From Decline to Renewal: The Path of Revival Led by Red Oolong
Taitung is one of Taiwan's newer tea regions, with large-scale cultivation beginning only in the 1960s. Early plantations were concentrated in Luye, Beinan, and Yanping townships, where Assam large-leaf black tea was grown for export.
Located just south of the Tropic of Cancer, the region enjoys abundant sunlight, a dry climate, and an average annual temperature of 23.5°C. These conditions allow tea plants to grow faster than in western Taiwan, making Taitung the first place in the country where fresh leaves can be picked each year. This gave rise to a strong advantage in early spring and late winter harvests, and at its peak the region had over 600 hectares of tea fields.
The Decline of Black Tea Exports in the 1980s
Taitung’s Shift to Oolong
In the 1980s, as exports dwindled, Taitung turned to the domestic market, producing the emerald-green oolong teas beloved by Taiwanese consumers.
From the 1950s to the 1970s, Taiwan thrived in the golden age of large-leaf black tea exports. Black tea became a symbol of the island’s integration into global trade. But by the 1980s, low-cost black teas from China, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka flooded the market, leaving Taiwan unable to compete on price or scale. As exports collapsed, the focus shifted to the domestic market. Taiwanese consumers preferred oolong, and growers in Taitung adapted by planting small-leaf varieties suited for lightly oxidized, fragrant oolong teas and marketed locally under the regional brand "Fu-Lu Tea."
By the 1990s, however, high mountain teas rose in popularity. Consumers began seeking out high-altitude teas with airy, delicate aromas. This became Taitung's disadvantage: Luye sits only 200–350 meters above sea level, far below the heights of Lishan or Fushoushan, and its oolongs could not rival the teas from Pinglin. Market share slipped away, and tea acreage shrank to less than 100 hectares.
As Taitung's tea fields all but vanished, the Eastern Branch of Tea and Beverage Research Station (TBRS) stepped in to rescue the struggling industry. Studying the area's tropical climate, acidic soils, and low rainfall, researchers collaborated with tea masters and growers to develop a new approach: a process of extended withering, intensive rolling, and deep roasting. In 2008, under the direction of Station Head Wu Sheng-Shun, the method was formalized, and the tea was given its name Red Oolong. Proudly Made in Taiwan, this innovative hybrid of oolong and black tea restored Taitung's competitive edge with a distinct regional identity.
Born in 2008, Red Oolong tea was crafted through long withering, heavy rolling, and deep roasting, yielding a liquor ruby like black tea, yet unmistakably its own.
Leading the Way with Red Oolong Tea
Red Oolong gave Taitung's tea region a new identity. It does not seek the floral fragrance of high mountain teas, nor the astringency of traditional black teas. Instead, its hallmark lies in sweetness and roundness. Red Oolong tea chose to challenge the old assumption that "low-altitude areas cannot produce fine tea," and forged its own path.
At first, the market was hesitant. Because Taitung had long focused on lightly oxidized oolong and Taiwanese consumers were accustomed to greener teas, the bright orange-red liquor of Red Oolong tea— neither quite oolong nor quite black— caused confusion.
Yet in 2008, the year of its birth, the local farmers' association immediately organized competitions to encourage production and raise quality. By 2011, during the first Taiwan International Balloon Festival in Luye, visitors found refreshment in a chilled cup of Red Oolong tea under the summer sun. Its popularity grew. With continuous refinement in processing and roasting, the quality of Taitung Red Oolong rose steadily. Young and unencumbered by tradition, it developed a wide range of flavors and ventured into collaborations with bread, desserts, ice cream, beer, sparkling drinks, even fragrance products. Red Oolong became not only a tea to drink, but also a flavor woven into everyday life.
Red Oolong has become a must-drink and must-buy for visitors to Taitung.
Beyond drinking, Red Oolong tea has been used as an ingredient in baking, desserts, and beverages, and has even been crafted into soothing diffusers in collaboration with fragrance brands.
Today, Red Oolong has become an important cultural symbol of Taitung. It has inspired young people to return home, encouraged generational succession in tea-making, and supported local tourism. As "the new generation of Taiwanese tea," it continues to infuse the industry with vitality and hope.
