DongYanShan tea is produced in Nanfeng Village and Datong Village, Ren’ai Township, Nantou County, at altitudes between 1,200 and 1,600 meters. Top-tier DongYanShan tea rivals Lishan or Cuifeng in quality, but at just two-thirds the price, it is regarded as a “high-CP-value origin” in the tea industry. The area primarily produces lightly fermented oolong, along with small amounts of black tea and heavily fermented oolong.
The Production Advantages of DongYanShan Tea
DongYanShan tea gardens are concentrated at altitudes of 1,500 to 1,600 meters. Although the altitude is not as high as Cuifeng, Qilai Mountain, or Lishan, thanks to superior environmental conditions and meticulous tea garden management, the quality of top-tier DongYanShan tea even surpasses Lishan tea. Furthermore, due to lower fertilizer transportation and land costs, DongYanShan tea is priced far below Lishan and Cuifeng teas, making it a “high-CP-value origin” in the eyes of tea merchants.
Read more: Introduction to the DongYanShan Tea Region
Market Prices for DongYanShan Tea
Spring and winter teas are priced between NT$1,000 and NT$2,400 per 600 g, while summer and autumn teas range from NT$800 to NT$1,500 per 600 g. Top-tier DongYanShan tea is on par with Lishan tea in quality and is frequently used as “tier-jumping tea,” with many merchants passing it off as Lishan or Dayuling tea.
Liao Chang Xing's Review of DongYanShan Tea
An overall score of 75, with a ceiling of 85, making it a premium tea-producing region. DongYanShan has 4 major tea factories and several small-scale tea factories/farmers. Among them, two “Grade A tea factories” manage their tea gardens rigorously, yielding a quality comparable to Lishan tea. Many are packaged by tea merchants as Dayuling or Lishan tea, a testament to their exceptional quality.
DongYanShan tea has a relatively wide gap in quality. Some tea gardens lack irrigation water and use subpar fertilizers, leading to poor sales and forcing them to cut costs, which ultimately causes a downward spiral in tea quality. We do not recommend purchasing from these particular tea gardens.