Introducing Da Hong Pao: the tea that costs 30x its weight in gold
#DaHongPao was the source of the British #tea obsession, but that is not what makes it the most expensive tea there is (in 2002, 20g of this tea was sold for $28,000!).
So why is it so expensive?
The hills in #WuYi Mountains are lined with tee trees, growing Da Hong Pao, with tea shop after tea shop in the area selling the tea from reasonable priced to need-a-mortgage prices. Despite the hundreds of tea trees in the area, genuine Da Hong Pao tea trees originate from cuttings of a single group of mother trees.
These mother trees, believed to be over 350 years old, were last harvested in 2005 and it is likely that they will never be harvested again. As the harvested tea continues to mature in flavor, and the tea gets ever rarer, who knows how valuable this tea will become to the dedicated tea collectors across China.
Walking along the ancient #teatrails of WuYiShan
I visited WuYi Mountain in 2015, at the start of my tea journey. I had only just discovered that I liked tea, and I was enjoying tasting the new flavors, exploring Chinese landscapes and #teashopping!
The mountain range is beautiful. Karst pinnacles stretch to the sky, waterfalls thunder through the valleys and the river bends and meanders through the landscape.
Part of the #UNESCO World Heritage List, you can buy up-to three day tickets to explore the scenic mountain area, wander along trails through the mountains and take a gentle bamboo raft ride along the Nine Bend River (Jiuqu Stream).
There are a number of scenic spots to visit, including caves, waterfalls, and a temple and the scenic spots (like everywhere in China) have some great names - like the Thread of Sky, Roaring Tiger Scenic Area, Water Curtain Cave, Heavenly Tour Peak, Jade Girl Peak and Great King Peak.
It's a lovely area to explore, and definitely worth spending the three days to explore the different trails and wander through the tea fields up the mountainside!
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