Dong Ding (Chinese: 凍頂; pinyin: Dòng Dǐng; pronounced [tʊ̂ŋ.tìŋ]), also spelled Tung-ting, is an oolong tea from Taiwan. A translation of Dong Ding is “Frozen Summit” or “Icy Peak”, and is the name of the mountain in Taiwan where the tea is cultivated. Those plants were brought to Taiwan from the Wuyi Mountains in China’s Fujian Province about 150 years ago. (Wikipedia)
Guest Contributor, Andy Kincart
This article has been updated from the original publication in 2014.
In 2014 I attended an event that I believe was a first of its kind here in Taiwan. The Nantou County Government sponsored the Lugu Farmers’ Association to host a public forum on the local specialized industry of Dong Ding Oolong Tea. The renowned tea source of Dong Ding Mountain is located in Lugu Township of Nantou County in Central Taiwan.
The event was organized by the United Chinese Art of Tea Promotion Association, and regional representatives from all over the island attended along with many other leading professionals in the field. Along with all these “tea pros” was a full house of tea lovers from all walks of life.
It was inspiring to see the level of interest for and commitment to this local traditional treasure of Dong Dong Oolong. A few days before, I had just completed my defense for my MBA thesis on the preservation of the quality and product value of Traditional Taiwan Tea. So needless to say, I was especially interested in this event.
The panel of speakers was initially meant to include a keynote speaker who was a central figure in the promotion of tea as well as a professional tea judge in Nantou County for 40 years. Now in his 80’s, and feeling under the weather at the time of the event, he couldn’t make it. So my tea mentor, who was scheduled to follow his presentation, covered both the historical and current age of Dong Ding Oolong Tea.
Presenting as the Director of the Lugu Farmers’ Association department of promotion and senior tea judge, he offered an extensive overview of this world that he grew up in and made his vocation. I loved the images of the beginning of a new era of tea production in this area that began in the 1950’s. The mountain where this tea is grown is located in the Lugu region of Nantou County in central Taiwan, an area famous for growing oolong tea.
Following the overview of the topic, speakers included the Tea Research Extension Station Director of the Yu Chi (Sun Moon Lake) Branch, a resident of Lugu – who is also a senior judge in tea competitions island-wide. He gave a comprehensive explanation of what makes a high quality traditional Dong Ding Oolong, and how it differs from large-scale modern tea production.
Beyond this were central representatives of Taiwan Tea Culture who offered their perspectives on the consumer’s understanding of specialty teas, classical Chinese music in accompaniment with traditional culture and tea types, tea and poetry, and the promotion of tea regions as agricultural tourist destinations. It certainly was a full panel of professional and academic perspectives, and my Chinese listening ability was definitely on overload by the end of the day!
Of course, being the only very noticeably foreign attendant involves an inevitable trace of self-consciousness, but I have developed enough immunity to this factor over 20 years of living here to not let it be a hindrance. It was a very timely and worthwhile event to experience, and left me feeling all-the-more grateful for being welcomed into this wonderful world of tea.
Let’s not forget the tea! While this very educational event ensued, all attendants enjoyed two wonderful teas brewed and served by local tea club members. The first brew was Dong Ding Oolong that represented the original mid-elevation tea growing region of Lugu Township – from my favorite tea growing locale of Phoenix Village. The second was an aged Dong Ding Oolong that simply imbued the meaning of traditional oolong tea in our current age. This alone was well worth the journey through mid-summer heat to experience.
Andy Kincart is the Sourcing Director for Eco-Cha, Responsibly Sourced Artisan Tea.
Event photos: 陳信綸 ; historical photo and loading image used with permission from Tony Lin.
Website photos from Eco-Cha.
It sounds like an amazing experience to have attended this event. I am very curious about your MBA thesis on the preservation of the quality and product value of Traditional Taiwan Tea. Where are you getting this degree from? Can you give us the highlights of your conclusions? I was unaware that one could get an MBA in a tea related subject.
According to Wikipedia, 70% of the people in Taiwan speak Taiwanese Hokkien yet the official language is Chinese Mandarin. Does that mean that essentially the vast majority of Taiwanese people must speak both languages? Are they very different from each other?
Are the slides available online? If not can you help request for them if possible and post them here? I am very interested in learning more about the history and what makes a high quality dong ding. Slides in Chinese are fine. Thanks!
Michelle,
The degree is from a university in Taichung, Taiwan. The thesis focused on what has been done here in the industry to preserve traditional artisan tea production in the face of large scale development of the industry. The work done by the Dept. of Agriculture’s Tea Research Extension Station to promote the small, private farm sector has been a central force in this respect, combined with local tea competitions, promotion of tea culture and other efforts.
The establishment and development of Eco-Cha has been my contribution in this respect – a foreign owned company in Taiwan that promotes local tea artisans.
As for the language question, yes – the majority of the population here speak both Mandarin and Taiwanese. And yes, they are very different. Taiwanese is much more prevalent in rural areas and in southern Taiwan. In Taipei, it is much less the norm. It has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, following the initial era of the Nationalist Party occupation of the island post-WW II. Young people have made it their cultural identity with renewed pride in the last decade or so. Having said that, there is also a significant population of Hakkanese who speak their own dialect as well as Mandarin. There are also more than a dozen aboriginal tribes, all with their own spoken languages remaining on this island – there used to be more.
Thanks for your interest!