ShanCha Inc. was born from a unique concept. Invested in by Lingrui Group, China, and registered in New York City, it was initially started as a philanthropic project whose mission eventually grew to helping farmers in the deep mountains where camellia trees grow, thus improving the area’s economic condition and lifting its residents out of poverty.

At the junction of three provinces and the convergence of two rivers in central China, and the hinterland of Dabie Mountain lies the beautiful Xin County of Henan province.

Green mountains and clear waters, old trees and a meandering stream, elegant houses with eaves made with black tiles, what a Shangri-La remaining in the world! 

All over the hillsides stand the legendary camellia trees, straight and unyielding.

Facing the wind, camellia flowers blossom, as white as the snow, unpolished but still enchanting.

It is the ancient birthplace of camellia oil. 

It is also listed as one of the most impoverished counties in China. Dabie mountain area as a region has become the most impoverished in China, only second to Qinling-Daba mountain area.

Zhouhe Township of Xin County is the main camellia oil production base of ShanCha Inc. The local people have made a living out of the wild camellia trees for generations. Today it has been passed down for over 20 generations.

Xin County is a poor place. Zhouhe Township, that’s a part of Xin County, lies deep in the mountain and is even more impoverished. Of the 14,300 residents, there are more than 3,700 farmer households living in poverty. The poverty rate reaches 17.6% of the entire population. (**Statistics derived from Xin County’s public records)

There are high mountains, steep slopes, cliffs and crags everywhere. The narrow winding paths, remote from the main road, are difficult to pass. Yet this is also the natural distribution zone of wild camellia trees. On almost every hillside grows the wild camellia trees. Every year after frost descends along the sides of mountain roads, amid the overgrown brambles, camellia flowers are in full bloom. During the season when the leaves of most trees wither and fall, the blossoming camellia flowers reveal an indomitable tenacity that would impress the world!

The farmers live scattered among the mountains. In addition, traveling remains difficult. Therefore, they rely on the low-yield camellia trees for a living.

For hundreds of years, after fulfilling their needs, the villagers sell the extra hand-pressed camellia oil on the open market. But the exhausting process produces little in return. Many families are still in utter destitution, enduring the simplest and crudest lifestyles, with four bare walls and very few possessions to speak of.

People of the region know that camellia oil provides many advantages and benefits. It’s non-greasy, easy to digest and free of cooking fumes.

They generally enjoy longer life spans. Although many do not have a specific notion of modern health care, most local people keep the habit of drinking small amount of camellia oil early in the morning. If a family member becomes ill, the family will let them consume food cooked with camellia oil more often, because they know from experience that camellia oil aids a speedy recovery from illness. Pregnant women or those in post-natal care thrive with it too. There is also the custom of using camellia oil for bathing newborns, because it can protect the delicate skin of babies. Women often use camellia oil for skin and hair care. Camellia oil is sometimes more effective in treating scalds or rashes than medication.

Many local farmers believe that these stretches of camellia trees in their village are treasures bestowed upon them from heavens and could potentially lead them to economically sufficient lives. But with the primitive underdeveloped methods of production they are helpless in shaking off poverty.

Before the powerful trend of industrialization and urbanization, many families had for generations never left this land.

Nowadays, the young generation have boldly left their hometowns and ventured to the big cities searching for a better future . They are strangers to the urban lifestyle, living difficult and unstable lives in the cities, striving for a better tomorrow for themselves and their families. 

As of March 2017, 5,272 over one third of the prime age inhabitants in Zhouhe Township have left their hometown to be migrant workers leaving behind 1,473 heart-broken elderly parents and nearly 1,000 young children whom with hope and expectations, face even greater hardship and difficulties. (** Statistics derived from Xin County’s public records)

Now only about 6,000 able-bodied laborers stay in the township all year round to care for their camellia trees. Such limited manpower is far from enough. There are a total of 33,000 acres of wild camellia trees, a huge area, the high mountains and the closely-grown forests make it difficult to harvest camellia fruit. Moreover, camellia trees and other tree species are interlaced. The top of the mountain woods is made up of large shrubs such as pine trees and Formosan gums, while the camellia trees and other trees are in the middle and at the bottom. Sunshine and moisture are largely taken over by other tree species, causing the yield of camellia fruits to decline and remain low. To mend the situation, other tree species, especially those large trees capturing the sunshine, need to be removed. This maintenance is called “mountain chopping” among local farmers, but now the strong able-bodied laborers have mostly gone to cities, leaving camellia trees unattended. These old camellia trees that families had lived on for generations, are now facing the danger of becoming barren and desolate.

