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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Economy & Trade

Taiwan’s Top Oriental Beauty Tea Prize Goes to Miaoli Farmer Again After Three Years

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Han Shun-hsiung, a tea farmer from Tongluo Township in Miaoli County, won the top prize at Taiwan’s 2026 national Oriental Beauty tea competition.
  • The competition attracted 400 tea samples from growers in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, New Taipei, Taipei, Nantou and Taichung.
  • Taoyuan officials introduced a smaller 2-tael official package and said quality controls would include pesticide testing, traceability and anti-counterfeiting seals.

Han Shun-hsiung of Tongluo, Miaoli, has won Taiwan’s top Oriental Beauty tea prize again, three years after his last victory. He received the award at a ceremony attended by Taoyuan Deputy Mayor Wang Ming-chu.

The 2026 national competition took place at the Longtan District Farmers’ Association and drew 400 tea samples from growers in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taipei, New Taipei, Nantou and Taichung. Experts from Taiwan’s Tea and Beverage Research Station judged the entries on appearance, liquor color and aroma.

Oriental Beauty tea is a distinctive tea unique to Taiwan.

— Wang Ming-chuThe Taoyuan deputy mayor described the tea’s identity and production process at the awards ceremony.

The awards included one top prize, 10 first prizes, 15 second prizes and 23 third prizes, along with other grades. Organizers also carried out pesticide-residue testing before the competition and required traceability. Winning teas received anti-counterfeiting seals as part of measures intended to strengthen consumer confidence.

The two-tael small package better fits modern consumption habits and offers affordability, convenient storage, and suitability for gifts or personal use.

— Chuang Cheng-linThe national young farmer representative discussed the new smaller package.

Wang said Oriental Beauty is a tea unique to Taiwan. Its leaves are picked after being bitten by small green leafhoppers, then processed through a complex series of steps that creates distinctive honey and ripe-fruit aromas. To make premium tea more accessible, this year’s official competition container holds two taels instead of four.

Officials said the tea industry faces an aging workforce and seasonal labor shortages. They plan to work with farmers’ associations and other groups to encourage younger people to enter the sector and pass on tea-making skills. The new container design incorporates Taoyuan imagery, including Daxi orchids, the Taiwan blue magpie, peach blossoms, the Taoyuan plateau, sunrise and an airplane window.

The new official container reflects the trend toward smaller quantities and greater variety, making competition teas easier to bring into consumers’ daily lives.

— Chung Cheng-taiThe previous national Oriental Beauty top-prize winner commented on the packaging change.
About this summary

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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