Taiwan

台 A History of 灣 Taiwanese Oolong

烏 茶人: Ruan Yi Ming (阮逸明) 龍 Donated by Wushing

茶 Such comprehensive exploration of the history of Taiwanese oolong has never before been translated into the English lan- 歷 guage. This issue once again demonstrates our commitment to traveling deeper into the world than any publication ever has, exploring tea in all its facets. We hope this article, 史 along with our Classics of Tea series, begins a new trend of making such works available to a Western audience.

he earliest techniques used to became some of ’s most famous The Origin and make Taiwanese oolong were specialty . Development of T adopted from oolong After the liberation of Taiwan production methods imported by from Japanese rule, Puzhong tea Taiwanese Oolong Chinese settlers. Consequently, early (埔中茶) from , Nantou Taiwanese oolong possessed charac- (名間鄉) and Dong Ding oolong Tangshan Tea Cultivated in Taiwan teristics of Fujian-style Wuyi Cliff Tea (凍頂烏龍茶) from Lugu, Nantou (武夷岩茶): a rich, savory aftertaste (鹿谷鄉) continued to be produced The first Chinese to cross the and reddish color. During the Japa- with a technique similar to south- in order to culti- nese occupation, Taiwanese oolong ern Fujian-style Iron Goddess oolong vate the island predominately came continued to be produced using Fuji- (, 鐵觀音烏龍茶). This from the Fujian and Guangdong an-style techniques and started com- method involves repeatedly kneading areas of . These first-comers peting with Fujian oolong (福州烏 the tea leaves inside a special cotton called mainland China “Tangshan 龍) in the international market. In the satchel and slowly roasting the tea, (唐山),” a phrase taken from a com- 1920s, the international oolong mar- traditionally over coals. The roasting bination of the Chinese words for ket experienced a downturn and the process is what creates the tea’s dis- “Tang Dynasty (大唐)” and “coun- Japanese governor-general of Taiwan tinctive aroma and aftertaste and the try (江山).” According to historical took steps to diversify Taiwan’s tea reddish color of the liquor. By the records, tea plants have been culti- trade by actively promoting Taiwanese end of the 1970s, tea lovers in Taiwan vated in Taiwan for over 200 years. red tea production. Under the guid- began referring to this type of tea as Most oolong tea produced in Taiwan ance of the government-supported “red water oolong (hong shui, 紅水烏 today is harvested from varietals that Pingzhen Tea Manufacture Experi- 龍茶)” in order to distinguish it from were originally brought to the island ment Station (平鎮茶業試驗支所), other products in the oolong market. by early settlers from Fujian. These the development of lightly withered, Using a combination of literature and settlers also imported their tea pro- lightly oxidized, fragrant personal experience, we can attempt duction techniques alongside the tea and heavily withered, heavily oxidized to explain how hong shui oolong plants. Thus, the methods used to cre- Eastern Beauty oolong (椪風茶) was gained significance in the develop- ate oolong and Baozhong teas in Tai- initiated. These products eventually ment of Taiwan’s tea industry. wan today really originated in Fujian.

