【Report by the Office of University Social Responsibility】
Organized by the Department of Management Information Systems at National Chengchi University in collaboration with the Office of University Social Responsibility, the workshop titled “A Taste of Lishan – An Encounter and Resonance on the Tip of the Tongue” was held on November 1 at the College of Commerce’s Yi-Yu Hall. This event was part of the USR project “Enriching Remote Regions – Digital Empowerment and Local Revitalization in Lishan's Agricultural Communities,” aiming to deepen students’ understanding of Lishan and highlight its unique beauty and value through co-creative efforts for digital empowerment and revitalization of Lishan’s farming communities.
The workshop was honored to host tea farmer representative Mr. Wu Chuan-Yuan from Lishan. A master tea maker and professional tea taster, Mr. Wu embodies the spirit of craftsmanship and integrates tea culture into everyday art. The workshop included an in-depth exploration of Lishan’s geographical features to help participants appreciate the natural richness of the area. It also focused on the art of tea, introducing Lishan’s uniquely cultivated tea leaves and demonstrating tea brewing and tasting techniques, allowing participants to experience Lishan’s distinctive flavors through tea.
“Tea brewing or tea arts are often perceived as formal, old-fashioned, and time-consuming, but what if we reimagine them through the eyes of young people?” With this reflection, USR project lead Prof. Li Yi-Hui opened the workshop (Photo 1). In today’s era of information overload, short videos have become a mainstream form of media. What sparks might fly when short-form videos meet the treasured teas of Lishan? How might digital networks activate new forms of engagement? These are the questions that inspired this event and the creative outcomes expected from students’ participation.
“The most crucial factor affecting the flavor of tea is the water quality,” said Mr. Wu as he explained how the hardness of water influences both taste and color. He emphasized that mountain spring water is ideal for bringing out the unique taste of Lishan tea.
Additionally, attention must be paid to the weight of tea leaves, water temperature, and steeping time. During the demonstration, Mr. Wu and his team showed participants how to brew both high-mountain green tea and black tea from Lishan. He recommended using 8–10 grams of tea leaves for high-mountain tea and 6–8 grams for black tea. Black tea, being more oxidized, requires near-boiling water at about 95°C to fully release its flavor. Brew time also varies depending on the tea type and infusion, and tools like timers are essential to achieve the best taste.
During the tea tasting session, Mr. Wu offered dried fruits produced by the local farming community to pair with the tea, bringing the event to a delightful climax. He happily shared that the idea of making dried fruits came from a surplus of Aiwen mangoes that were visually imperfect but still delicious. By transforming them into dried fruit snacks, they created added economic value and broke away from the traditional model of selling only to ice dessert shops—offering students a valuable and practical business insight.
The workshop concluded in a cheerful atmosphere while honoring the spirit of tea culture. Through this collaboration with the Lishan agricultural community, nearly sixty students and faculty experienced the beauty of tea culture firsthand. Some international students even mentioned that it was their first time using a teapot to drink tea, describing the experience as fresh and enjoyable. It is hoped that the collision between traditional culture and youthful perspectives will spark new and innovative ideas, breathe digital vitality into tea culture, and bring about a new wave of economic revitalization for the region.
