Located in Ren’ai Township, Nantou County, Taiwan, the traditional Dayuling tea region refers to tea gardens distributed between the 100 km and 105.5 km markers of the Central Cross-Island Highway. Once reaching an altitude of 2,650 meters as Taiwan’s highest tea region, large-scale removal of tea gardens in 2015 lowered the maximum altitude to 2,400 meters.
Development History of the Dayuling Tea Region
In the 1970s, a veteran named Yeh Shih-te leased 5.3 hectares of forest land at Dayuling 105K from the Taiwan government, which was later subleased to Mr. Chen Chin-di due to advanced age. Initially used to grow apples and peaches, Mr. Chen began trial plantings of Qingxin Oolong tea trees in the 1980s. Surprisingly, they thrived at an altitude of 2,560 meters, and their exceptional quality won high praise in the tea market, sparking a wave of tea cultivation in both Lishan and the Dayuling tea region. During its peak, the region featured the 100K gardens of Chen Chun-chieh / Chen Lung-hui, 101K Yang Chao-chi, 102K Ning Li-qiang, 103K Mother Ying / Wu Kuo-pao, 104K Li A-chun, and pioneer Chen Chin-di’s Truffle Tea Garden at 105.5K.
However, all the land in the Dayuling tea region is state-owned. The original leases signed between farmers and the government were classified as ‘afforestation leases,’ making the cultivation of tea trees illegal. After the leases expired in 1992, the Taiwan government began reclaiming the land. By that time, Dayuling tea had already gained considerable fame, and tea farmers were reluctant to return the land, triggering more than a decade of land lawsuits.
In 2008, the Nantou District Court ruled in favor of the Taiwan government in the final third-instance verdict. Nevertheless, the tea farmers continued legal appeals until the Taiwan Forestry Bureau initiated large-scale removals of the tea gardens in 2014. By 2015, most tea gardens in the region had been cleared, including the earliest ones: the 105K Chen Chin-di, 104K Li A-chun, 103K Mother Ying, and 102K Ning Li-qiang tea gardens, all of which have vanished. The area of the remaining tea gardens was also drastically reduced. As of 2024, only three tea gardens remain in the Dayuling tea region: 100K, 101K, and 103K, with annual tea production plummeting to just one-tenth of its peak. The image below shows the removed 105K tea garden (photographed in 2023).
Altitude of the Dayuling Tea Region: Currently between 2,300 and 2,400 meters
In the past, the altitude of the tea region reached as high as 2,650 meters. The highest, Li A-chun’s tea garden at 104K, was Taiwan’s highest hand-managed tea garden, followed closely by Chen Chin-di’s Truffle Tea Garden at 105K, along with the 102K and 103K gardens—all of which have now been cleared. Currently, the highest remaining point in the tea region is 2,400 meters, losing its crown as Taiwan’s highest tea region. The photo below was taken in 2014. Be sure to click through to view them; the final image shows the highest row of tea trees. These few trees were not only once planted at Taiwan’s highest altitude, but they were also the world’s highest hand-managed tea trees. Sadly, they no longer exist.
Dayuling Tea Region FAQ
Is the 105K Dayuling tea on the market genuine?
Check out this article: Dayuling 104K and 105K Illicit Harvesting
What is the current altitude? I heard other tea merchants say it's 2,800 meters?
No way! The absolute highest nowadays is 2,400 meters.
Where is the Dayuling tea region? How do I get there?
Just set your GPS to Rongxing Police Station. The 100K tea garden is right behind the station.
I don't see any tea gardens or a police station at 100K on the Central Cross-Island Highway?
That’s because the mileage markers on the Central Cross-Island Highway were adjusted a few years ago, changing the Rongxing Police Station’s location from 100K to 98K.