes some from growing regions other than China. White, green, oolong, black and puer teas from India, Sri Lanka and Taiwan, as well as herbals, are all available there, along with light meals and snacks.

The Tao of Tea has nurtured relationships with tea plantations for more than a decade, working with growers from the cultivation of the leaf through the serving of the tea. “We educate people in the practice and the art of tea on a daily basis at the tea house,” Chawla said.

He added that, in line with the authenticity of the Garden and tea house, the quality of his tea is of utmost importance. The “purity of the leaf, the surroundings it grows in and the people who nurture it (have) become the purpose of our company,” he said.

As a nonprofit organization, the Classical Chinese Garden depends on members, donors and visitors for its financial survival. “We have 4,000 members, many of whom join so that they can come to the tea house as many times as they like. They are tea house addicts,” said Jane DeMarco, managing director of the Garden.