Admire Taiwan’s Wild Mountain Tea Without Hiking – Exhibition Starts Now at National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung

Text by MOOK Travel Life Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported

 

In Taiwan, where tea culture is widespread, getting a cup of tea is easy. However, as the environment continues to suffer from human damage, it’s not so simple to admire Taiwan’s wild mountain tea and the tea plant varieties behind famous beverages. From now until February 17, 2013, the National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung, in collaboration with the Department of Forest and Nature Conservation at China University of Technology, is holding a special exhibition titled “Native – Taiwan Mountain Tea” at the Botanical Garden Special Exhibition Room of the museum. In addition to displaying over 10 rare live species of Taiwan’s wild mountain tea, the exhibition will also feature the “Taiwan Tea No. 18” tea plant variety. This allows the public to further understand Taiwan’s tea culture through the appreciation of mountain tea and tea plant varieties, while also encouraging society to care about local ecology and native species.

Su Menghuai, assistant professor in the Department of Forest and Nature Conservation at China University of Technology, pointed out that there are about 100 species of Camellia plants worldwide, and Taiwan has recorded 12 native species, most of which are endemic. Therefore, in terms of area, Taiwan has the richest Camellia species resources in the world, offering both edible and ornamental value. However, in recent years, these have become increasingly rare due to human destruction of mid-to-low altitude mountain forests. To preserve and restore Taiwan’s precious tea plant species and promote industrial economy, in recent years, the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station has hybridized Taiwan mountain tea with Burmese Assam tea to cultivate the “Taiwan Tea No. 18” variety. The premium black tea produced from it, “Ruby Black Tea,” is highly favored by consumers—not only is it widely renowned but it is also a valuable variety resource.

In this special exhibition, in addition to showcasing over 10 rarely seen live species of Taiwan’s wild mountain tea that have been propagated from wild branches, the exhibition also features “Taiwan Tea No. 18” and tea plant varieties related to famous Taiwanese beverages. Zhou Wenhao, deputy director of the museum, stated that Taiwan’s precious native tea plants are world-class resources. With the rapid changes in the natural environment, there is an even greater need to actively manage them from a conservation perspective, promoting species preservation and ecological balance. He hopes this exhibition will help the public learn about Taiwan’s valuable tea plant variety resources and extend their understanding of the importance of tea culture in everyday life.

 

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