An international tea enthusiast asks: Which tea region produces the most expensive high mountain tea in Taiwan? I’ve heard that for high mountain oolong tea, higher prices mean higher altitudes and better quality—so which one is actually the most expensive?
Taiwan's Most Expensive High Mountain Tea
Liao Chang Xing: Altitude is indeed one of the factors affecting the quality of high mountain tea, but it’s not absolute. Tea garden management and post-production craftsmanship are far more important.
To get back to the point, the most expensive high mountain teas in Taiwan are, of course, certified competition teas, such as those from the Taichung City Heping District Farmers’ Association and Nantou County Ren’ai Township Farmers’ Association, where champion teas can fetch over NT$50,000 per 600 g. However, competition tea prices are often skewed by bidding dynamics, so let’s set them aside for now.
Aside from competition teas, the most expensive high mountain teas on the Taiwan market indeed come from higher-altitude tea gardens. Fushou Mountain Tea reaches elevations of up to 2,490 meters, and backed by the prestigious official Taiwanese government-run Fushou Mountain Farm brand, it sells for NT$10,000 per 600 g while remaining in short supply, making it currently Taiwan’s priciest high mountain oolong tea. Additionally, the privately owned “HuaGung Water Source” (pictured above) sits at 2,520 meters, making it currently Taiwan’s highest tea garden, with prices also approaching NT$10,000 per 600 g. These two regions are currently the most expensive high mountain tea origins in Taiwan.
Although the Dayuling tea region (pictured below) is no longer the highest tea-producing area in Taiwan, it still reaches a peak elevation of 2,400 meters. Combined with its scarce yield, retail prices still run as high as NT$6,000 to NT$10,000 per 600 g.
Besides these three, other high-priced Taiwanese high mountain tea regions include Fushou Lishan “off-site” teas, Biluxi tea, and the peaks of HuaGung, with prices ranging from NT$4,000 to NT$8,000 per 600 g, also placing them among top-tier, high-priced tea regions.
Store Manager’s Review: The top three high mountain oolongs, in order, are Fushou Mountain Tea, HuaGung Water Source, and Dayuling tea. However, a quick reminder: high altitude only signifies “inherently superior growing conditions,” but the ultimate quality of the tea still depends on tea garden management, post-processing standards, and harvesting weather. A high altitude and hefty price tag do not necessarily guarantee exceptional tea.