Tung Ting Oolong

In Pursuit of Tea

Tung Ting Oolong from In Pursuit of Tea

Few Taiwanese teas command the same degree of respect around the world as Tung Ting Oolong. Over its century-long history, Tung Ting has developed into one of Taiwan's two signature teas. These two teas are known locally as Jie Mei Cha (Sister Teas). The second sister is Wen Shan Bao Jong from northern Taiwan.

Tung Ting Mountain (hence the name of the tea) is located in the middle of the single largest tea-producing region in Taiwan, Nantou County. Responsible for over 40 percent of the island's tea production, Nantou's unique terrain and climate is perfectly suited for oolongs.

The origin of Tung Ting Oolong, according to local folklore, began in 1855. A villager named Ling Fong Tse went to the renowned Wu-yi Mountains in Fujian, China and came back with 36 tea trees of the ching-shing varietal. He gave 12 of these trees as a gift to a tea farmer friend, Ling San Yen, who had helped finance his trip. These 12 trees were subsequently planted along the mountain roads surrounding the beautiful Chi-Ling Lake near Luku and the rest, as they say, is history.