High Mountain Teas, Chinese Gao Shan Cha, are ball-shaped Oolongs from tea gardens above 1000m above sea level. Since the mid-19th century, Oolong teas were produced especially to be exported to western countries, and in the beginning of the 20th century, under the Japanese colonial rule, also black tea was being produced for export. During the 1980's tea farmers began to grow tea plants in high mountain areas. The production of High Mountain Tea was intended for Taiwanese tea connoisseurs, but nowadays, it is also seen as a status symbol. In the climate of the mountains, where mist and rain often dominate the weather, tea plants grow slower, which leads to a more intense taste of the tea. Additionally, it gets more difficult and more laborious to produce a good tea in this altitude and climate . The tea varietals used here are mostly Qingxin Oolong, and sometimes also Jinxuan. Other varietals proved not suitable for these circumstances. High Mountain Teas are very pleasing, soft and quaffable teas with surprisingly intense and diverse aromas, sometimes beautifully enhanced through roasting.