Fushoushan Farm’s Tieguanyin has long been considered the “holy grail of teas” among tea enthusiasts. However, many don’t realize that the farm actually has very few true Tieguanyin variety tea bushes. Much of Fushoushan Farm’s Tieguanyin is actually roasted using the Tieguanyin method, made from Qingxin Oolong and Wuyi cultivars.
This practice has drawn criticism over the years, with many in the tea community believing that Tieguanyin should strictly refer to tea made from the Tieguanyin cultivar, making the use of other varieties somewhat misleading. Fushoushan Farm seems to have taken this critique to heart. In 2025, they cleared land for “Lixin Tea Garden,” planted exclusively with the Tieguanyin cultivar. Located above the processing factory at an elevation close to 2,400 meters across 2.7 hectares, mass production is expected to begin in 2030, yielding around 2,400 to 3,000 kg of authentic processed Tieguanyin tea per year.
Fushoushan Farm Lixin Tea Garden (Tieguanyin Cultivar)
This is fantastic news for Tieguanyin lovers. Authentic high-mountain Tieguanyin tea plants are already rare, let alone at a towering altitude of 2,400 meters. Combining intense high-mountain character with the rich, deep body of the Tieguanyin cultivar, you can expect this tea to sell out in seconds once released.
However, things might not go that smoothly. The first challenge is the survival rate of the tea saplings. Located at an altitude close to 2,400 meters, the area frequently experiences freezing temperatures during winter and spring. The former apple orchard suffered poor yields precisely due to these low temperatures, so the saplings’ survival rate during the first few years might not be great. In addition, Tieguanyin naturally yields less, and growing it at such high elevation could drop yields even lower—plus processing it is notoriously difficult. Considering that current Fushoushan tea [Qingxin Oolong] sells for NT$10,000 per 600 g, future Tieguanyin will certainly not be cheap (possibly reaching NT$20,000). Tea lovers who hope to buy some will definitely need to save up!
Is Tieguanyin Tea the Same as Hong Xin Wai Wei Tao?
As a side note, many people assume authentic Taiwanese Tieguanyin is always “Hong Xin Wai Wei Tao” (Red Heart Crooked Tail Peach). In reality, most Tieguanyin across Taiwan—from Muzha, ShanLinXi, Alishan, and Lishan to Ren’ai Township—is Qingxin Tieguanyin. It is said that Sanxia in New Taipei produces Red Heart Tieguanyin, but Red Heart Tieguanyin still isn’t the same as “Hong Xin Wai Wei Tao.”