Heading east of Mucha, the city's air gradually becomes invisible, gray, dilapidated buildings give way to mountains draped in lush vegetation, and before long you are driving through the emerald tea terraces of Mucha Tea Garden overlooking choked Taipei.

Mucha Tea Garden is a made up of 93 tea plantations connected by a warren of roads which wind their way around the surrounding hillsides. Most of the plantations cultivate iron goddess tea, and temples dedicated to the Iron Goddess are scattered across the surrounding countryside. Oolong tea, green tea, pouchong tea and jasmine tea are also grown at Mucha, and visitors shouldn't miss the opportunity to try a pot or two at the dozens of tea houses idyllically set amidst the tea terraces.

Tea was introduced to Taiwan about 300 years ago by immigrants from Fukien fleeing poverty and wars in southern mainland China. They found the rolling hills and high mountains of central Taiwan offered ideal conditions for cultivating the best of teas. The island's annual tea production is about 22,000 tons, most of which is oolong tea. Due to the high demand and the high prices that quality tea commands on the island, only 25 percent of total production is exported. 

As an art form, tea drinking first came into being in the Tang Dynasty (618-906), when it was institutionalized by a Confusion called Lu Yu, who was later elevated to the status of "Tea God." However, it wasn't until the time of the Ching Dynasty (1614-1911) that tea drinking became common among the masses. Tea houses sprung up in cities, scenic spots, temples, and these places played a crucial and multifatiuos role in daily life. 

Tea houses have since lost some of their status, but their pleasures remain. Visitors to Mucha Tea Garden can discover those pleasures at the numerous tea houses in the area. The first village you will come to in the garden has a few shabby tea shops offering pots of Iron Goddess tea, the local specialty, and a bite to eat. If your thirst can hold out, it's better to continue farther into the garden where tea houses offer cleaner food and much better views of the surrounding countryside. 

However, you should stop at Mucha Tea Garden Cultural Center, just around the corner from the tea houses. The center has a mini museum which describes the various aspects of tea cultivation with the aid of antique exhibits. You can also learn which teas are grown in Taiwan and what tea leaves go through before ending up in your pot. The center also has a tea garden and a tea house where you can find out if you have grasped the fine art of old man's tea.

Leaving the tea center behind, the road meanders through plantations and arrives at a cluster of picturesque tea houses set among the tea terraces. Here you can sip tea, have lunch, watch the tea pickers at work or have an intense game of Chinese chess. This is the most idyllic section and is usually as far as visitors go into the garden. But if you have time, you can follow the roads around the hillsides which loop back to where you began, so there is little chance of getting lost.  

The tea garden is a peaceful place, even the people who visit the garden seem to be placid. You'll not find any stampeding barbecuers here, nor any rowdy students disturbing the silence with ghetto blasters. Visitors to the garden seem to be content with soaking up the atmosphere, enjoying the view, and who knows, they may even discover an element that evaded scholars of Tang Dynasty.

Getting there
If you are driving, follow the signs in Mucha for the Taiwan National Political University. From the university, follow the road up the hill. The road then forks and you should bear right. Bear right at the second fork and then turn left at the small park on your left. Follow the road up the hillside for about three kilometers and you'll see a small road branching off to the right across a bridge: this is the entrance to the tea garden.  

If your going on the bus, buses 236, 237 and 282 terminate at the university. From there, change to mini-bus number 10 which runs every 30 minutes.