[Netizen Question]: I bought Dayuling tea at a tea shop for NT$8,000 per 600 g, but home shopping channels are selling 3 Jin for under NT$4,000. Did I pay too much for Dayuling tea at NT$8,000 per 600 g?
Liao Chang Xing Response: Dayuling Tea Price
For Dayuling tea priced at NT$8,000, it depends on the grade of the Dayuling tea. Standard Dayuling tea has a wholesale price of NT$3,000–NT$4,000 per 600 g, which applies when buying 30 Jin at a time, and winter tea is typically slightly more expensive. After purchasing, tea merchants grade the tea; more meticulous ones will hand-pick the tea stems and remove tea dust and broken leaves. Once you factor in processing loss, the cost of Dayuling tea ranges from NT$3,500 to NT$5,000, making a reasonable retail price between NT$5,000 and NT$8,000. This refers to entry-level Dayuling tea, while higher-quality batches command an even steeper price.
Within the Dayuling tea region, the section from 103K to 105.5K features the highest altitude tea gardens and receives the highest praise. The tea garden at 105.5K has a registered brand, with a market price of NT$12,000 per 600 g. Tea merchants acquire high-altitude tea garden leaves at around NT$3,000 to NT$4,000 per 600 g; after accounting for costs, a reasonable retail price falls between NT$7,000 and NT$12,000.
If a consumer buys Dayuling tea at NT$8,000 per 600 g and the quality meets expectations, this is a normal retail price. Home shopping deals offering 3 Jin for NT$4,000 do not align with standard pricing and fall far below the wholesale costs paid by tea merchants; such products are likely not authentic Dayuling tea.
2023 Supplementary Note: Most Dayuling tea bushes have been cleared, leaving only three tea gardens today—specifically 100K, 101K, and 103K, with wholesale prices ranging from NT$5,000 to NT$7,000. A reasonable retail price on the market is upwards of NT$10,000.