Pinglin Tea Museum and Tea Plantations | New Taipei Attraction

Pinglin is the primary production area for Wenshan Baozhong tea, with hillside tea gardens stretching along both sides of the Beishi River. The Pinglin Tea Museum is centered on a Fujian-style siheyuan (four-sided courtyard) complex that displays the complete tea-processing workflow from leaf picking, withering, and kill-green through drying, and documents the history of Pinglin's tea industry. The architecture is well preserved and the courtyard is open, serving the dual function of tea-culture education and historic-building appreciation.

Highlights of Pinglin Tea Museum and Tea Plantations

The exhibition halls introduce the unique light-fermentation process of Baozhong tea; display samples show the characteristic twisted strip-shaped leaves, and the difference in aroma profile from the oolong tea family is explained. The museum has a tea tasting area where samples of Baozhong tea from Pinglin farmers can be tasted (availability and fees depend on that day's arrangement). The Fujian-style courtyard is spacious, with swallowtail roof ridges and red-brick walls as the main architectural features.

Outside the museum, large terraced tea gardens can be seen along the hillsides on both sides of Beiyi Road. During harvesting seasons — spring tea around March–May and winter tea around October–November — farmers can be seen hand-picking. Tea shops on Pinglin Old Street sell tea directly; some offer tasting. The Beishi River Ecological Protection Area is also within Pinglin, with clear streams suitable for pairing with natural observation.

How to make the most of your visit

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Spring and winter harvest seasons are bestDuring the spring tea (March–May) and winter tea (October–November) harvest periods, the sight of hand-picking work in the tea gardens is at its most vivid — the best time to understand the tea production process.

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Appreciate the Fujian architectural detailsThe museum courtyard's swallowtail roof ridges, brick carvings, and decorative paintings are worth close inspection; the architecture itself is part of the exhibit.

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Taste and compare at old-street tea shopsMultiple tea shops in Pinglin Old Street offer tastings. Comparing Baozhong tea at different roast levels — light roast with floral notes versus heavy roast with deeper flavor — reveals a clear range.

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Cycle along the riverA bike path runs along the Beishi River. Bicycles can be rented in Pinglin Old Street; the route is mostly flat, perfect for leisurely riding through the valley environment.

Practical information

Getting there & timing

From Taipei, take the MRT to Xindian Station then transfer to a Pinglin-bound bus (849 Pinglin or a designated route); check the New Taipei City bus real-time system for detailed schedules.
By car, take Beiyi Road (Provincial Highway 9) or the Beiyi Expressway to the Pinglin interchange. Museum opening hours and admission fees: check the official website; closed on Mondays.

Nearby connections

Continuing on Beiyi Road leads to Yilan — a cross-mountain route is possible. Heading back toward Taipei, Shiding Old Street is about a 20-minute drive away.
The Beishi River Ecological Protection Area has walking trails; combining them with the Tea Museum makes a nature-and-culture half-day Pinglin light trip.

Sources: Pinglin Tea Museum official website, Wikipedia entry for Pinglin Tea Museum. Photos pending replacement with Dio's own shots.

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