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	Dong Ding Oolong Tea \| Frozen Summit Oolong

Dong Ding Oolong Tea（冻顶乌龙）

Dong Ding Oolong Tea Introduction

Dong Ding Oolong Tea is one of the most famous and finest Formosa Oolong Tea. It is also the only Formosa Oolong which sometimes appears on the list of Top Ten Chinese Teas.

The authentic Dong Ding Oolong originally means oolong tea made with tealeaves picked from tea gardens in Dong Ding Mountain at sea level of 700-1200 meters. Dong Ding Mountain which is a branch range of Fenghuang Mountain is located in Lugu town, Nantou county of Taiwan. In Dong Ding Mountain grows a local tea cultivar called Qing-xin Oolong Cultivar, the main tea tree planted for making Dong Ding Oolong. Dong Ding oolong tea traditionally was made with tea shoots mostly consisting of one bud and two or three leaves with fermentation level from 35% to 25%.

The original tea producing area in Dong Ding Mountain is small but the annual demand for Dong Ding Oolong Tea is so huge. Year by year, the producing area for Dong Ding oolong has been greatly expanded. In fact, oolong tea produced in Lugu town can be seen as Dong Ding Oolong today. The oolong produced in Dong Ding Mountain above 1000 meters sea level is very difficult to be found in the market and it is also much more expensive than that produced in other places.


Qing Xin Oolong Cultivar

Like many other varieties of Oolong tea, Dong Ding Oolong is also classified by tea connoisseurs according to its aroma, taste and aftertaste. It usually comes in several styles such as light fragrance（清香型）, heavy fragrance（浓香型）, and charcoal roasted（炭香型）. A number of production factors such as fermentation level, charcoal roasting time and temperature combined to make the difference.

The Producing Area of Dong Ding Oolong

Dong Ding oolong tea is grown around Dong Ding Mountain, a branch range of Phoenix Mountain in Nantou county, Taiwan. Legend has it that due to rainy weather and slippery paths, tea farmers had to tighten the tiptoes (frozen tiptoes) so as to climb the hilltop to pick tea leaves. This is why the mountain got its name “Dong Ding”. In Dong Ding Mountain grow Qing-xin oolong and other good tea cultivars. High altitude, dense forest and good soil create favorable growing conditions for tea trees. Lugu town, the main producing area for Dong Ding Oolong, has annual average temperature of 22℃ and annual rainfall of 2200mm. The place has high atmospheric humidity and is always enshrouded in clouds and mists. The soil in tea gardens is brown and highly-cohesive soil mixed with weathered fine stones and the water drainage and storage conditions are good. Tea picking usually takes place during April～May and November～December, with one-bud-two-leaf as the standard.