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茶 史 Taiwan Oolong

In History of the Development of Emperor Jiaqing’s reign (1810 C.E.). Fujian’s Wuyi Cliff Tea. The use of a Taiwan, author Daxue Cheng states, Chinese settlers from Wuyi moun- special cloth sack roller (布球揉捻) “In the 23rd year of Emperor Kangxi’s tain in Fujian began to sow tea seeds (also called a wrapped cloth roller reign (1684 C.E.), settlers from in Jieyukeng (modern-day Ruifang (包布揉) by some tea makers), a Guangdong province began arriving District (台北縣瑞芳地區) in Tai- rolling cloth sack (揉布球), and a in Yingge Stone (modern day pei ); others interpret this area ball rolling machine (團揉) during Yingge (鶯歌鄉) in south- to have extended from the Shiding the manufacturing process is what ern County) to cultivate and (石碇) maple forest to the Tuku area creates Dong Ding oolong’s distinc- develop the land. After an armed con- of Shenkeng (深坑土庫地區) in New tive fragrance and partially balled flict between settlers from Fujian (the Taipei City. shape. The craftsmanship of neigh- Hoklo) and Guangdong (the Hakka), In northern Taiwan, tea planta- boring Zhushan township’s Shan Lin the Hakka were removed and the tions developed along the Danshui Xi high-mountain oolong (衫林溪 Hoklo were permitted to cultivate tea River basin and the tributaries of 高山烏龍茶) also originated from in Chashan.” If Cheng’s account is Xindian Creek, Keelung River, and this manufacturing process. Besides true, it can be inferred that Taiwanese Dakekan Creek (now called Dahan the aforementioned Danshui River tea cultivation began during the reign Creek (大漢溪) of Hsinchu and tributary system, Lugu’s Dong Ding of Emperor Qianlong (1711–1799 Taoyuan counties). The land devel- mountain also had an important and C.E.), which is when the armed con- oped for tea cultivation comprised far-reaching influence on the Taiwan- flict between the Fujian and Guang- modern-day (for- ese tea industry, yet its tea appears dong peoples is recorded to have merly Taipei County) and Taoyuan to have its origins in Tieguanyin occurred. City (formerly Taoyuan County) and oolong (鐵觀音烏龍茶) from Jhan- Su Wen Ta’s (蘇文達) A Brief expanded out to Yilan County, Hsin- ghu Mountain in Muzha, Taipei, and History of Dong Ding Oolong posits, chu County, and . Harbor tea (gan kou cha, 港口茶) in “Su Dong Ding’s family genealogy, Expanses of high elevation cannot be Manchou, Pingtung. recorded in their Su family ancestral found in the topography stretching Muzha’s Iron Goddess oolong records, began with two Su neph- from Yilan to Hualian, over to Miaoli (Muzha Tieguanyin, 木柵鐵觀音烏 ews who crossed the strait to Taiwan and down to Taichung in central Tai- 龍茶) originated from Iron Goddess during the Kangxi period. Su Tan wan. Consequently, during both the oolong in Anxi, Fujian. During the (蘇坦) guided the development of Qing Dynasty and subsequent Japa- final years of the Qing Dynasty (when Dong Ding Mountain until his son, nese occupation, the government cat- Japan occupied Taiwan), Iron God- Su Quan (蘇泉), began cultivating egorized the cities of Taipei, Taoyuan, dess tea was brought to Taipei by tea the tea plants growing on the moun- Hsinchu, Miaoli, and Yilan into the master Zhang Nai Miao. His hard tain. Their children and grandchildren same tea district. It was understood work, perseverance, and zeal built the continued living in Dong Ding, ear- that the entire tea district used iden- reputation of Muzha Iron Goddess nestly manufacturing tea and farming tical tea production techniques and oolong (Tieguanyin). The secrets of new ground on Dong Ding Moun- cultivated tea belonging to the same this magical tea varietal and the art of tain. Their descendants Su Hui and Wuyi Cliff Tea varietals/cultivars.Peng its cultivation were then passed down Su Ru, as father and son, decided to Feng tea (椪風茶, also referred to as to locals in Muzha. Later, the Zhang completely leave the ancient farms “Eastern Beauty, 東方美人” or “white Nai Miao Memorial Hall was estab- and gardens to buy and sell contracts tip oolong, (Bai Hao, 白毫)” was later lished to commemorate his contribu- (leaving behind their moderately initiated in this area, eventually turn- tion to the development of Muzha’s established, century-old location).” ing into the renowned specialty teas Iron Goddess oolong. According to the above, the Su family of Ermei (峨眉) and (北埔), In the first year of the Qing also estimated that Dong Ding oolong Hsinchu and Toufen (頭份), as well Emperor Guangxu (1875 C.E.), was originally cultivated during the as Miaoli. This masterfully crafted tea the county of , Pingtung, years of Emperor Qianlong’s reign. was transformed from Wuyi Cliff Tea appointed its first county magistrate, Another generally cited source is (the original oolong tea) into a new Zhou Youji (周有基). Zhou’s affinity Heng Liang’s (連橫) chronicling in tea of its own. for tea and support for its cultivation General : “During Another important birthplace of in Hengchun facilitated the planting the reign of Emperor Jiaqing (1760- developed along the of tea in southern Taiwan. In 1894, 1820 C.E.), a man named Chao Ke Choshui River valley. The crafts- Hengchun county records state, “Luo (柯朝) brought Wuyi (武夷) tea manship of Song Bai Keng tea (com- Foshan tea (羅佛山茶): Thirty kilo- plants from Fujian into Taiwan monly referred to as Puzhong tea meters northeast of the , and planted them in Jieyukeng (埔中茶) back in the day) from there are towering mountains and (傑魚坑), where they matured Mingjian, Nantou and Dong Ding precipitous ranges. The county magis- extremely well.” W. H. Ukers, who oolong (凍頂烏龍茶), manufac- trate, Zhou Youji, purchased tea seeds authored All About Tea in 1935, tured in Lugu, Nantou was derived and taught the local people how to believed tea cultivation in northern from south Fujian-style oolong, cultivate the plants… Their tea tasted Taiwan began in the fifteenth year of which is very different from north very pure and had a red color… Every

