About the Origin Area: San Xia (三峽)

San Xia District is an administrative division of New Taipei City (新北市), Taiwan. It is in the southwest of the Taipei Basin and is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces the Dahan River Valley Plain (大汉溪河谷) to the northwest. It is the second largest district in New Taipei City after Wu Lai District (乌来区). Formerly known as "Sanjiao Yong" (三角涌), the word "Yong" means “waves in the water.” Because San Xia is located at the mouth of the confluence of Dahan River (大汉溪), Sanxia River (三峡溪) and Hengxi River (横溪), it is a triangular plain. It gets its name from the fact that three rivers converge in that location. During the Japan occupation of Taiwan, it was renamed "San Xia Village" (三峡庄) after the place named “Three Gorges” (San Xia) on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River (长江) in the mainland. After World War II, it was changed to "San Xia Town" (三峡镇) and finally to "San Xia District" (三峡区).

History of San Xia 三峽茶史

San Xia is a vast mountainous area filled with clear streams and camphor trees. The San Xia Mountains are filled with the Dajing (大菁) plant which is a perennial herb that flowers and can be made into dyes. This natural environment not only contributed to the development of the cloth dyeing industry here, but also promoted the development of tea. Previously, dye cloth, tea, and camphor were the three largest industries in San Xia District.

The cultivation of tea in San Xia can be traced back to 1865 in the Qing Dynasty. At that time, an Englishman named John Duld came to Taiwan to investigate Taiwanese tea. He discovered that the area had great conditions to develop tea cultivation. As a result, many tea seedlings and seeds were brought in from Fujian (福建). Loans were provided to farmers to encourage the cultivation of tea. Duld established a tea factory in Mengjia (艋舺) (now Wanhua District 万华区). He later shipped the refined crude tea to Macau for sale. 

In 1868, Duld came to Haishan (海山) (what is now called New Taipei City) again to promote tea cultivation. The next year, he used two sail ships to transport oolong tea directly to New York for sale. This was the first direct import of Taiwanese tea to the United States. After the tea was harvested, it first went through initial processing locally by tea farmers. The tea was then distributed in street markets and transported down the Tamsui River to Dadaocheng in Taipei through middlemen. After further processing and packaging, the tea could be shipped to Western countries.

After Taiwan broke away from Japanese rule, it gradually began to introduce the production methods of Longjing tea and Biluochun green tea from the mainland, and improved it with Taiwan's unique Qing Xin (Green Heart) tea tree cultivar which was best adapted to the local climatic conditions. The San Xia Longjing (三峡龙井), San Xia Biluochun (三峽碧螺春) and San Xia Honey Black tea (三峡蜜香红茶) were released as local specialties and were well-loved by the public. Today, Longjing tea and Biluochun green tea have become the most representative agricultural products in San Xia. Taiwan's San Xia Tea Area has a planting area of ​​about 980 hectares, and the tea tree varieties are mainly produced from the Qing Xin cultivar, which is used to make Longjing tea. It accounts for about 70% of the total output of San Xia tea. There are also Qing Xin Oolong (青心乌龙) and Qingxin Damao (青心大冇) cultivars, which are used to make Biluochun green tea, Baozhong tea and Oriental Beauty tea.

Qingxin Ganzai 青心柑仔

This tea tree belongs to the "small-leaf early-growing species" (小叶早生种), originates from Taiwan, and is mainly distributed in Wenshan, Xindian and Sanxia. The leaves are narrow and elongated and grow upright and in a U-shape. The leaves are shaped like citrus leaves, but are more infolded. The tea buds are yellow-green in color, have many hairs, and have an early germination period. The production seasons are spring and autumn. This tea variety is usually used to make green tea, such as Biluochun and Longjing. In Sanxia, ​​a small number of tea varieties are made into white tea or black tea. The black tea made from Qingxin Ganzai tastes different from other varieties and has its own unique aroma. In addition to its honey aroma and lightness, the fragrance has a sweet aftertaste and is slightly citrusy and sour. It is very popular among the locals and does well in local tea competitions.

