We visited Lushan and Qilai Mountain on April 28th and 29th. This year’s Qilai Mountain Spring Tea is growing exceptionally well. The tea leaves have a deep, dark luster, almost as if coated in a natural wax. As long as the weather holds up during the harvest, we can expect the spring tea quality to be phenomenal!
Harvesting has already begun on April 28th at some of the lower-elevation Qilai tea gardens, though quantities are still small. Peak harvest is expected to start in early May.
In our view, Qilai Mountain is one of the regions where tea garden management is consistently top-notch. The quality of the tea leaves has always been great in past years, but this year even surpasses previous ones. The deep, dark luster of the leaves is clear proof that they have fully absorbed the nutrients from the fertilizer. You can see it clearly in the photos below—the glossy, dark sheen is undeniable.
Shop High-Quality Tea: Qilai Mountain Tea
The only pity is that some tea gardens near the peak suffered minor frost damage, which has impacted yields to a certain extent. It’s tough for tea gardens sitting above 2,000 meters to completely avoid frost.
Peak harvest is expected in early May, and the higher-elevation gardens will be harvested through May 20th. We’ve already scouted a few exceptionally promising tea gardens and even checked their harvest schedules. Now we’re just waiting for good weather to lock in our purchases. I’ll be heading back up the mountain around May 10th, hoping to find some truly exceptional tea. Wish me luck!
Addendum 1
It rained across Taiwan from May 1st to 4th, turning overcast on the 5th. Clear, sunny skies hit Qilai Mountain starting on the 6th and continued through the 7th. Light rain fell late on the 7th into the morning of the 8th, followed by sunshine past noon on the 8th. The 11th went from clear to overcast. The 12th started sunny, turned overcast to rainy by evening, and heavy rain persisted from the 13th through the 17th.