51/ A History of Taiwanese Oolong 傳

Traditional and modern, lightly-oxidized oolong

year their tea production amounted production of Harbor tea gradually sale and exported under the name to less than five kilograms.” The became mechanized after the 1970s, “Fuzhou oolong (福州烏龍).” county records also say: “Harbor tea it still retains its gray-green luster and In 1860, the Taiwanese port cities (港口茶): Twenty kilometers east its characteristic cold, raw taste, like a of Anping and Danshui opened for of the county, a place named Linhai densely concentrated pure white frost. trade with foreign nations and for- (臨海) also produces a small amount Harbor tea plantations, though small, eign businessmen leapt at the oppor- of tea that is similar to Luo Foshan tea still retain a special status in Taiwan. tunity. In 1861, Robert Swinhoe, in color, fragrance and taste.” stationed at the English consulate in I first witnessed the traditional Taiwan, was the first to point out the production techniques used to create excellent quality of Taiwanese tea, the Manzhou, Pingtung’s Harbor tea, in The Birth of Formosa close proximity of tea mountains to 1973. Produced purely and simply Tea (Taiwanese Oolong) the port of Danshui, and the potential by hand, the tea is curled, rolled and for developing a tea trade. In 1864, dried from within the same tea wok. In the early 19th century, Chinese the Englishman John Dodd went to The tea wok kneading processneces- from Fujian and Guangdong gradu- Taiwan to investigate the potential for sitates an exacting technique, giving ally began expanding the cultivation investment in camphor trees along the the tea leaves their green-gray luster, of tea in northern Taiwan. By the Danshui River. During his inspection, tightly knotted cord-like shape, and 1850s, the northern Taiwan tea plan- Dodd realized that the Danshui River an upward bend which resembles an tations that followed the hilly terrain basin was more suitable for grow- eyebrow. With an outward appearance of Danshui River and its tributaries ing tea. In 1865, he encouraged local almost analogous to Chinese Eyebrow were everywhere. At that time, much farmers to produce tea, and in 1866, tea (mei cha, 眉茶), we can speculate of Taiwanese tea was coarsely man- he established Dodd & Co. With the that Harbor tea’s craftsmanship origi- ufactured on the island before it was assistance of a man from , Li nated in the Zhejiang region of China transported to Xiamen, Fuzhou, and Chensheng (李春生), Dodd acquired using the same production techniques other places, mainland China to be Taiwanese tea to promote his new tea as Chinese Eyebrow tea. Although the refined (sorted, blended, roasted) for enterprise.

