Philosophers in Tea Parties- Ruiefeng Taihe Leisure Agricultural Area

As you swing through the winding mountain road, the air gets colder and the elevation higher till the mists and clouds surround you, and you realize you are at Ruifeng and Taihe, the most beautiful home to tea on Mt. Ali.

In the home to champion tea to experience the local tea culture, visitors carry the tea baskets and wear the bamboo hats to pick the most tender one-tip-and-two-leaf from 9am to noon. Led by the tea maker, visitors would pan the tea with their hands and feel the fresh leaves in their palms and gradually make tea leaves form multiple flavors.

When you pour the boiling water into the pot and the air is filled with vapors, your mind is instantly calm down. At noon, the sun shines over the tea setting in the green bamboo grove in Ruifeng or the tea room in Taihe, both with different styles, and you can exchange experiences with the tea brewer by sparing the time to enjoy a pot of tea.

Ruifeng Village
Tea Plucking and Tea Panning
Wearing the floral cloth cover and the bamboo hat, carrying the bamboo basket in the hands, the tea brewer brings the visitors to the tea gardens on the slope and teaches them how to tell Jhinhsuan and Oolong apart by the angle between the main leaf vein and lateral one and shows how to use the finger tips to pluck the most tender one tip and two leaves. As you shuttling between rows of tea trees and the dews in the morning slightly wet your body and clothes.
Returning to the yard, you will spread the freshly plucked tea leaves over the drying pan. Panning the tea leaves in clockwise direction and seeing the leaves curl slowly in your hands, you’ll also look forward to making a pot of black tea emanating the fragrance of your own.

Tea Setting in the Bamboo Groves
Several groves in Ruifeng are great and beautiful places for tea tasting. In the midst of the groves, the stone tables and chairs are cleverly placed. You will take the stone stairs down there following the tea artist and brewer. The color of elegant and simple tablecloth matches the four seasons and the flowers on the table, not to mention the cups, pots and the paired snacks all express the host’s aesthetics and ingenuity.
It quiets down the surroundings all of a sudden, and it seems there is a space cleared within me - the busyness in the cities is vanished at 1000m above sea level, I am able to be mindful in tea tasting here and now, and contemplate the rich simpleness in life.

Feasts in the Bamboo Grove
Coming to Ruifeng, visitors can taste not only the high mountain tea, but also delicious cuisine in the bamboo shadows.
“Tea Seed Oil Chicken” is prepared with the aged ginger heated first with tea seed oil, so that the free range chicken has not only a slightly sweet taste but carries the spicy ginger flavor. The sun-dried bamboo shoots, nicknamed “Mountain Squid”, are made of the spring ones. Braised with the pork over low heat, it is the “Braised Pork with Mountain Squids” to serve. The meat dishes, the sweet and spicy sautéed bamboo shoots as well as the fried pumpkins and tea pastry are all tasty with different mouth feels.
The Chicken Soup simmered with High Mountain Oolong Tea, free range chicken, yams and fresh mushrooms, is the perfect finish of the feast because the tea soup can ease the greasiness of the meat.

1314 View Point
The car passed the narrow and steep mountain roads, and we followed the mist to arrive at the peak of Ruifeng. In front of us is the open view and layers of the mountains, undulant tea gardens extends wherever our vision goes. By the view point quietly stands the white “1314 (a pun meaning a lifetime) Love Tower” with LOVE written in different languages at the elevation of 1314m.
This is the best place to watch the sunrise in Mt. Ali. Visitors wake up when the day is still dark and drive up here to watch the sun rise up and gradually dissipate the darkness and shine on earth. Overlooking Ruifeng at the vantage point, you will have a panorama view and exchange the commitment of a lifetime with your love one who greets the bright morning by your side.

Zhukengxi (River Bamboo Pit) Trail
Ruifeng whose ancient name is “Shengmaoshu (A tree that grows hairs)” because many Usnea trees that look like hairs stand on the mountain peak. Waterfalls are common seen in steep mountains and this place is home to waterfalls. Such a geology creates the fantastic Zhukengxi Trail, which passes 10 different suspension bridges. You may suddenly see the water splashes in front of you, then the water cave and the waterfall show up. With the sound of the running water, you were as if in the world of Handsome Monkey King, A Journey to the West.

The Old Houses in Xinxingliao
Driving my car and turning along with the curvature of the mountain, I saw the lush greenery and also the signage directing to “The Old Houses in Xinxingliao”. All of a sudden, I saw a village and its residents.
Strolling slowly in the community, I couldn’t help imagine how the early residents developed such a cozy homeland in so high mountains.

Taihe Village
Tea Plucking and Tea Panning
In the tea shop that has been run by several generations, the experienced tea makers lead us to pluck and pan the tea. Making a circle with our hands, and rolling the leaves slowly with our palms in a clockwise direction. Repeat the motions. The tea flavor tastes smoother with a slight press; if pressed more forcefully, more tea cells are broken and the juice will be oozed out and emanate fragrance.
During the drying process, the owner sets a long table, places the specific white cups with black tea, oolong, and Jhinhsuan, then he counts the exact time to make the tea soup at the standard for tea competition.

Tea Party at the Tea Room
Taihe built the “tea room” space with the core spirit, “one room one tea party”, so to distinguish itself from the “Tea Party in the Bamboo Groves” in Ruifeng.
　　Visitors will visit the tea house where the mountains afar are seen. The tea house looks like a hollow pumpkin, and is decorated with stars, the moon and hearts. The windows in shapes of water drop, the wooden table, chairs and stools, tea cups are all created by local artisans. This tea house is renovated from a wasted pig pen, the original stone trough, wooden mortise and tenon joint, bamboo compartments are still kept. There are 3 different space in this house and visitors can sip and relish a cup of high mountain tea in the environment with the sound of running water as background music and seasonal flower arrangement on the table.

Longzaiwei Trail
Along with the ups and downs in the mountains, I walked to “Longzaiwei Trail” to have the best view of the tea gardens. The tea gardens on both sides stretch out endlessly and the path cuts through in the middle, so that visitors have an open view. Spare an hour and come have a walk in the mountains! This easy and pleasant hiking trail will lead you to the rice terraces and the mountains and woods.

Huashixi (River Flower and Stone) Trail
Huashixi (River Flower and Stone) Trail。 The view along the old path is not monotonous. Quietness and diversity are found in the shadows and waters. There are several waterfalls and rivers on the way and visitors can enjoy the coolness in the bamboo groves and take the steps up to the platform where there is the elephant mountain, a “lying elephant” looking like a friendly friend.

The South Asian Cuisine
These “mountain wives” follow their husbands and live in the mountains after getting married; they came from either other places in Taiwan or overseas, and surprisingly, they bring the vigor to Taihe.
They will take you to knit a lovely cup sleeve in the midst of tea fragrance; and before meal time, visitors will taste the creative desserts such as the rich flavored pumpkin cheese or the yummy oolong bagel, both are amazingly great! And a surprising Malaysian cuisine is served as the main course. The Bak kut teh soup stewed with medicinal materials emanates overflowing fragrance, as soon as it is served, the stomach seems satisfied instantly in the cool mountain.