Pinglin

Pínglín (坪林) is a mountainous district in southern New Taipei, wedged between Taipei and Yilan along the upper reaches of the Beishi River. The district is Taiwan’s principal source of Baozhong tea (包種茶), a lightly oxidized oolong prized for its floral fragrance. Much of Pinglin falls within the Feicui Reservoir watershed protection zone, which has restricted development and kept the population low, with fewer than 7,000 residents in an area larger than urban Banqiao. The old street near the district office retains some of its character as a waypoint on the old road to Yilan.