Cover Tsai Chi-chien, chairman of POUYUENJI, runs the company with his son Tsai Ming-lun, bringing modernity to Taiwan’s tea culture (Photo: Paul Chen)
Tsai Chi-chien, chairman of POUYUENJI, runs the company with his son Tsai Ming-lun, bringing modernity to Taiwan’s tea culture (Photo: Paul Chen)
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On his retirement, Tsai Chi-chien, a co-founder of leading Taiwanese footwear manufacturer Pou Chen Group, established Pouyuenji with his son Tsai Ming-lun. This represented not just a substantial investment, but a grand vision rooted in a lifelong passion for tea
“I’ve never dared to accept the title of ‘Shoe King’, because Pou Chen is a business that my brothers and I built together, not just mine,” says the ever-humble Tsai Chi-chien, whose groundedness stems from a hard-working childhood. “When I was about 10 years old, I sold popsicles in Lukang. That was 71 years ago, and my family was really poor,” he says.
At the age of 15, to help support his family, Chi-chien dropped out of school to work in Taichung. At a time before lifts, he carried heavy boxes of goods up to the third-floor warehouse by hand. When his mother visited him in Taichung and saw what he was doing, she insisted that he return to school. And so, Chi-chien returned to Changhua and enrolled at a vocational school, working part-time while studying—an opportunity he cherishes.
These experiences shaped his indomitable character and honed what his brother described as a “sharp-eyed” ability to secure the best possible outcome, both of which would be foundational when Chi-chien and his brothers started their company, which would go on to become one of the largest manufacturers of branded athletic and casual footwear in the world.
See also: Pouyuenji Hills houses the world’s finest teas at its brew sanctuary in Sanyi, Taiwan
All the tea
Above Tsai Chi-chien and his son Tsai Ming-lun (Photo: Paul Chen)
Tsai Chi-chien and his son Tsai Ming-lun (Photo: Paul Chen)
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While growing the business Chi-chien developed a love for tea, something that he found was not merely a beverage, but a means for connecting people. “Because I love drinking tea, it has allowed me to make many good friends and help others. When you give, what you receive in return is always more,” he says. In Chi-chien’s world, every sip of warm tea embodies a bond of goodwill and human kindness. He began to collect tea, building a vast collection of aged and rare teas.
Meanwhile, Chi-chien’s son, Tsai Ming-lun, a Harvard graduate, had joined Pou Chen. He was stationed on the front lines overseas, from China and Vietnam to Indonesia and Mexico, constantly travelling between major cities to serve world-renowned brands such as Nike, Adidas, New Balance and Mizuno.
When the time came for his father to retire, part of the legacy Ming-lun inherited was a treasured collection of over 100,000 cakes of pu’er tea, as well as 11 hectares of land in Sanyi, Miaoli, an area known for tea production, particularly oolong tea, and property in Taichung and Xitou, all of which would go on to become part of POUYUENJI—though neither party knew it then.
For Ming-lun, at that juncture, tea was unfamiliar. Yet, it represented his father’s lifelong passion. After careful consideration, he resolutely took on the responsibility, becoming a driving force to build something sustainable out of his father’s collection. "There were thousands of tea cakes; if I didn’t do it today, I would still have to face it in the future," says Ming-lun, who, in 2020, left the familiarity of the manufacturing industry and plunged into a new field full of uncertainty.
Read more: 79 and thriving: tycoon Peter Woo on resilience and building Hong Kong for future generations
Pastures new
In recent years, many businesses in more traditional industries have been keen to create “experiences”, whether through opening upscale restaurants, building hotels or creating lifestyle brands. But often, they have found such pivots more challenging than anticipated.
Above Father and son Tsai Chi-chien and Tsai Ming-lun, who founded lifestyle brand POUYUENJI (Photo: Paul Chen)
Above POUYUENJI Hills, located in Sanyi in southern Miaoli County, Taiwan (Photo: Paul Chen)
Father and son Tsai Chi-chien and Tsai Ming-lun, who founded lifestyle brand POUYUENJI (Photo: Paul Chen)
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Ming-lun had varied experience to draw on, in particular using his past business travels as a blueprint for the experiences he wanted to create. From his time overseas, he had ample opportunities to stay in top hotels around the world. He recalls staying at the Park Hyatt hotels in Moscow, Kyoto and Shanghai, and the Andaz in Tokyo, where he was deeply impressed by their tranquil and elegant style. He later discovered that these were all the work of international interior designer Tony Chi. This discovery planted a seed in his mind, and an idea arose: “Shouldn’t world-class tea be presented in a world-class setting?” And who better to collaborate with than Tony Chi?
Collaborative power
Above POUYUENJI Hills (Photo: Paul Chen)
POUYUENJI Hills (Photo: Paul Chen)
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Ming-lun understood that creating memorable experiences and involving the best in the industry would require a large initial investment. Yet, he mentions that his father lived a simple life—he still wouldn’t even fly business class—so convincing him required extensive dialogue.
Ming-lun invited Tony Chi to work on design of POUYUENJI Hills, an 11-hectare tea-based playground featuring an extensive library of the world’s finest teas, including those pu’er tea cakes, interactive galleries and tea ceremonies led by experienced tea masters. For Yuenji restaurant, the brand’s one-Michelin-starred restaurant in Taichung, which offers a special tea bar for tasting and ceremonies, the interiors were handled by renowned designer Lillian Wu. POUYUENJI recruited leading female chef, Lanshu Chen, as a culinary consultant on Le Beaujour in Taipei, a private dining venue featuring French cuisine and an extensive tea programme. And for the brand’s first overseas location, the boutique teahouse POUYUENJI Kyoto, Tony Chi and his talents were again enlisted.
Above POUYUENJI Hills (Photo: Paul Chen)
POUYUENJI Hills (Photo: Paul Chen)
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Additionally, POUYUENJI runs Koya Xishan, a luxury six-room log cabin retreat in Xitou, where tea again has a prominent place in the offering, and a premium wedding banquet hall called Lancaster House in Taichung, presented in partnership with LDC Hotels’ Palais Collection. For Ming-lun, every cross-industry collaboration stems from a desire to ensure that every aspect of the brand reaches world-class standards.
A new legacy
Above Through POUYUENJI, Ming-lun has embraced his father Chi-chien’s passion for tea and built a new legacy
Through POUYUENJI, Ming-lun has embraced his father Chi-chien’s passion for tea and built a new legacy
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Ming-lun mentions that his father’s happiest moments now are spent at POUYUENJI Hills, where he is the warm and welcoming patriarch, greeting all visitors and often generously giving away rare, award-winning teas to share his passion with guests.
The rise of POUYUENJI is rare in Taiwan's traditional industry transformation, both in terms of scale and philosophy.
Ming-lun says that his goal is not to create an unattainable international luxury brand, but to “become a bridge that can engage in dialogue with life”. He hopes that through the diverse lifestyle experiences that the brand has created, people who do not understand tea can walk in, “because they like the space and every little detail here, and eventually they will be willing to sit down, have a cup of tea, and thus begin to know and like the brand.”
This story was originally written in Chinese by Alec Zhan and published on October 27, 2025.
Credits
Interview: Alec Zhan, Blues To
Photography: Paul Chen
About
Rachel Duffell is regional content director for Power & Purpose, including Front & Female, and former regional content director for Tatler Dining. She is a journalist and editor who has been covering people, gender, impact, leadership, culture and lifestyle for more than 15 years.