Weizheng Xiong, the president of Lingrui Group is from a small mountain village of Xin County. Many years ago, he took his first step out of the village, with hardly any money, and founded a pharmaceutical company manufacturing traditional Chinese herbal medicine, ultimately developing it into an incorporated enterprise.

Never did Xiong forget his fellow countrymen. He realized that generous donations once and again could improve the poor conditions in his hometown in the short term, but how could he sustainably change the situation? 

He thought about the saying: “give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Thus, Xiong turned his sights to the camellia trees spread over the hillside facing the sun.

The latitude of Xin County is north 31.3 degrees. Located here is the watershed of two major rivers in China—Yangtze River and Huai River. it’s the northernmost place in China where wild camellia trees grow. Low temperature, favorable altitude, perfect frost-free seasons, fresh air, sufficient sunshine and adequate precipitation form the ideal natural environment that breeds 33,000 acres of ancient wild organic camellia forest. It takes 13 months for camellia seeds to fully mature. The matured camellia seeds appear hard and black, and have absorbed abundant nutrients in their long growth cycle. That’s why cold-pressed camellia oil has optimum nutrition and pure quality.

As a business with a conscience, we initiated the idea of utilizing the camellia resource, the natural treasure of Xin County, to lift local people out of poverty. 

With such a commitment, Lingrui Group has started a new journey--a poverty reduction program through camellia oil. 

Invest in the construction of an oil-press factory

Deep in the mountains, the first production line for cold-pressed camellia oil was built. It was named Lvda Camellia Oil Co., Ltd.

Lingrui Group created Farmers’ Lvda® Camellia Specialized Cooperatives that incorporated all 748 poor households in Zhouhe Township and the camellia forests. The cooperatives redistributed the camellia forests back to individual households for practical management. The tripartite collaboration of ‘company+farmer households+ rural specialized cooperatives’ changed the form of business management from the originally decentralized approach to small-scale mechanization. Moreover, the camellia woods have been transformed to improve their yield. Even today camellia fruit are still picked by hand only now physical extraction is aided by machine in a fully sealed, anticeptic press in Xin County. This sustainable and environmentally friendly form of production creates employment opportunities for local farmers at their doorsteps.

Protect the mountain forest

Lingrui Group endeavors to capitalize on camellia resources, while stressing the importance of protecting mountain ecosystems at the same time. The first step to protect the wild camellia woods and improve the yield is to remove invasive species around the camellia trees by hand, so that camellias have adequate growing space, sunshine and moisture. Changing slopes into terraces, grafting and trimming and land rehabilitation are technical measures that have completely reformed and protected the mountain forests. Using their own resources, Lingrui Group invested considerable manpower, material and financial resources to remove weeds and shrubs, prune the trees and adjust their planting density, one stretch of forest at a time.

Expand the market of camellia oil overseas

With lofty aspirations, Lingrui Group launched a strategy to expand the international market. The first overseas company, ShanCha Inc. was founded in 2015 in the United States of America. We aim to introduce this unknown treasure hidden in the deep mountains to the outside world. Camellia oil will serve as a bridge between the local farmers of Xin County and the metropolitans who yearn for natural solutions to a healthy lifestyle. The bond will be a harmonious and mutually beneficial relationship.

Our Company: ShanCha® 

The CEO of ShanCha Inc. in the U.S. under Lingrui Group is a resourceful, business-savvy, Chinese woman Ms. Jin Wang, who lived overseas for many years. More than 20 years ago, she worked with Lingrui Group, learnt about its goal to help fellow countrymen since their inception, and always recognized and appreciated Lingrui Group’s social consciousness.

Jin Wang has organized and led visits to Xin County on many occasions, both to experience the farmers’ lifestyles and to assess the state of the camellia woods. She has tirelessly sought the most effective way to establish the bridge between camellia farmers in Xin County and people in U.S., and to a greater extent, people all over the world. She raised the question: How do we create a strong and long-lasting “hand-in-hand” relationship? How do we help farmers

obtain proper benefits and continuously improve their lives? She believes the solving of these problems will attract migrant workers to finally return home and contribute their effort for the prosperity of Xin County, reuniting families and providing proper care from their families. It will also help preserve the mountain ecosystem, thus safeguard the camellia trees.

