Customer Inquiry: When is Lishan Winter Oolong harvested? I’ve already seen Lishan Winter Tea on the market in September—are these genuine winter teas? I also saw a tea shop selling Lishan Winter Tea for NT$1,500 per 600 g; is this price reasonable? Thank you!
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Lishan Winter Oolong Harvest Time: September to November
Liao Chang Xing: Lishan winter tea is typically harvested starting from the highest-altitude tea regions. Spring tea harvesting begins near the Huanshan settlement and finishes at Fushoushan Farm. The winter tea harvest follows the exact reverse order: it begins at the Tianchi tea gardens on Fushoushan Farm and moves down to the Huanshan settlement through October and November. As the bitter cold of winter sets in, the Lishan winter tea harvest comes to a close.
While it is technically possible for Lishan winter tea from Fushoushan Farm, HuaGung, Dayuling, or Biluxi to hit the market in September, finding it for NT$1,500 per 600 g is “completely impossible.” Fushoushan Farm tea sells for at least NT$7,000 per 600 g and is in such high demand that it never ends up in regular tea shops for NT$1,500 per 600 g. What you are seeing is likely autumn tea or tea from other regions passed off as Lishan. Otherwise, the wholesale price of Lishan winter tea starts above NT$2,100 per 600 g—how could it possibly sell for less than the cost of production?
▲ Most Lishan winter tea is harvested between October and November.
It’s also worth noting that September in the high mountains is completely different from September in the lowlands. With an elevation approaching 2,500 meters, nighttime temperatures at Fushoushan Farm frequently drop below 10°C, making it colder than a lowland winter, which is why the winter tea harvest starts as early as September. To avoid any confusion for flatland visitors, Fushoushan Farm refers to this harvest as “second-season tea” instead of winter tea.
Next time you visit a tea shop, you’ll know which Lishan winter teas are fakes. If you want to avoid fake Lishan winter tea, feel free to contact us. Liao Chang Xing guarantees that all our Lishan tea is 100% authentic.
Lishan Winter Tea FAQ
Which area is harvested the earliest?
We’ve seen Fushoushan “second-season tea” harvested as early as late August, as well as HuaGung tea harvested in mid-September. Both of these tea regions sit above 2,400 meters in elevation, requiring an earlier winter harvest before the tea plants enter dormancy.
Which area is harvested the latest?
Aside from Winter Sprout Oolong, standard light-aroma high mountain oolong winter teas from lower-elevation Lishan (around 1,500 meters) can still be harvested as late as early November.
For Lishan winter tea, is early or late harvest better in quality?
It depends. Harvesting too late means the weather turns cold and the tea leaves quickly become woody, causing quality to drop rapidly. Harvesting too early means the temperature is still too high, resulting in an autumn tea flavor. Generally, regions above 2,000 meters are harvested between September 25 and October 10.