On a hillside outside Taipei, grower Chien Chen-lung and researcher Li Chao-shiang are repairing stone terraces for tea. The old walls hold soil and channel water, while drip irrigation and moisture sensors help the revived plantations cope with less predictable rain.
The Shenkeng project also tests more resilient tea varieties and maps slopes at risk of landslides. Growers are rebuilding an industry that faded as the region urbanized. Better harvests and storm protection are goals, not results already demonstrated.