“Our own effort is far from enough, thus we hope more people who are seeking healthy living and have a compassionate heart will join our enterprise,” says Jin Wang. 

Please join the ShanCha Club and become a member. You will not only receive natural healthy camellia oil and the unparalleled service of ShanCha Inc., but also add to our effort to help camellia farmers in Xin County increase their income, improve their living conditions and to provide more impetus to the protection of the camellia forest. All ShanCha Club members will become participants in our meaningful cause, making an investment in their own health as well as a life-changing investment in the hard-working farmers of Xin County.

Every year, ShanCha Inc. will organize a camellia wellness tour. Members will have the opportunity to explore the hometown of camellias --- to enjoy the beautiful scenery, to discover the secrets of camellia oil and to observe and to experience the farmers’ life. 

Here, members can identify a section of the camellia forest that will designated for special protection and care and ShanCha Inc will provide funding for “mountain chopping” and other technical measures. This will contribute to the sustainability of the local ecological system. Members will also have an opportunity to foster a direct bond with the farmers for a better understanding of their needs, to give them the aid they need most. The camellia oil produced from this land by these people will eventually be served on your and many others’ dinner table.

Our Expectations 

On February 14, 2017, Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates released their annual foundation letter addressed directly to Warren Buffet, mentioned the following points: 

• By lifting up the poorest, we express the highest values of our nations. 
• The best investment any of us can ever make is in the lives of others. The returns are tremendous. 

We want to say to our dear members, that by joining us, your investment can: 

• Give the camellia forests in Xin County unprecedented protection. 
• Yield rich camellia fruits and guarantee successful harvests.
• Allow farmers to escape the struggle of poverty, and see the hope which the camellia woods offer them.  
• Attract migrant rural workers to return to their hometowns and reunite with their families; so that the elderly will no longer feel lonely, the children will no longer spend their shattered childhood in desperate wait for their parents.

ShanCha®'s Unique Philosophy

        ShanCha Inc. believes in a natural way of life and is fully aware of our social responsibility. We are dedicated to giving back to the community and society by doing things the right way, and never taking shortcuts. Our aim is to promote a holistic way of life while providing peace of mind to our members that they are receiving the best camellia oil in the world.

Sharing the Good 

Camellia trees are almost exclusive found in China. Considering their rareness and healing properties, camellia can be seen as a hidden treasure and gift from nature. Unfortunately, there are many people that seek to live a healthy lifestyle that are unaware of camellia oil and even more that lack access to what camellia oil can bring. Despite having this treasure in their hands, the farmers still struggle with poverty. 

ShanCha Inc. intends to open a channel and build a bridge to connect the farmers to the consumers. It will be a mutually beneficial relationship, as the consumers will obtain access to naturally harvested camellia oil while also giving back to the farmers with their financial support.

Environmentally Conscious

Contrary to the modern invasive farming methods used by large corporations that destroy the environment, ShanCha® respects and seeks to preserve the environment that has provided us with the purest camellia oil nature has to offer. We work with the cycles of the eco-system rather than against them and strive to maintain a balance in nature. We treat our 33,000 acres of old growth forests with dignity and protect their integrity. By handpicking, we choose only ripe seeds so as to prevent disturbing the trees’ reproductive cycles. We take care of our trees and the environment and in return, our trees provide us with the finest camellia oil in the world.

Humane Concern 

The company's raw materials come from Xin County, located deep in the Dabie Mountains. Most local farmers rely on camellia farming for their livelihoods. They have deep emotional ties to the land and the trees, but traditional production methods weren't enough to escape poverty. They could lose the means to stay home in the mountains and be forced to venture out in order to seek employment. Not only will their lives become full of uncertainty, but the ancient camellia forest will become barren, and their natural cycles unsustainable...

To help local farmers benefit from this scarce resource, our parent company LingRui Group moved the whole production line, from fruit picking to pressing and bottling, into Xin County. This humane and environmentally friendly method of operation made it possible for farmers to experience considerable economic benefits, their lives having improved dramatically. Today, they love this forest and would like to recuperate here, writing ancient legend between camellia trees and humans...

