Guniangzhai 42 is a boutique run from up on Nannuoshan. They produce their own tea from the family plot in Guniangzhai and source tea from friends (e.g. Laoman’e) and family (e.g. Bama) across Yunnan. They mainly do limited runs and the majority of their customers are collectors across China.
Guniangzhai 42 is a second-generation operation run by CJ and his wife Xiaotiantian. CJ was born and raised in Guniangzhai and is a member of the Hani people. Xiaotiantian, on the other hand, relocated from Chongqing. CJ once said of himself: “For recreation I drink puerh, smoke cigarettes, and play flight simulator”. Xiaotiantian, on the other hand, has a strong fashion sense and collects Manfu clothing.
Having taken over from CJ’s parents, the two are growning their business: they source from more and more areas and spend a lot of time thinking about craftsmanship. Even though CJ has been at it for decades already, he's always on to some new way to make better tea (new agroforestry insights from his cousin in the Tea Research Institute in Menghai, new processing techniques from his friend on the other side of Yunnan, or something else altogether).
How did they come to know Blue Hat? That’s a longer story involving a number of coincidences on mountain roads in Yunnan, but that’s for another time. What matters is they, like Yinji, emphasize the good stuff: CJ and Xiaotiantian have bet on quality and you can try the result for yourself.