52 Taiwan Oolong

In 1867, Dodd transported Tai- tea (解塊機) was popularized and in inducing a higher oxidation level. wanese tea to Xiamen to be finished 1915, the field-side pan-fire drum After three to seven minutes of toss- (roasted, sorted and packaged) and (田邊式釜炒機) was invented, ing, the leaves shimmer in both fresh successfully distributed and sold the replacing the manual pan-firing green and gorgeous red tints respec- refined tea in Macao. In 1868, Dodd of tea leaves in woks. In 1927, the tively; different from Fujian-style established a tea facility in what is the use of the Type II Drier (乙種乾 oolong’s green leaves inlaid with red present day Wanhua district of Taipei. 燥機) became widespread as well. The veins. Aside from the tea transported to Xia- complete mechanization of oolong After pan-firing, a distinctive pro- men and Fuzhou for refinement and production resulted in a number of cess takes place in which the leaves are export, Taiwanese tea also began to processing changes that standardized placed inside a compression vessel and be sold directly to the United States oolong production, but at the cost left to rest for 10–15 minutes. This in 1869, initiating the “Formosa tea of traditional craftsmanship. The tea stifling environment causes the leaves (福爾摩沙茶)” and “Foochow tea leaves experienced a more prolonged to again become pliable and deepens (福州茶)” markets. Since then, withering period, a reduction of shak- the level of their oxidation. Once that “Formosa tea” also started being ing, and an efficient drying without process is finished, the leaves pres- called “Taiwanese oolong,” becom- simultaneous water accumulation and ent a beautiful copper brown color. ing internationally renowned for its moderate oxidation. These processes They are then lightly rolled in order excellent quality and distinct flavor. maintained the fundamental elements to avoid breaking off their white tips. Consequently, British and American of Fujian-style Wuyi Cliff Tea, pro- These improved manufacturing meth- businessmen began coming to Taiwan ducing the characteristic green leaves ods resulted in the most successful one after another to participate in the inlaid with red veins. The increase in foreign sales to the United States in growing Taiwanese oolong trade. By efficiency meant that in 1915 12,000 1923, where it would become Tai- 1872, five Western companies—Dodd metric tons of Taiwanese oolong were wan’s most recognizable oolong. This & Co. (寶順洋行), Tait (德記洋行), exported for the commencement of special tea is generically called “Peng Boyd & Co. (和記洋行), Brown sales on the international market. Feng tea,” “Eastern Beauty,” or “Bai & Co. (水陸洋行) and Ellis & Co. Hao (white tip) oolong.” Immediately (愛利士洋行)—successively arrived after Taiwan’s liberation from Japa- to set up offices in Taiwan. Eastern Beauty Oolong nese rule, when people said “oolong,” it specifically referred to this kind of (The Beginning of heavily withered, heavily oxidized Taiwanese Oolong Peng Feng Tea) tea, distinct from Fujian oolong.

Manufacturing Methods In 1920, Taiwanese oolong export During Japanese Rule sales fell by more than half of their original volume. This development Taiwanese oolong manufacturing prompted the international tea mar- methods during Japanese rule fol- ket to turn its attention toward red lowed the production methods used teas. The Ping Zhen Tea Manufacture under Qing Dynasty rule, except the Experiment Station responded to the production was made more scientific trend of the times accordingly. The by the replacement of manual labor Station contrived the heavy withering with machines, which increased out- and heavy oxidation processes which put. For example, when using sun created the gorgeous color, aroma and withering to reduce the moisture con- taste of Eastern Beauty (Peng Feng). tent in tea leaves, a 10% water loss This amazing tea is sun with- rate is appropriate (i.e., the weight of ered until a 15–35% rate of water the raw leaves is reduced by 10%). loss occurs, almost double the 10– In the year 1905, the research 15% rate of water loss in Fujian-style and development of oolong. The front end of the indoor machinery was initiated, and by 1912, withering and tossing process employs its use was popularized, ultimately light tossing and a prolonged wither- replacing manual shaking during ing time, eliminating excess water in indoor withering. In 1911, the Japa- the tea leaves and creating ideal con- nese introduced the oolong tea rolling ditions under which the leaves can machine (望月式揉捻機) to replace be evenly dried. The color of the tea what they saw as an “unhygienic” gradually deepens to green-gray and practice of using the feet to knead the leaves give off a unique fragrance. the tea leaves. In 1912, the use of a In the final processing stage, the tea machine to break up clumps of rolled leaves are more vigorously tossed,

