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Tea War: The Adventures of Robert Fortune

"How China's tea was stolen"

In the 19th century, China held the monopoly on tea, which was dear and fashionable in the West, and the British Empire exchanged poppies, produced in its Indian colonies and transformed into opium, for Chinese tea. Inundated by the drugs, China was forced to open up its market, and the British consolidated their commercial dominance. In 1839, the Middle Empire introduced prohibition. The Opium War was declared… Great Britain emerged as the winner, but the warning was heeded: it could no longer depend on Chinese tea. The only alternative possible was to produce its own tea. The East India Company therefore entrusted one man with finding the secrets of the precious beverage. His mission was to develop the first plantations in Britain’s Indian colonies. This latter-day James Bond was called Robert Fortune – a botanist. After overcoming innumerable ordeals in the heart of imperial China, he brought back the plants and techniques that gave rise to Darjeeling tea.

Top Cast

  • Willy Perelsztejn

    Willy Perelsztejn

    Robert Fortune (voice - english)

  • Charles-Antoine de Rouvre

    Charles-Antoine de Rouvre

    Robert Fortune

  • Xing Xing Chao

    Xing Xing Chao

    Wang

  • Han Cheng Zhang

    Han Cheng Zhang

    Coolie 1er voyage

  • Yuan Zhou Li

    Yuan Zhou Li

    Sing-Ho

  • Xueheng Liu

    Xueheng Liu

    Coolie de Fortune #1

  • Jianxiang Zhong

    Jianxiang Zhong

    Coolie de Fortune #2

  • Mathieu Buscatto

    Mathieu Buscatto

    Robert Fortune (voice - french)

Overview

In the 19th century, China held the monopoly on tea, which was dear and fashionable in the West, and the British Empire exchanged poppies, produced in its Indian colonies and transformed into opium, for Chinese tea. Inundated by the drugs, China was forced to open up its market, and the British consolidated their commercial dominance. In 1839, the Middle Empire introduced prohibition. The Opium War was declared… Great Britain emerged as the winner, but the warning was heeded: it could no longer depend on Chinese tea. The only alternative possible was to produce its own tea. The East India Company therefore entrusted one man with finding the secrets of the precious beverage. His mission was to develop the first plantations in Britain’s Indian colonies. This latter-day James Bond was called Robert Fortune – a botanist. After overcoming innumerable ordeals in the heart of imperial China, he brought back the plants and techniques that gave rise to Darjeeling tea.

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