"Not often is it that men have the heart, when their one great industry is withered, to rear up in a few years another as rich to take its place; and the tea fields of Ceylon are as true a monument to courage as is the lion of Waterloo." 

                                                        ---- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ----

The story of the Sri Lankan Tea industry begins in 1824 a tea plant was brought to Ceylon by the British from China and was planted in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya for non-commercial purposes.

However, commercial cultivation of tea commenced in Sri Lanka by the Scotsman, James Taylor who arrived in Sri Lanka in 1852 and settled down in Loolecondera (Lool Kandura ) estate in Kandy. He started a 19-acre tea plantation in Loolecondera estate in 1867. Soon after plantations surrounding Loolecondera such as Hope, Rookwood and Mool Oya began transforming into tea plantations and were amongst the first tea estates established in the country. Taylor started a fully equipped tea factory in Loolecondera estate in 1872. In 1875 Taylor managed to send the first shipment of Ceylon tea to the London tea auction.

Milestones of the Sri Lankan Tea story are as follows:

•     1867     James Taylor planted the first 19 acres of tea in Loolecondera Estate near Kandy, Ceylon and this marked the birth of the tea industry in Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
•     1872     First sale of Loolecondera tea in Kandy

•     1873     Export of Sri Lanka's first tea consignment of 23 lbs from Loolecondera Estate to London
  
•     1883     The first public Colombo Auction was held on 30th  July 1883
•     1892     James Taylor, aged 57 years, died in Ceylon on 2nd  May 1892
•     1925     Establishment of Tea Research Institute
•     1927     Sri Lanka's tea production exceeded 100,000 metric tons. 
•     1962     Sri Lanka's tea exports exceeded 200,000 metric tons
•     1965     Sri Lanka became the World's largest tea exporter for the first time

•     1972     State takeover of privately owned estates
  
•     1980     Sri Lanka's participation at the Moscow Olympics as the official supplier of tea
•     1982     Sri Lanka's participation at the 12th Commonwealth games at Brisbane as the official supplier of tea
•     1993     Privatization of the management of Government-owned tea estates
•     2000     Tea production exceeded 300,000 metric tons

Just imagine having a sip of tea while tasting the feeling of relaxing at lush green tea plantations, a tranquil ambience and loads of old-worldly charm in a verdant highland of Sri Lanka would be nothing short of a delight.

Itineraries for best tea tours in Sri Lanka:

https://www.fantasiatours.com/Itineraries/viewDetailedIternery/35

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