A question we’ve recently been asked by tea enthusiasts is, “A lot of tea merchants are selling Northern Lishan tea. Where is Northern Lishan?” In fact, what people in the industry call Northern Lishan is actually Cuiluan North Line, and some also call it HuaGung North Line. They all refer to the exact same tea-growing region.
Where is Northern Lishan? And why is it called Northern Lishan?
The Cuiluan North Line tea region is located in Cuihua Village, Ren’ai Township, Nantou County. The tea plantations are mostly developed along the Cuiluan Industrial Road, spread across the sloping land below the roadside. As for why it’s called “Northern Lishan” or “HuaGung North Line”? It’s simple: Lishan and HuaGung have higher name recognition, making the tea easier to sell. However, calling it Northern Lishan is actually quite strange, since it is situated on the southwest side of Lishan. 😊
We still prefer to call it Cuiluan North Line, and local tea farmers and factories also refer to it as Cuiluan North Line.
Characteristics of Northern Lishan tea
The tea plantations sit at elevations between 1,500 and 2,050 meters, making it a typical high-altitude Lishan tea region. The tea here is characterized by low bitterness and astringency, high natural sweetness, and a rich, heavy body. Most of the tea gardens are cleared out from virgin forests, offering a pristine environment. Combined with the high level of management by local tea farmers, as long as weather conditions are favorable, the quality of tea here is on par with HuaGung and Fushou Lishan, positioning it as one of the higher-priced tea regions in the market.
Even though many people call it “Northern Lishan,” locals are still much more accustomed to calling it Cuiluan North Line. As a side note, this is also arguably the hardest-to-reach tea region in Taiwan. The Cuiluan Industrial Road is notoriously difficult to navigate, and since most tea gardens are located on the slopes below the road, we always have to arrange for local tea farmers to pick us up when visiting. If you plan on going, make sure to drive a four-wheel-drive vehicle with high ground clearance.