Common Types of Taiwanese Black Tea 常见台湾红茶种类

1. San Xia Mixiang Black Tea 三峽蜜香紅茶

Mixiang means black tea with a honey taste. The San Xia Mixiang tea is often made from the Qingxin Ganzai variety, which is different from the "Assam" (阿萨姆) and "Hongyu" (红玉) black teas found in other areas. The characteristic of this tea is that it is developed from the tea leaves bitten by the "little green leafhopper." It has the aroma of honey, fruit, osmanthus and other aromas. Mixiang black tea does not technically belong to a specific black tea variety, and can be made from many varieties, such as Daye Oolong (大叶乌龙), Qingxin Oolong (青心乌龙), Taiwan Tea No. 12 (台茶12号), Taiwan Tea No. 13 (台茶13号), and Qingxin Ganzai (青心柑仔).

Origin: San Xia, Taiwan (unique to Taiwan and no other production areas)

2. Tai Cha No.18 - Hong Yu 台茶18號/紅玉

Tai Cha No. 18 - Hong Yu is translated as "No. 18 Taiwan Tea (Ruby).” It is produced by the Taiwan Tea Improvement Station (台湾茶业改良场) using the most distinctive Burma large-leaf species "Burma (B-729)" black tea as the mother tree and Taiwan wild camellia as the father tree. It is therefore a special variety unique to Taiwan. It has been successfully bred by Hong Yu for more than 50 years. It is characterized by its natural cinnamon aroma with a hint of mint. The tea soup is bright red and has a golden ring on top. When Taiwan Tea No. 18 was developed, it shocked the world's black tea experts, who praised its fragrance as "Taiwanese fragrance."

Place of Origin: Yuchi Township (魚池鄉), Ri Yue Tan 日月潭 (Sun Moon Lake), Nantou County (南投縣)

3. Tai Cha No. 21 - Hong Yun 台茶21號/紅韻

Tai Cha No. 21 - Hong Yun. Translated as Taiwan Tea No. 21 “Red Rhyme.” Officially named by the Tea Improvement Center in 2008, it is a medium-leaf variety bred from India's Assam variety "Kyang" and Keemun black tea "Kimen". The tea soup is bright golden red, and the aroma is both delicate and full of grapefruit honey and ripe fruit aroma. The taste is mellow and lingering.

Origin: Yuchi Township, Nantou County (Sun Moon Lake)

4. Gao Shan Xiao Ye Hong (高山小葉紅)

"Gao Shan Xiao Ye Hong" (高山小葉紅) is translated as "High Mountain Small Red Leaf." Gao Shan Xiao Ye Hong is a black tea made from fully oxidized small leaf varieties. The original variety of this black tea is the high mountain tea variety Qingxin Oolong. Qingxin Oolong is a small-leaf variety, by contrast another common black tea variety on the market is Assam, which is a large-leaf variety. In terms of taste, the tea is rich in pectin and is not as bitter as ordinary black tea, making it very suitable for drinking alone. This tea will have a fruity aroma similar to citrus, creating a tea-drinking experience something akin to drinking black tea and oolong tea at the same time.

Origin: Southern Taiwan, Alishan (阿里山) high-altitude tea area.

5. Tai Cha No. 8 - Tai Wan Assam 台茶8號/台灣阿薩姆

Tai Cha No. 8 is a type of Assam black tea. It is the first black tea species introduced to Taiwan. In 1926, large-leaf Assam tea was introduced from India and planted in Yuchi, Nantou County. It was later improved by the tea factory and became the current Tai Cha No. 8. It is comparable to large-leaf black tea from India and Sri Lanka, where Assam originates. It is characterized by bright red color, rich tea aroma, and an elegant malt aroma in the mouth. This tea is very suitable as a base for milk tea.

Place of Origin: Yuchi Town (魚池鄉), Nantou County (南投縣)