Alishan Spring Tea Competition Sees Record Price for Qingxin Oolong

The annual Alishan Spring High-Mountain Tea Competition has concluded, with the prestigious "Special Prize" in the Qingxin Oolong category fetching a record-breaking 80,000 New Taiwan dollars per jin (approximately 600 grams). The award ceremony, held by the Alishan Township Farmers' Association, celebrated the finest teas from the region.

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This year, due to drought, Jin Xuan was more affected than Oolong, with the harvest period delayed by about 7 to 10 days.

Qiu Shifu of High Di Yuan tea company claimed the top honor for Qingxin Oolong. In the Jin Xuan category, Wang Hongcheng from Wang Ding Tea Garden secured the "Champion Prize," with a guaranteed purchase price of 12,000 New Taiwan dollars per jin. Notably, the mother-son duo from High Di Yuan, Lin Shuyuan and Qiu Shifu, were major winners, taking home one Special Prize and two Champion Prizes.

This year's competition faced challenges due to drought, which impacted the Jin Xuan tea more significantly than Oolong, delaying the harvest by about 7 to 10 days. While overall yields decreased by an average of 30-40%, rainfall around "Grain Rain" helped tea production recover slightly. Despite the reduced quantity, the quality of the teas was maintained at a high standard through professional oversight, according to officials.

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In recent years, as Taiwan's international visibility has increased, more and more European consumers have begun to recognize and taste Alishan high-mountain tea.

Taiwanese legislator Chen Guan-ting highlighted the growing international recognition of Alishan high-mountain tea, noting its increasing popularity among European consumers. He also mentioned using Alishan tea and coffee as gifts during international visits to promote Taiwanese agricultural products. County Magistrate Weng Chang-liang encouraged the public to purchase Alishan teas as gifts for the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, suggesting they complement traditional foods like zongzi.

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Although the tea tree growth cycle was slightly delayed and production decreased this year due to the dry season, the tea quality remained at an excellent level under professional supervision.