In the foothills of Alishan, a hidden village of just eight farming families offers a glimpse into Taiwan’s rich tea culture. Here, nestled in a lush, moss-covered forest, Andrew Ryan sits down with Chiayi County Chief Weng Chang-liang to experience one of the most unique tea ceremonies in the world.
In part one of our five-part series “Where’s the Chiayi County Chief Taking Us?” discover how this tranquil forest setting combines stunning vistas, locally grown high-mountain teas and confections infused with regional flavors.
In part one of our five-part series “Where’s the Chiayi County Chief Taking Us?” discover how this tranquil forest setting combines stunning vistas, locally grown high-mountain teas and confections infused with regional flavors.
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00:00A century-old railway winding through Taiwan's best-known forest, a community that makes
00:13violins from driftwood, and a high-heeled shoe with a Guinness World Record.
00:20These are just a few of the unique attractions you'll discover in Jiayi County, Taiwan.
00:35Jiayi County is best known for its breathtaking sunrises.
00:39Visitors flock to the peaks of Alishan to watch the new day break above a sea of clouds.
00:46And today, the county chief takes a detour off the beaten path to show us another side
00:51of this stunning region.
01:09Tucked away in the foothills of Alishan, this village is home to just eight farming families.
01:15There are tea farms dotted with ginkgo trees, hiking trails that offer panoramic vistas,
01:21and today, the county chief has brought me to a lush, moss-covered forest, one of the
01:26most unique settings for a tea ceremony in all of Taiwan.
01:55The world's most peaceful tea house is serving up Taiwan's finest high mountain teas, like
02:03locally grown oolong and black teas from Alishan, and the confections are infused with local
02:09flavors too.
02:29This may look like a simple cup of tea in a remote forest, but learning to savor the
02:50fragrance, the flavor, and the aftertaste of the tea opens up the senses, and gazing
02:56up at the cypress trees towering overhead, it's easy to see what brought the Japanese
03:01here more than a century ago, and what continues to bring tourists today.
03:07Devin Tsai, Joseph Wu, Peachy Drong, and Andrew Ryan for Taiwan Plus.
03:14Coming up in part two, we'll show you the newly designed trains that are bringing new
03:18life to a century-old railway, the highest of its kind in Asia.
03:23Plus, we encounter a unique passenger bringing blessings on our way up the mountain.