Beginning - Our Founder

        The founder of ShanCha Inc., Jin Wang, grew up in southern China and moved overseas in the early 2000s. Away from home, she often finds herself missing the camellia oil used in her mother and grandmother’s kitchen. During Jin’s childhood, her grandmother would take a small sprig of bamboo and make it into a straw to sip sweet Camellia nectar directly from the blossoms of the Camellia tree. She would also tell Jin about the healthy and restorative properties of the camellia seed, oil, and nectar.

Jin later moved to New York City and has since been actively seeking out food products that promote a healthy lifestyle. She sees the aisles in grocery stores packed full of different types of olive oil and her mind wanders back to the refreshing smell of camellia oil that reminds her of home. She often wonders why camellia oil is not known here considering all of its health-benefiting properties. She has also taken note of how commonly American chefs cook with olive oil in the kitchen.

In China, especially in areas where camellia trees
grow naturally, camellia’s benefits are well known. In addition to cooking, it is also used as a skin and hair protectant that helps moisture retention in skin and hair cells. Many women use the oil directly on their faces as an alternative to face lotion. Compared to beauty products that are a mixture of chemicals produced in a lab, Mother Nature has provided us with a better product to preserve youth in camellia oil.

Jin decided to team up with an established Chinese herbal medicinal company, Henan LingRui Group, to form ShanCha Inc. and bring camellia oil to the western world. As a public company that gained its success by making herbal medicines, LingRui® wanted to give back to the land and the people that contributed to their success. With sustainable measures in mind, they established a cold press facility that meets the same standard of their herbal medicine processing standards. The line is solely dedicated to local camellia oil production to help the local economy and the people struggling with poverty.

Due to its remoteness and exclusivity, not many people outside of China know about camellia oil; however, increasing globalization has made it possible to bring this hidden treasure to the rest of the world. Jin teamed up with LingRui Group and founded ShanCha Inc. in 2012 to establish a production base in Xin County. ShanCha Inc. was also registered in the United States in 2015.  

When we discover, 
In our lives, 
That only our meaningful deeds can bring us happiness, 
What will we choose?

Aid the poor? 
Protect the environment? 
Help children realize their dreams? 
Doing all we can to make the world a little better?

In the east, 
In the secluded Dabie Mountains, 
Lies a pure expanse of unpolluted land, 
Where wild camellia trees relish in the passing of time. 

Traveling through life and beginning anew, 
Growing, hidden, unadorned… 
In symphony with the wooden presses,
Drops of camellia oil fall…

There is a certain business. 
There is a certain group of people: 
ShanCha, Lüda, Lingrui, 
Devoting their entire efforts to a certain vision…

To lift this town out of poverty and neglect. 
To uncover and explore hidden treasure. 
Protect, Sustain, Care, Share, 
We need great strength, 
We need great speed, 
We need your helping hands.

The mountains are high, the forests are deep, 
Various species grow, interlaced in the ecosystem. 
Day and night, the overgrown mountains need maintenance. 
Human and financial resources are always lacking and in great demand.

Contribute your aid. 
Bond your soul with the mountain forests. 
One tree, two trees… 
One year, two years… 
Let camellia be our guardians and live an eternity. 
Encourage the migrant workers to return to their hometowns, 
And endow their lives with an ideal, an expectation, 
Enrich life with a meaningful cause. 
Never let our resources become exhausted. 
Let this illuminate your life.

The hillsides face the sunshine, awaiting cultivation, 
The expanse of forest and field open before the eyes. 
Growing camellia here will benefit the world.

“Honesty and trust is our motto, benefitting the world is our goal.” 
Lingrui® is fulfilling its responsibilities, generously dedicating to the camellia enterprise. 
But the effort, after all, is a drop in a bucket. 
So we call all prominent members of society
To donate, to contribute. 
These nameless hillsides will be engraved with your name.

My name is Sky, and I’m ten years old this year. 
My home is in Xihe Village of Xin County. 
In my heart, this is the most beautiful place.
It is heaven for me.

Ever since I can remember, my only memories of Mom and Dad
Are our brief reunions every New Year. 
I still don’t know why
They left home to work in a faraway place. 
I live with Grandpa and Grandma