Although the Yilan tea region may not be widely famous, tea cultivation here started very early, and the quality is exceptional. Currently, Yilan’s tea-producing areas are distributed across Jiaoxi, Dongshan, Datong, and Sanxing Townships. The lowland tea regions mainly produce strip-style Pouchong tea, while Datong Township primarily produces semi-balled Oolong.
Distribution of the Yilan Tea Region
Even though Yilan produces fantastic tea, it lacked active promotion in the past, so much of it was sold through other tea regions. Much of the tea from Jiaoxi and Dongshan is sold to the Pinglin tea region, while the higher-elevation areas of Datong Township are associated with the Lishan tea region. In recent years, local governments and producers have actively marketed the region, raising the market visibility of Yilan tea. Well-known local teas currently include Sanxing’s Shangjiang Tea, Dongshan’s Suxin Tea, Jiaoxi’s Wufeng Tea, and Datong’s teas, with the primary tea varietals being Qingxin Oolong and JinXuan. (The images above and below show Nanshan Village in Yilan, at an elevation of 1,300 meters)
Reviews of Yilan Tea
Limited by its scale and name recognition, Yilan tea faces disadvantages in various aspects. Because of its lower profile, sales volumes and prices cannot be pushed higher, which in turn prevents tea plantation management costs from rising, hindering continuous improvement. In addition, the Yilan area experiences heavy rainfall, making tea-making quality somewhat less stable.
The Advantages of Yilan Tea: The biggest advantage is that it is significantly cheaper compared to places like Pinglin and Lishan. When weather conditions are favorable, it yields finished teas that rival Pinglin and Lishan in quality while being vastly more affordable. Our store manager once tasted an exceptional high-mountain oolong in Yilan’s Nanshan Village that was every bit as good as Lishan tea. It is said that a portion of the local tea is sold into the Lishan tea region.
Directions:
Take National Highway No. 5 and exit at either the Toucheng Interchange (for Jiaoxi) or Luodong Interchange (for Sanxing). The Datong Township tea region is further away; you can head from Yilan City into Yuanshan Township and take Provincial Highway 7A.