Mingjian Township

The Bagua Plateau, also called the Bagua Mountain Range, is a long north-south protuberance that sits on the western plains directly south of Taichung’s urban core, 32km long and 4~7km wide. Its highest point is just 424m above sea level. The western section of Mingjian Township is on the range’s southeast “foothills” slopes. This is home to the Songboling area, which tops the country in tea-leaf production, cultivating Oolong and Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess). County Route 139B runs north-south through this area.

Tea Two Fingers Story House

This place is just southeast of small Songboling town, the area’s administrative center. One of the township’s most tourist-popular plantations, it features an unusually large retail center, informative tea-culture mini-museum, and family-friendly relaxation area with fine views looking west.

The first question all visitors ask: “What’s with the ‘Finger’ in the name?” At the entrance of the touristservice building (entry fee), you’ll see a meter-plushigh caricature of a bespectacled farmer, handkerchief around neck, with an upraised hand that’s short a few digits. This is the proprietor, who lost the digits to teaprocessing machinery but obviously did not lose his sense of humor. His family has been Songboling tea cultivators for over a century.

On entry you find yourself at the head of a winding corridor. First up is the mini-museum, presenting a variety of edifying displays. On the traditional teamaking process, using exquisite bronze statuary; on Tea

Two Fingers’ own teas, such as Aged Tea, Osmanthus Oolong Tea, and Longan Charcoal Tea (English for this one); on the world’s major tea-production areas, including Taiwan; and on Taiwan’s own major areas, with clear-plastic containers filled with leaf from each, smell-sampling encouraged.

The mini-museum corridor opens up to a gauntletlike winding aisle through the retail-area displays, offering a cornucopia of tea-purchase options and other area agri-products. Fresh-made tea drinks are also available, including pearl milk tea.

The rear outdoor recreation area is a tea garden with picnic tables, rest pavilions, a tall pearl milk tea sculpture, small tea-kettle cottage, petite aviary with very tourist-friendly exotic birds, two-story-high lookout tower, ice-cream stand, and small ramen restaurant.

TEA TWO FINGERS STORY HOUSE ( 茶二指故事館 )

(04) 9258-3126

No. 32-1, Puzhong Lane, Mingjian Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣名間鄉埔中巷 32 之 1 號 ) www.fingertea.com.tw www.facebook.com/fingertea/