Hong Kong tea festival — autumn 2026

three days with twelve pressings

The festival unfolds across a long weekend in November, when Hong Kong’s humidity softens and the air carries the quiet scent of aging tea. Amgalan Chin, a cross-regional expert who has studied pu-erh from Yunnan to Ulan-Ude, opens the first day by laying twelve carefully selected vintage pressings on the table. These range from a 1960s border-tea brick to a 2003 Hong Kong merchant’s private order, each with a distinct story of dry or traditional storage — precisely the conditions Amgalan has spent years comparing in Buryatia and the Russian Far East. Attendees receive a tasting journal with space for personal notes and QR codes that link to each cake’s full background on puerh.app.

Day one focuses on raw power and time. The first cupping flight introduces three Shēng Pǔ’ěr (生普洱) from the 1970s, 1990s, and early 2000s. Amgalan explains how the interplay of leaf grade, compression, and storage rhythm shapes the broth — from the camphor-tinged clarity of a 1992 Menghai to the plum-skin sweetness of a 2003 Yangqing Hao. A second flight contrasts a heavily fermented Wò Duī (渥堆) cake with its slowly aged raw counterpart, giving participants a direct read on post-fermentation.

By day two, the rhythm deepens. The morning masterclass addresses Hong Kong warehousing: the atmospheric dance of temperature, humidity, and airflow that has turned countless pu-erh cakes into aromatic landscapes. Amgalan walks through a 1988 traditional-stored 7542 beside its dry-stored sibling, pointing to the leather, moss, and sandalwood notes that humid aging coaxes out. In the afternoon, the community takes over. Members of tea.community gather for a moderated conversation on personal collections and storage experiments, and anyone who joined through the membership discount receives a separate tasting flight of three aged white teas — a quiet nod to the wider constellation of Chinese tea.

Sunday, day three, is less structured. The room becomes an open cupping laboratory. Participants can revisit any pressing from the festival, blend their own combinations, or simply sit quietly with a single pot. A marketplace runs in the adjoining hall, with vintage teaware from tea.equipment, fresh sheng from shop.puerh.app, and printed editions of the festival journal. At midday, Amgalan hosts a closing session — everyone rates their three favourite pressings, and the results are shared anonymously on tea.community in the following week. The festival ends not with ceremony but with a pot of well-worn leaves, steeped until the water runs clear, as a reminder that even the oldest tea keeps giving.

What you get

• admission to all three days of the festival (22–24 November 2026)

• guided cupping sessions with each of the twelve vintage pressings

• masterclass on pu-erh aging and Hong Kong storage conditions

• tasting journal with cake notes and scannable links to puerh.app profiles

• exclusive first look at upcoming cake releases on shop.puerh.app

• discounted day passes for tea.community members — verify at registration

• daily tea samples and a festival tote

logistics

• venue — The Mills, 45 Pak Tin Par Street, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong

• dates — 22–24 November 2026 (Saturday to Monday)

• language — All sessions are conducted in English, with Cantonese interpretation available on request.

• food & drink — Light vegetarian refreshments are provided throughout each day. Please notify us of any allergies when booking.

• dress — Comfortable attire for a seated indoor setting. Layers recommended as rooms are air-conditioned.

• accessibility — The venue is wheelchair accessible via the main entrance. Contact us for specific needs.

• weather — November in Hong Kong is mild (20–25°C) with occasional light rain. An umbrella and a light layer are advised.