**From Language Student to Tea Entrepreneur: How a Year in Beijing Brewed a Unique Career**
Dylan Rothenberg’s career path was steeped in opportunity when he chose to spend his junior year abroad in Beijing. A lifelong connection to China, fostered by his father’s business ties and an immersive high school exchange program, led him to major in Chinese and economics. His academic year at Peking University quickly turned professional when he began working as a translator, sitting in on high-stakes negotiations. One fateful assignment for a tea company founder—to source and ship tea to Geneva—ignited a passion. This experience prompted Rothenberg to take a temporary leave from university and move to Guangzhou, home to the world’s largest tea market, plunging himself into the dynamic, negotiable world of Chinese commerce to learn the trade firsthand.
**Building a Life and Business in the „Wild West” of Tea**
In China’s fast-paced markets, Rothenberg found a thrilling environment where ambition opened doors. He would trace product addresses from store-bought tea packets directly to factory owners. This hustle led to a pivotal mentorship offer from a professor of tea science, who promised to make him his first American graduate. Seizing this chance to become an expert, Rothenberg founded **Wu Mountain Tea in 2015** and later pursued master’s and Ph.D. degrees in tea science in China. Beyond business, he built a deeply integrated life, forming close bonds with Chinese friends, professors, and colleagues—relationships he describes as far closer and more informal than those typical in the U.S. He also came to cherish China’s infrastructure and cuisine, from the efficiency of its high-speed rail to the affordable, exceptional local food.
**The Complex Balance Between Opportunity and Home**
Despite his deep professional and personal roots in China, Rothenberg acknowledges significant cultural challenges. The constant attention and staring as a foreigner have been a persistent struggle, leading him to adopt habits like wearing a hat to mitigate the discomfort. While his unique tea business and popular YouTube channel could support a long-term future in China, the pull of home is strong. After a decade away, he plans to return to the United States to be closer to the mountains and his family, aiming to relocate to Salt Lake City to reconnect with his love for skiing and his roots. His journey illustrates a profound engagement with Chinese culture and business, balanced against the enduring call of personal heritage and passion.
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