Alishan Oolong
Ali
Alishan Tea
ALISHAN
ALISHAN REGION Located in the northeast part of the Jiayi County in Taiwan Province, Ali Mountain is in fact the general name of the eighteen hills including Zhu Hill and Tower Hill. Its highest peak is Tower Hill with the height of 2,663 meters (about 8,736 feet). Ali Mountain is world famous for its ‘five rare sites’ including the Sunrise, the Ali Mountain Forest Railway, the famous Alishan Sacred Tree, the Grand Sea of Clouds, and the Flamboyant Cherry Blossom. It is said that one who has not been there will never know its wonderful beauty. The sunrise is a must for everyone who comes here.
Jiayi
Ali
HISTORY The Alishan area was originally settled by the Tsou tribe of the Taiwanese aborigines; the name derives from the aboriginal word Jarissang. Ethnic Han Chinese settlers first settled on the plains near modern day Chiayi as early as the late Ming Dynasty (around the mid-17th century), but did not move into the mountains until the late 18th century, establishing the towns of Ruili, Ruifeng, Xiding, and Fenqihu. The resulting armed clashes between the settlers and the aborigines pushed the aborigines even further into the mountains. Following the cession of Taiwan to Japan at the end of the First Sino-Japanese War, Japanese expeditions to the area found large quantities of cypress (ćŞœćœ¨, or hinoki in Japanese). This led to the development of the logging industry in the area and the export of local cypress and Taiwania wood. A series of narrow-gauge railways were built in the area during this time to facilitate the transportation of lumber from the mountains to the plains below, part of which continues to operate as the Alishan Forest Railway. Several new villages also began to sprout
up along the railway lines. It was also during this time that the first tourists began to visit the area. Plans were even drawn up to incorporate the area into the new Shintaka (New Highest) Arisan National Park. With the exhaustion of forest resources by the 1970s, domestic and international tourism overtook logging to become the primary economic activity in the area. The tourism industry continued to expand with the completion of the Alisan highway in the 1980s, displacing the railroad as the primary mode of transportation up the mountain. To combat the problems associated with the growing crowds of tourists and the expanding tea and wasabi plantations, the area was declared a national scenic area in 2001.
CHARACTERISTICS Ali-Mountain Oolong Shape tightly, hemispherical Color green sand Aroma floral Taste rmellow and brisk
ABOUT Alishan oolong tea is one of the best Taiwan oolongs. As its name suggests, it is grown on Ali Mountain of Jianyi County, Taiwan. The tea is grown at 1100m to 2300m above sea level. High mountain conditions with low temperatures, constantly clouds and plenty of fog make it perfect for planting high quality oolong tea.The primary processing of Alishan oolong tea includes 7 steps. The leaves are pan fried, rolled, dried and then finally baked. The brewed Alishan oolong has a pale yellow color and rich floral taste with a delicate sweetness. Like other oolongs, it can be brewed multiple times. Alishan is famous for its high-mountain oolong tea. It is a broad area with many distinct oolong tea producing areas. Two of the most famous of the Alishan tea areas are Zhong Shu Hu and Shi Zuo.Mount Ali is one of the most popular tourist areas in Taiwan. It is rich in scenic beauty and features fresh air and clear mountain passes. The narrow gauge railway built by the Japanese is famous throughout the world.Mount Ali tea is characterized by its sweet fragrance with overtones of flowers and fruit.
HEALTH BENEFIT Dongding tea boosts metabolism, helping you burn fat faster. Its antioxidant and caffeine combination ignites your body’s fatburning furnace and raises your metabolism for up to 2 hours after drinking it. Oolong tea also contains polyphenols that help block fat-building enzymes. Studies have shown that drinking oolong tea has led to sustained weight loss and a smaller waist size. The substance in the tea helps to prevent the decaying of teeth and halting the plaque build-up and also reduce the growth of glucosyltransferase. Polyphenolic compounds in Dong Ding Oolong can prevent overall oxidise, and Purine alkaloids have the function of clear free radicals, so that it can have effect of preventing aging.
TEA BENEFIT
Polyphenolic Compounds OH
O
HO
OH
OH OH
Antioxidant & Caffeine Combination
Cut Fat Boost Metabolism
BREWING GUIDE We recommend using Chinese Yixing (purple clay) or porcelain tea ware. Rinse tea cup and teapot with hot water. Fill the teapot 1/4 to 1/3 full with tea leaves, or 2 grams of tea leaves for every 150ml of water if you are not using Yixing teapot. Steep tea leaves in hot water at 100째c (212째F) for 1 minute for the first and second brewing. Gradually increase steeping time for subsequent brewing. Temperature 100째C 212째F Gaiwan 3oz Tea: 7g 7steeps: rinse, 25s, 35s, 45s, 55s, 65s, 75s, 85s Teapot 8oz 3-4tsp(10g) 3steeps: 1m, 2m, 3m
FUN PLACE TO GO Alishan National Forest Recreation Area No.17, shunling village Chiayi County Alishan Township. Taiwan (R.O.C.) +886 (05) 267-9917 http://forestrailway.forest.gov.tw