53/ A History of Taiwanese Oolong “Peng Feng” literally means to exagger- wanese oolong market began to slow, 1) The raw material tea used in mak- ate or tell a tall tale. The tea was called tea merchants took the unmarketable ing light Baozhong tea takes termi- this, as the story goes, because other oolong and transported it to Fuzhou nal-facing tea leaves that are two- farmers couldn’t believe that their for scenting with flowers. This process thirds open at a suitable plucking neighbors were able to sell a tea that resulted in Baozhong tea, and some- period. For the most part, the suit- was decimated by insects for so high what eased the hardship facing oolong able plucking period for oolong tea a price. This tale probably has some tea businesses. In 1881, Taiwanese leaves happens about a week to ten truth to it. (Of course, insects do play Baozhong tea production began in ear- days earlier. a role in this tea’s production, but I nest when tea merchant Fuyuan Wu have chosen to focus instead on the (福源吳) from the “Yuan-Long Hao 2) The rate of sunlight withering as lesser-known history of its production (源隆號)” tea company in Quanzhou compared to Fujian-style oolong is method.) city, Tongan county, Fujian came to reduced by half. Generally, the rate Taiwan to produce Baozhong tea. of sunlight withering for oolong is The Baozhong tea initially manu- approximately 10%, but the rate for The Origin and factured in Taiwan was largely unre- Baozhong tea is only 5%. fined oolong and was used as an Development of Taiwan’s unfinished raw material for scenting 3) The indoor withering time is Baozhong Tea with flowers. The flower tea variet- extended, but the tossing procedure ies included Jasmine (茉莉), Orchid is comparatively more gentle. This The tea initially manufactured (樹蘭), Chamomile (黃枝), etc. It means that the oxidation level of in Taiwan was Fujian-style oolong. was in 1912 that what we think of as light Baozhong tea is only about half In 1869, English businessman John Baozhong tea began. that of Fujian-style oolong. Dodd’s successful export and sale of There were two striped Taiwanese oolong to the United States in the beginning. According to books 4) The tea is pan-fired at a higher raised its international profile. For- and related documents published by temperature for a shorter duration, eign businesses leapt at the opportu- the Taiwan Governor-General Pro- speeding up the drying process and nity to purchase tea, and farmers fell duction Office, the difference in man- giving the finished tea a dark for- over one another in their eagerness ufacturing methods between the tea est-green luster and a golden-yellow to open new tea plantations, result- used in green, light Baozhong tea and brew. This is different from Fujian ing in unbridled tea production on Wuyi Fujian-style oolong can be sum- oolong tea’s gray-green luster and the island. In 1873, when the Tai- marized as follows: reddish liquor.

Very old oolong; some from Taiwan.

