A Lohas Journey Through Pinglin’s Tea Plantations – Pick Tea Leaves & Cook Your Own Dishes

▲ New Taipei City launches the Pinglin Trail tour, letting participants pick tea leaves directly from the plantation. (Photo / Provided by New Taipei City Government Tourism and Travel Bureau, the same below)

By Chen Rui-zhong / Comprehensive Report

To help the public connect with Taiwan’s tea culture, the New Taipei City Government’s Tourism and Travel Bureau today (September 23) organized an exclusive small-group experience tour titled “In-Depth Pinglin Trail Experience.” Starting with hiking trails, participants immersed themselves in the daily life of Pinglin’s tea farmers through hands-on experiences, and gained insight into the region’s ecological environment and tea culture through tea picking and processing.

The New Taipei City Government Tourism and Travel Bureau stated that most of the mountain trails in Pinglin are located around tea plantations or pass right through them. The route arranged for this event took participants through the Dashihu Trail in Yuguang Village, where they could admire stone-paved slope art amid the tea fields, enjoy the emerald-green lake views, and overlook the meandering scenery of Beishi Stream near Dashihu.

▲ Through expert-guided explanations, participants gained a deeper understanding of the tea-making process.

Beyond appreciating the tea plantation’s ecological scenery, visitors could also engage in the hands-on joy of tea picking. Under the guidance of experts, everyone got to pluck “one heart and two leaves” tea buds, learn about pan-firing, rolling, and drying – all essential steps of tea production – while listening to tea farmers share the stories behind their tea. Guests could also sample tea-infused dishes and various meals featuring tea as an ingredient, as well as make their own tea cuisine under the guidance of local tea farming mothers using Wenshan Pouchong tea.

▲ Tea cuisine made with Wenshan Pouchong tea