Taiping Houkui tea is the highest grade of Jian Cha (literally means Sharp Tea) produced in Anhui Province. It is produced from the "Si Da Cha" tea bush, this tea bush produces very big green leaves, covered with plenty of white fur. This tea bush is especially suitable for making Taiping Houkui tea. Houkui tea grows on the slopes of the extended Huangshan mountain range. High peaks and scattered lakes create a favourable surrounding for growing tea. Harvest of Houkui tea is strictly carried out with the principles of the so-called "Four Does on Picking" and "Eight Do-nots on Sorting".  Processing procedures include disoxidation, rough baking, Full Baking and Re-roast. And its production methods are very unique. When brewed the first time Taiping Houkui tea has a sharp aroma, the second brew a strong taste, while the third and the fourth round still give off a lingering aroma. Good Taiping Houkui tea is also said to posses the hard to describe quality of "Yun" which translates into English as "Rhyme and Charm".

Appearance leaf:Leaves are flat, straight,and long. Color is evenly dark green and luminous. There are indistinct red colour lines along the veins of the leaf which is commonly referred to as "Red Silk Thread".

Liquid: Clear yellow

Taste: Sweet and mellow

Origin:  Huangshan District, Huangshan City, Anhui Province

Harvest: Spring, 2007

To brew Taiping Houkui tea, first put dry tea leaves (ratio leaves to water, 1:30) in Gaiwan, yixing clay pot or glass teapot, then pour 85 degree boiled water into the teaware. Steeping time for first round can be up to half a minute. Steeping time can be prolonged with each subsequent brew. This tea can be brewed for 3 rounds.

There once lived a baby monkey with his parents in the Yellow mountain. One day the baby monkey lost his direction in the thick fog and could find his way back to the yellow Mountain. The father of the young monkey searched all over the place and eventually died of exhaustion in a valley. One day a kind old man, whom lived on wild tea and herbs, came across the dead monkey and buried its body in the hills while at the same time planting some wild tea and flowers besides the tomb. At that moment he heard a voice saying “I will thank you for helping me.” When the old man looked around there was nobody there. Afterwards the old man did not think much of it anymore.

The following year the old man while picking herbs and tea came across the hill where the monkey was buried and was astonished to see green tea trees growing all over the hills. Suddenly he heard a voice saying: “These tea trees are a gift for you, if you take good care for them you will be carefree”. The old man understood that it was not an illusion but real. So afterwards the man took good care for the trees and the trees flourished and produced very fine tea. He named the hill “Monkey Hill” and the valley “Monkey Valley” and likewise the tea was named “Taiping Monkey tea”.