Hsin Zhu County

Hsin Zhu county is situated in northern Taiwan. One of its top agricultural products is Bai Hao oolong tea, also known as Oriental Beauty Tea and Pong Hong Tea.

Bai Hao oolong tea is steadily growing in popularity thanks to its unique aroma and flavor. This oolong tea is only harvested in the middle of the fifth lunar month, so the annual yield is low and the price is relatively high.

The name Pong Hong Tea comes from a story about a tea merchant during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945). His Bai Hao oolong tea had a unique taste and he was able to sell it at 20 times the price of other teas. When he told his friends and neighbors about this no one believed him, and they started calling his tea Pong Hong Cha, or "boastful tea."

Bai Hao oolong tea is famous for its subtle honey flavor and its long, lingering aftertaste as well as its bright amber color. It is grown at an elevation of about 600 meters in an area between the mountains and the plains of Hsin Zhu county. This massive area that runs from west to southeast covers Hsinpu, Kuansi, Chiunglin, Hengshan, Chutung, Peipu, Paoshan and Ermei.