Phoenix oolong trees on top of Wu Dong Mountain, amidst the clouds and fog.
Stepped into a watery day at Phoenix Mountain, probably the…
Stepped into a watery day at Phoenix Mountain, probably the oldest oolong culture in the world. The trees are the oldest anyway. Incessant rains after the snow is delaying the harvesting. Blinding fog makes the 70 degree slopes, on moss filled rocky soil, impossibly dangerous. Slippery slope, indeed.
At Phoenix Mountain. An unprecedented snow killed most early…
At Phoenix Mountain. An unprecedented snow killed most early buds, and after 2 short harvest days, it is interrupted again by downpours.
There are three kinds of Yellow Gold: and the Black Yellow Gold…
There are three kinds of Yellow Gold: and the Black Yellow Gold will be our pick this year. At a remote little village at Lo Yan, the singular and little known varietal has been preserved since ancient times. Let’s see if we can finally get some this year.
Yellow Gold Oolong will be harvested starting on the 12th this…
Yellow Gold Oolong will be harvested starting on the 12th this month. Mr Yan surveys the damage from the sub zero frost. It will take some time to regrow.
At Xiping, home of Tieguanyin. The village was so much quieter,…
At Xiping, home of Tieguanyin. The village was so much quieter, and at peak harvest season, hardly anyone was around. The reason is that many tea bushes died from the recent subzero temperature, and recent decline in demand with over production caused prices to not rise. And since most teas have more than doubled in price in recent years, Tieguanyin and surrounding oolongs like Yellow Gold, Hairy Crab, and Benshan have all fallen out of favor with the producers.