You might not be familiar with Ruan’an, but you’ve likely heard of the Bagua Tea Plantation. This nationally renowned tea garden is located right in the Ruan’an Tea Area. The tea gardens sit at an elevation of 1,100 to 1,300 meters.
The scenic landscape of the Ruan'an Tea Area
Situated amidst Fanzitian, Sancengping, LongFengXia, and Dalun Mountain, the Ruan’an Tea Area serves as a central hub for the ShanLinXi tea family. Although its elevation doesn’t quite match that of LongFengXia or Fanzitian, its excellent growing environment and abundant sunshine make it a top pick for consistently high-quality teas in the manager’s book.
The manager believes a major advantage of the Ruan’an Tea Area is its ample sunlight. The local large-scale tea gardens are situated on mountain summits, offering breathtaking scenery while the abundant sunlight at the top greatly benefits tea quality.
▼ The local tea garden scenery is stunning, with the famous Bagua Tea Plantation serving as a popular backdrop for commercials and a favorite spot for social media photos.
Ruan’an Tea Area: Elevation 1,100–1,300 meters. Spring tea is harvested in late April, and winter tea in October to November, with additional harvests for Ershui tea and autumn tea. Alongside high mountain oolong, they also produce black tea.
Directions: Take the Tou-49 Highway to reach the Ruan’an Tea Area, then turn onto Tou-54 Danan Road to get to the Bagua Tea Plantation. It takes about 40 minutes to drive from Zhushan Township to the Ruan’an Tea Area, featuring some of the best road conditions you’ll find in the ShanLinXi tea region. Google Maps directions to Bagua Tea Plantation
Manager’s Review: High production volume with a strong chance of finding great tea. Highly commercialized and touristy, with average value for money.