54 Taiwan Oolong

Sometime around 1921, Wang Ainosuke Tanimura, and assistant Shuijin (王水錦) and Wei Jingshi engineer, Bokuni Inoue, jointly man- (魏靜時) of Taipei’s Nangang Dak- aged research to improve the shape of eng district created new technologies Baozhong tea. Using woks slanted at a for the manufacturing of Baozhong 60-degree angle, the Baozhong tea was tea. After successfully researching and fired and then rolled into the same developing green, fragrant Baozhong ball-shape of Iron Goddess oolong. tea, they found that Baozhong’s sweet, The tea was then roasted in a bam- flowery fragrance naturally arose from boo baskets until it was sufficiently proper withering and shaking with- dry. The production of ball-shaped out having to be scented with actual Baozhong tea was considered less diffi- flowers. This discovery revolutionized cult, and by 1930, tea seminars began methods for manufacturing Taiwanese lectures on managing spherical tea Baozhong tea. Starting in 1922, the production. However, before the lib- new methods for manufacturing fra- eration of Taiwan, Baozhong tea and grant Baozhong tea began to spread, other Taiwanese oolongs were still promoted through tea seminars. As a classified as striped teas. result, under Japanese rule, two types According to the Taiwan Tea Man- of Baozhong tea existed. One type was ufacturers Association (台灣區製茶 created in China, a flower-scented 工業同業公會), cloth-rolling tech- Baozhong tea, and was mainly nology was developed after the ret- exported to Java, Indonesia and Man- rocession of Taiwan to China. Their chukuo. The other variety was Tai- 2004 publication, Taiwan’s Tea Indus- wan’s distinctive naturally flower-fra- try: Fifty Years of Development, outlines grant Baozhong, exported mostly to the history of cloth-rolling in Taiwan: Vietnam and Thailand. Owing to “Cloth-rolling technology was intro- its unique aroma, taste, and specific duced in Taiwan in 1939 by Wang production technologies, fragrant Youtai (王友泰) from the Fuji Tea- Baozhong turned into an internation- shop in Taipei and Wang De (王德), ally-renowned tea that was character- both expats from Anxi, Fujian. This istically Taiwanese, becoming even cloth-rolling technique from Anxi— more recognizable than other Taiwan- the traditional way of making ball- ese oolongs of the time. shaped Iron Goddess tea—was intro- Hsinchu province in northern Tai- duced to the tea industry in Mingjian, wan originally relied heavily on man- Nantou and Muzha in the north. ufacturing oolong, but the oolong Later, when Wang departed Mingjian export market fell into a slump and in 1941, that processing methodol- the active spread of fragrant Baozhong ogy was transported to Dong Ding, tea production began in the 1920s. Lugu, and the cloth-rolling technique However, the majority of tea plant was taught by Eitakashi (永隆) until species in the province were Huang 1949. In the early 1950s, Mingjian, gan (黃柑) and Ching shin (青心) Nantou began producing cloth-rolled varieties of tea, which were not suit- Baozhong tea, and starting in the able for the production of fragrant 1970s, the technique gradually spread Baozhong tea. So, a switch began to to other tea regions.” the development of red tea and heav- In 1973, Lugu Township’s Mura- ily withered, heavily oxidized Eastern chin Eitakashi (永隆村陳) success- weight, the cloth-rolling machine Beauty tea. fully researched and developed a could knead three cloth sacks at one cloth-rolling machine. The cloth-roll- time. By 2000, the weight each cloth Shifting from Baozhong to ing machine could knead four cloth sack was able to contain increased to Partially Balled Baozhong Tea sacks at one time, but manual labor 7.5–10 kilograms, and the cloth-roll- And Then to Modern Oolong was still required to bundle each of ing machine could knead two sacks at the cloth sacks, which weighed 1- one time. Under both Qing Dynasty and 1.5 kilograms after rolling. In 1984, The invention of the cloth-roll- Japanese rule, manufactured Baozhong Mingjian’s Chen Qingzhen (陳清鎮) ing and bundling machines one after tea and oolong were both categorized successfully developed a cloth sack the other meant that machinery as “striped” or “twisted (條形茶).” bundling machine and the weight could take the place of people in the In 1929, the Pingzhen Tea Manu- each cloth sack was able to contain cloth-rolling procedure, saving labor, facture Experiment Station director, increased to 3.5–4 kilograms. At this increasing output and reducing costs.

55/ A History of Taiwanese Oolong Traditional basket for carrying tea utensils, stove for heating water for gongfu tea and a per- sonal roaster for waking tea up before brewing, which was com- mon at the time. These date to the mid-Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

After the mechanization of In recent years, the cloth-roll- ing the pressing machine, cloth-roll- cloth-rolling, the tea’s shape also ing and bundling machines have ing machine and bundling machine evolved from the partially balled shape been replaced by the development together in today’s oolong production of manually cloth-rolled tea to the of a pressing machine. Although process. That way, function, ability ball-shaped tea produced by machine. the pressing machine’s high speed and cost-efficiency can come together For the most part, tea districts in Tai- saves time and produces tea with an without sacrificing the distinct aroma wan today produce either partially emerald-green luster and a refined and flavor characteristic of Taiwanese balled or ball-shaped Baozhong tea fragrance, because the tea does not tea. (which is now marketed as “oolong,” undergo cloth-rolling, its body is of course), except for the Wen Shan weak and it is not patient enough. and Nangang tea districts, where If we aren’t going to return to tradi- striped Baozhong tea is still skillfully tional hand-processed tea, then more produced to this day. consideration should be given to pair-

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