Ceylon Tea Museum
Situated around four kilometres to the south of Kandy, the Ceylon Tea Museum occupies a building that was once the Hatane Tea Factory, constructed in 1925. The tea factory had been abandoned for over a decade before the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tea Board, Clifford Ratwatte, incorporated the Ceylon Tea Museum into it in 1998. The Tea Board and the Planters’ Association of Sri Lanka ensured that the building was refurbished for its new designation as a museum, and it was formally opened to the public on the 1st of December in 2001.
Why You Should Visit
The Ceylon Tea Museum houses exhibits on pioneers of the Sri Lankan tea trade, including James Taylor, who was a Scottish tea planter that introduced tea to Ceylon; and Thomas Lipton, another Scotsman who produced Ceylon tea and distributed it to Western markets from 1890 onwards. There are four floors of the museum; on the ground and second floors, visitors can find antique tea-processing machines such as 19th-century generators, rollers, dryers, fermentation tables and sorting machines. The first floor is dedicated to a library and auditorium with audio and visual presentations, while the third floor features a tea store. The top floor is a tearoom with stunning views of the surrounding towns, hills and landscaped tea gardens, and guests can partake in a free cup of tea after going through the tour of the museum.
