Sri Lankan Tea

The rise of Ceylon‘s tea plantation over the grave of the coffee industry in 1869, followed years of experimental planting

The first tea seeds and young tea plants were brought to the island from the Botanical garden in Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1839

James Taylor of Loolecondera, considered as the father of the tea industry in Ceylon, first planted tea commercially in 1867. Two years before the coffee blight .It was fortunate that the tea grew well, for many coffee pioneers were able to turn to death of the coffee plantations into the birth of an even greater and enduring industry “Tea”

The first shipment of tea in 1872, five years later, was only two small packs containing twenty three pounds valued at 58 Rupees, a literal drop in the ocean, compared to the 324 million kilograms, which the country exported.

Today, Sri Lanka is the largest orthodox of tea in the world. We also have the distinction of conducting the largest tea auction in the world which has been in operation since 1883.

Significantly, the industry has weathered more challenging adversaries then the blight which destroyed the coffee plantations 142 years ago. Tea has withstood political, economic and social upheavals, and is once again under private sector stewardship.

The Ceylon Tea Museum

The Ceylon tea museum is located at Hantane, 3kilometers from Kandy town. It is served by motor able road that circles the museum, providing easy access. Adequate parking facilities are available for cars and tourist coaches.

The museum consist of four floors .the ground floor and second floor exhibit very old items of machinery. The first floor consists of a library and an auditorium with facilities for audio visual presentations.

The third floor is allocated to tea sales outlets, where a selection of fine Ceylon teas are available .the entire fourth floor is a restaurant. A panoramic view of the Kandy town surrounded by the beautiful Hunnasgiriya Additionally, it is proximately to the peradenya Botanical garden and Loolecondera estate, where tea was first grown commercially in Ceylon makes Hanthana the perfect location

The James Taylor Tea Museum is now translocations at the Hantana Tea museum