Around six or seven years ago, our founder, Han, joined a Zen meditation retreat.
The retreat took place inside a peaceful and quiet temple surrounded by nature. Her roommate during the retreat was a Taoist nun.
Yes, you heard that right — a Taoist nun in a Buddhist temple.
In Chinese culture, this is not a contradiction. Although Buddhism and Taoism have different philosophies and traditions, practitioners from both paths have long respected and learned from each other.
The Taoist nun had a beautiful head of long, deep black hair, carefully tied up into a traditional bun.
During the retreat, Han realized that she had forgotten to bring her shampoo. There was no shampoo available at the temple, so the Taoist nun kindly offered her own.
But this shampoo was unlike anything Han had ever used before.
The bottle had no label, no brand name, and no fancy packaging. Inside was a thick, dark herbal liquid that looked almost like a traditional Chinese herbal decoction.
It carried a natural, earthy herbal aroma — a scent that was difficult to describe, yet incredibly comforting and calming. It felt pure, warm, and connected to nature.
After washing her hair, Han noticed something different.
Her scalp felt incredibly fresh and light, almost as if it could breathe. Her hair felt clean, soft, and naturally full of volume.
Curious, Han asked the Taoist nun about this special shampoo.
The answer surprised her:
“This is made in our Taoist temple. We prepare it ourselves using traditional herbal ingredients.”
Yes — you read that correctly.
It was not made with artificial fragrance or complicated industrial processes.
It was handcrafted by slowly simmering real herbs, following a traditional herbal preparation method passed down through generations.
And that was the moment when a simple bottle of herbal shampoo planted the first seed of Joy Garden.
