Customer Inquiry: When shopping for tea at a local shop, I noticed that the prices for high mountain tea are all over the place. Lishan high mountain tea ranges anywhere from NT$500 to NT$8,000, and I even saw hand-picked Dayuling tea for NT$400. What is a reasonable price range for high mountain tea?
What is a reasonable price for Taiwanese high mountain tea?
Liao Chang Xing Reply: High mountain tea refers to oolong tea grown in tea gardens at elevations above 1,000 meters. Generally speaking, the price of high mountain tea is determined by its altitude—higher elevations mean higher production costs. In slightly lower high mountain regions, the spring and winter fresh tea leaves (cha-jing) cost about NT$150 per 600 g. Since it takes about 4.5 kg of fresh leaves to make 600 g of rough tea (mao-cha), factor in processing costs at the tea factory, and the baseline cost comes to around NT$800 per 600 g. Higher regions like Lishan have even higher costs, with production exceeding NT$1,000 per 600 g.
Beyond production costs, yield is another major factor in determining the price of high mountain tea. High mountain regions above 1,800 meters yield less tea, so prices are naturally higher. Since demand outpaces supply, tea farmers have no need to engage in price wars, which keeps prices elevated for these teas.
Looking at trends from 2022 onward, Alishan high mountain tea grown above 1,200 meters has a wholesale price of around NT$1,300 per 600 g. ShanLinXi high mountain tea sits around NT$1,400 per 600 g. Lishan high mountain tea commands the highest price because it has the lowest yield and is the most sought-after. Wholesale prices start at NT$1,700 per 600 g, with the finest selections reaching up to NT$5,000 per 600 g.
Liao Chang Xing Taiwanese High Mountain Tea Price Guide
Here is a look at our shop’s pricing over recent years. Please note that 100% of our tea is grown and produced in Taiwan.
| Item | Our Price |
| ShanLinXi Fanzitian Tea | NT$1,800 per 600 g |
| LongFengXia Tea | NT$2,800 per 600 g |
| Cuifeng Tea | NT$2,800-3,000 per 600 g |
| Qilai Mountain Tea | NT$3,000-3,400 per 600 g |
| Lishan Xinjiayang | NT$3,200 per 600 g |
| HuaGung Tea | NT$3,400 per 600 g |
| Biluxi Tea | NT$4,200 per 600 g |
| Fushou Lishan | NT$4,000-4,400 per 600 g |
| DongYanShan Tea | NT$2,000-2,400 per 600 g |
| Alishan Tea | NT$1,400-2,000 per 600 g |
| Cuifeng Autumn Tea | NT$1,500-1,600 per 600 g |
| Lishan Autumn Tea | NT$1,700-2,000 per 600 g |
| DongYanShan Autumn Tea | NT$1,200-1,400 per 600 g |
Conclusion
If you see high mountain tea selling for NT$500 per 600 g at a tea shop or online, it is hard to believe from a production cost perspective. After all, Taiwanese high mountain tea is immensely popular both domestically and abroad, making it a strong seller’s market. Tea farmers have no reason to slash their prices, and certainly won’t sell at a loss. Hand-picked high mountain tea priced at NT$400 or NT$500 is likely not grown in Taiwan, or it could be low-elevation machine-harvested tea. We advise tea lovers to ask a few extra questions before purchasing.