Staff
So Han
Founder and Visionary
So-Han's father is from Hong Kong by way of Guangzhou, and he grew up drinking oolong, Pu'er, and jasmine tea. After developing an interest in Chinese tea in college, he shared tea culture widely while traveling and ran the gong fu cha program at Jade Leaves Tea House in Austin, Texas in 2009. In 2010, he moved to Chengdu, Sichuan in western China, where he met and studied with tea farmers in Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guangxi while doing environmental research with the Chengdu Urban Rivers Association. He started West China Tea in 2012 after returning to Austin, selling tea and tea wares from his contacts in China and helping to cultivate Chinese tea culture in Texas. Since 2016, he has been creating a Youtube show called Gong Fu Tea|chA with Erik Duemig of Tea House Ghost. He travels to China regularly, often with members of the West China Tea team.
So-Han has a BS in Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and has worked in limnological and medical research.
So-Han enjoys traveling, studying languages and comparative religion, and playing a Chinese gourd flute called hulusi.
Favorite Foods: Kitfo, Bitter Melon
Languages spoken: English, Mandarin Chinese, a little Japanese
So-Han has a BS in Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and has worked in limnological and medical research.
So-Han enjoys traveling, studying languages and comparative religion, and playing a Chinese gourd flute called hulusi.
Favorite Foods: Kitfo, Bitter Melon
Languages spoken: English, Mandarin Chinese, a little Japanese
Yao Yao
Tea Arts Specialist
Yao Yao “YoYo” was born in Hang Zhou, China, known for its dragon well tea and natural beauty. Yao Yao was trained at the Xianlai Wushi academy in Beijing, where she received her certification as a Tea Arts Specialist and Chinese National Tea Evaluation license. She is also an ambassador for sharing tea and Chinese culture.
At the age of 7, Yao Yao was selected by Yi Fu School of Classical Chinese Opera dance in Zhe Jiang Province of China and danced with them for 6 years. At the Age of 18, she went abroad study in Japan and Holland.
During a school trip to Kyoto, she experienced 茶道“chado” Japanese tea ceremony, and she wanted to learn and tea arts. Yao Yao has continued her studies in Martial Arts, Traditional Chinese Medicine, QI Gong and Tea Arts with Grand Masters from China, India and Thailand.
She has been living in the U.S. for eight years now and recently moved to Austin from Dallas-Fort Worth.茶缘，Tea destiny, She joined West China Tea family after she moved to Austin 4 days. Now she is taking the mission to share tea arts, tea ceremony and running tea arts specialist program with So Han at West China Tea.
Yao Yao is also a licensed massage therapist, and board certified for Clinical Rehabilitation Massage from NCBTMB, you can find her at Runlab Austin.
Yao Yao loves sharing tea arts and culture, she also loves stuffy animals, stickers and mango. Having a fun time with everyone at West China Tea, you can hear her laugh throughout the halls.
Languages Spoken: Chinese, English, Japanese
At the age of 7, Yao Yao was selected by Yi Fu School of Classical Chinese Opera dance in Zhe Jiang Province of China and danced with them for 6 years. At the Age of 18, she went abroad study in Japan and Holland.
During a school trip to Kyoto, she experienced 茶道“chado” Japanese tea ceremony, and she wanted to learn and tea arts. Yao Yao has continued her studies in Martial Arts, Traditional Chinese Medicine, QI Gong and Tea Arts with Grand Masters from China, India and Thailand.
She has been living in the U.S. for eight years now and recently moved to Austin from Dallas-Fort Worth.茶缘，Tea destiny, She joined West China Tea family after she moved to Austin 4 days. Now she is taking the mission to share tea arts, tea ceremony and running tea arts specialist program with So Han at West China Tea.
Yao Yao is also a licensed massage therapist, and board certified for Clinical Rehabilitation Massage from NCBTMB, you can find her at Runlab Austin.
Yao Yao loves sharing tea arts and culture, she also loves stuffy animals, stickers and mango. Having a fun time with everyone at West China Tea, you can hear her laugh throughout the halls.
Languages Spoken: Chinese, English, Japanese
Logan
Agile Transformation Officer
In 2018, during a transitional period in his life, Logan was seeking a martial arts school to join. After passing by a "mind, body, spirit" sign outside of the tea house (formerly know as Guan Yin Tea House), he came in to check out the martial arts school. He sat down at the front of house service for a steeping of tea and has been coming back ever since. The tea house community has be a nurturing space for him to reconnect with and celebrate his creativity.
Logan has a background in business. His areas of interests are leadership, team dynamics, and building tea houses utilizing agile methodology.
Logan is very curious about flow states as it connects to thoughts (clarity and creativity), movements in the body (yoga and dance), and emotions (for mental wellness). He practices gong fu cha as a means to faciliate the flow for these practices.
Favorite Movies: Cloud Atlas, Before Sunrise, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Favorite Activites: Road trips, Hiking in nature, Urban wandering
Languages Spoken: English, Vietnamese
Logan has a background in business. His areas of interests are leadership, team dynamics, and building tea houses utilizing agile methodology.
Logan is very curious about flow states as it connects to thoughts (clarity and creativity), movements in the body (yoga and dance), and emotions (for mental wellness). He practices gong fu cha as a means to faciliate the flow for these practices.
Favorite Movies: Cloud Atlas, Before Sunrise, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Favorite Activites: Road trips, Hiking in nature, Urban wandering
Languages Spoken: English, Vietnamese