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| Enjoy Light Travel and Delectable Food in Liouguei |
◎Written by Hou Ya-ting
◎English Translation by Lin Yu-ciao
◎Photo by Lai Jian-yu
◎Photos courtesy of Huaxing Taiwan Mountain Tea
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Unlike the tea trees we are familiar with, Taiwan’s mountain tea trees are relatively tall and grow naturally in the uplands. They can reach a height of eight meters, creating a unique sight in which tea farmers have to climb to pluck fresh buds of mountain tea. Kaohsiung’s Liouguei District（六龜）boasts the largest area of wild mountain tea in Taiwan. The yield is limited, and the majority of the collection sites are inside state-owned forests. The tea can only be harvested in April and May, making it rare and precious. Often, it is sold out even before it reaches the market.
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Using distinctive native wild mountain tea grown in state-owned forests, Liu Shih-fu（劉士輔）, a tea master from Huaxing Taiwan Mountain Tea（華興製茶所）in Liouguei, won an award at the 2019 Teas of the World International Contest AVPA-Paris. Wild mountain tea from Liouguei has earned global recognition thanks to this achievement.
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Liu Shih-fu says that Liouguei’s shale soil contributes to the uniquely sweet and mellow aroma of local mountain tea. He mentions that the area’s wild mountain tea has a deep and multi-layered fragrance, with a smooth and mellow tea nature. The flavor is sweet and the taste is delicate, leaving a lasting aftertaste. During the leaf-processing stage, he selects pesticide-free and fertilizer-free tea leaves. Depending on the production area and altitude, he employs different processing methods and techniques to convey the local culture and distinctive flavors of mountain tea.
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Drinking wild mountain tea has become a trend. Tea farmers have taken seedlings from deep in the mountains and planted them in other mountainous areas. Many tea trees are also dwarfed to facilitate harvesting. Tea gardens that practice artificial wild cultivation often adopt environmentally-friendly management practices. Moreover, the tea-making techniques of local tea factories in Liouguei have continuously improved. Mountain tea is processed into various types of teas with different fermentation levels, such as lightly fermented white tea, mildly fermented oolong tea, and fully fermented black tea. Tea aficionados are welcome to visit Liouguei’s Sinfa community, where there are several tea businesses, to savor a cup of refreshing mountain tea.
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Huaxing Taiwan Mountain Tea
華興山茶
No. 145-1, Heping Rd., Liouguei Dist., Kaohsiung City
Facebook: https://reurl.cc/Rzd7Gg
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Liouguei Mountain Tea Story Shop
六龜山茶故事館
No. 223, Heping Rd., Liouguei Dist., Kaohsiung City
Facebook: https://reurl.cc/p6dWDx
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Sinwei Forest Park
Sinwei Forest Park
新威森林公園
No. 171, Sinwei, Liouguei Dist., Kaohsiung City
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