Lishan tea plantations sit at elevations ranging from 1,450 to 2,520 meters. Due to the significant variation in altitude, harvesting seasons vary considerably. The lowest-altitude spring teas begin harvesting in mid-April, while the highest-altitude spring teas can be harvested through June. Winter teas start from the highest elevations, with the season running roughly from early September to mid-November. Consumers can determine the altitude and authenticity of Lishan tea by looking at its harvesting season.
Lishan tea harvesting season
Major production areas for Lishan tea include Huanshan, Songmao, Cueiluan, HuaGung, Fushoushan Farm, Diaoqiaotou, and Malieba. Spring tea harvesting begins at lower elevations in April, starting with lower areas like Huanshan, Cueiluan, and Xinjiayang, and gradually moves up to higher elevations. Harvesting at the highest-altitude Fushoushan Farm begins around late May, while the highest-altitude Tianchi tea is sometimes not harvested until mid-June.
Winter tea is the reverse of spring tea, starting from the highest elevations and working its way down. The Lishan winter tea season begins earliest at Fushoushan Farm around early September, then gradually moves down the mountain, wrapping up around mid-to-late October.
There is a lot of counterfeit Lishan tea on the market, with some sellers offering Lishan spring tea as early as March, or Fushoushan tea grown at 2,000 meters as early as late April. This is simply impossible, as the tea leaves haven’t even finished growing at that time. Consumers can refer to the Lishan tea harvesting seasons above to judge authenticity for themselves, or follow Liao Chang Xing’s tea release schedule.
Lishan seasonal tea harvesting schedule
| Elevation | Spring Tea | Summer Tea | Autumn Tea | Winter Tea | Winter Sprout Oolong |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,500 to 1,700 m | Mid-April | Rare | August | October | December |
| 1,701 to 2,100 m | April to Mid-May | Limited | August | October | Rare |
| 2,101 to 2,520 m | May to Mid-June | Rare | Rare | September | Rare |
▲Huanshan Tribe sits at an elevation of approximately 1,600 meters. Spring tea is harvested from late April to early May, and winter tea in mid-November.
▲Lishan Tianchi Tea: Spring tea (first harvest) is harvested in May and June, and winter tea (second harvest) in September.
