Taiwan’s Most Scenic Tea Ceremony: Chiayi County, Part 1

TaiwanPlus News

In the foothills of Alishan, a hidden village of just eight farming families offers a glimpse into Taiwan’s rich tea culture. Here, nestled in a lush, moss-covered forest, Andrew Ryan sits down with Chiayi County Chief Weng Chang-liang to experience one of the most unique tea ceremonies in the world.   In part one of our five-part series “Where’s the Chiayi County Chief Taking Us?” discover how this tranquil forest setting combines stunning vistas, locally grown high-mountain teas and confections infused with regional flavors.

Transcript

00:00A century-old railway winding through Taiwan's best-known forest, a community that makes

00:13violins from driftwood, and a high-heeled shoe with a Guinness World Record.

00:20These are just a few of the unique attractions you'll discover in Jiayi County, Taiwan.

00:35Jiayi County is best known for its breathtaking sunrises.

00:39Visitors flock to the peaks of Alishan to watch the new day break above a sea of clouds.

00:46And today, the county chief takes a detour off the beaten path to show us another side

00:51of this stunning region.

01:09Tucked away in the foothills of Alishan, this village is home to just eight farming families.

01:15There are tea farms dotted with ginkgo trees, hiking trails that offer panoramic vistas,

01:21and today, the county chief has brought me to a lush, moss-covered forest, one of the

01:26most unique settings for a tea ceremony in all of Taiwan.

01:55The world's most peaceful tea house is serving up Taiwan's finest high mountain teas, like

02:03locally grown oolong and black teas from Alishan, and the confections are infused with local

02:09flavors too.

02:29This may look like a simple cup of tea in a remote forest, but learning to savor the

02:50fragrance, the flavor, and the aftertaste of the tea opens up the senses, and gazing

02:56up at the cypress trees towering overhead, it's easy to see what brought the Japanese

03:01here more than a century ago, and what continues to bring tourists today.

03:07Devin Tsai, Joseph Wu, Peachy Drong, and Andrew Ryan for Taiwan Plus.

03:14Coming up in part two, we'll show you the newly designed trains that are bringing new

03:18life to a century-old railway, the highest of its kind in Asia.

03:23Plus, we encounter a unique passenger bringing blessings on our way up the mountain.

Category

Transcript

Recommended