A Tea Mission in Jiuqutang (and a Surprise at Dusk)

I boarded a local train from Kaohsiung with Little Red — my 2002 Brompton — folded and resting beside me.

The destination: Jiuqutang. A quiet, often overlooked stop nestled between old hills and rail lines. My goal was simple: buy some good tea.

After arriving, I unfolded the bike and started riding — no rush, no real plan beyond a vague memory of where the shop might be. The streets were quiet. I stopped often to take photos with the Leica. A mother on a scooter. The shimmer of heat on old brick. A temple roofline framed against the afternoon sky.

The tea shop was just as I remembered — humble, no English signage, and the smell of roasted leaves escaping through a half-open door. I bought a couple of tins, chatted briefly, then continued wandering.

I thought that was the end of the day.

But around a corner, I found something else: a night market coming to life. Stalls unfolding like origami. Steam rising from woks. Fruit laid out in perfect symmetry. I wasn’t expecting it — and that made it better.

I stayed a while, capturing moments as the sky turned from gold to deep blue. Then I folded Little Red again, boarded the train, and headed home — with tea in my bag and a few unexpected frames in the camera.

Gear Used

– Leica (for stills)

– DJI Pocket 3 (video)

– Brompton folding bike (2002, nicknamed “Little Red”)

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