"Kok Lin Yuen (Literally the 'All Knowing Lotus Villa')", was established in 1920 (or 1937 according to other sources) by three nuns. A famine during the Second World War reportedly took the lives of the three nuns, leaving the Villa to their servant.

After retiring from the British Royal Marine Commando, Bernacchi arrived in Hong Kong and frequently visited the Ngong Ping area.

In 1948, Bernacchi acquired Kok Lin Yuen and subsequently purchased multiple parcels of land in Ngong Ping, totalling approximately 6.5 acres. With these acquisitions, he embarked on planting tea bushes, laying the crucial groundwork for the establishment of the Tea Estate.

Bernacchi applied for licenses to grow pine trees on government land in Ngong Ping and, after his persistent efforts, his permission was expanded from "growing pine trees" to "growing trees", potentially including tea bushes.

The Tea Estate has already had a tea processing factory equipped with all necessary appliances and equipment. In the following year, Bernacchi introduced his Lotus brand and showcased the new blend, "Lotus Twig Tea", at the Agricultural Show.

Bernacchi employed a Taiwanese tea growing and processing expert to oversee the management of the Tea Estate. By 1962, the plantation had expanded to cover 50 acres dedicated to tea cultivation.

The Tea Estate's products were distributed to numerous stores on Lantau Island and other local tea merchants.

Bernacchi obtained a "Crown Land Permit" for tea plantation, which allowed him to utilise a government land area of 130.83 acres for this purpose.

The area for tea planting in the Tea Estate expanded to reach a size of 60 acres, enabling an annual production of as much as 36,000 pounds of various Chinese tea leaves.

A Japanese consortium showed interest in investing in and developing the Tea Estate into a tourist attraction. Although the plan encountered difficulties in 1976, it led to a transformation and downsizing of the tea planting activities thereafter.

Tea pavilions, horse riding areas, and roller-skating rinks were constructed on the Tea Estate for recreational purposes. No significant new facilities have been added since then.

Bernacchi officially registered the "Lantau Tea Gardens Limited" to manage the Tea Estate's business operations, with his wife as a partner.

The tea plantation area of the Tea Estate has been notably reduced to 16 acres.

Private land within the Tea Estate, excluding the area of Kok Lin Yuen, was sold to a private company. As a result, most of the tea fields became covered in dense vegetation and were suspected of being abandoned, rendering the Tea Estate nearly inactive.