We love telling fellow tea lovers that the HuaGung Water Source tea garden is currently the “highest-altitude tea garden in Taiwan”! Ever since the Dayuling 105K and 104K tea gardens were cleared, the Water Source at 2,520 meters has taken the number one spot, making HuaGung Water Source high-mountain tea the highest-altitude high-mountain tea in Taiwan.
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HuaGung Water Source Tea Garden sits at an elevation of 2,450 to 2,520 meters
The Dayuling 105K tea garden (reaching up to 2,561 meters) has been reclaimed by the Forestry Bureau, and the 104K tea garden (reaching up to 2,650 meters) is also gone. Customers often ask us: since the Dayuling tea gardens were cleared, where is Taiwan’s highest tea garden now? The answer is today’s star attraction—the HuaGung Water Source tea garden, sitting between 2,450 and 2,520 meters above sea level.
It is called “Water Source” because the water for Lishan and HuaGung is diverted from Hehuan Creek. The tea gardens are located right next to the Hehuan Creek Trail, so the tea community refers to them as “HuaGung Water Source” or “Lishan Water Source”. Calling it a tea region might be a bit of a stretch, as there are only three tea gardens here. The tea gardens are very accessible: drive to the HuaGung roundabout, park your car, and it’s a 15-minute walk to the first tea garden, which sits at an altitude of around 2,500 meters. Another 15-minute walk brings you to the second and third tea gardens, reaching a maximum elevation of about 2,520 meters. The second and third gardens have a larger yield, with the store manager estimating the spring tea harvest at 600 kg. Below is the altitude measured by a mobile app (2,510 meters).
Characteristics and Flavor of Water Source High Mountain Tea
“Nestled in a primeval forest,” “shrouded in alpine clouds and mist,” “endowed with a unique natural environment”—all the classic adjectives used in tea marketing copy apply here. Grown under favorable climatic conditions, Water Source tea offers a smooth and sweet liquor, overflowing with fruity aromas and a distinctive mountain character.
Aside from the environmental advantages mentioned earlier, the store manager feels that the tea garden management is “quite impressive.” Fertilization, irrigation, and pruning are all done very well, especially with a generous application of soybean meal fertilizer. As for the drawbacks, both tea gardens have trees planted for soil and water conservation, which inevitably affects sunlight and growth for the tea bushes. Surrounded by the forest, sunlight is also somewhat limited. Additionally, the extremely high altitude impacts the yield. Finally, the price is very high—after all, it is Taiwan’s highest tea garden.
HuaGung Water Source Tea FAQ
Where is the HuaGung Water Source?
It is located next to the Hehuanshan Trail in HuaGung. Drive to the HuaGung roundabout, park your car, and it’s a 15-minute walk to the first tea garden, and another 15 minutes to the second tea garden.
How much does HuaGung Water Source High Alpine Tea cost per 600 g?
The retail price is over NT$10,000 per 600 g. You can buy a 75 g tin to try the flavor. The tea garden belongs to Eden Tea.
At over NT$10,000 per 600 g, is it worth it?
Whether the price is reasonable is a personal judgment. As the highest altitude tea garden, it naturally has its own market. The costs of clearing and maintaining the tea gardens are not low, and there is always the annual risk of frost damage and poor harvests, so a higher price is justified.