'peaceful monkey leader'; pronounced [tʰâɪpʰǐŋ xǒʊkʰwěɪ]) tea is grown at the foot of Huangshan (黄山) in the former Taiping Prefecture, Anhui.

The best Tai Ping Hou Kui is grown in the villages of Houkeng, Hougang and Yanjiachun.

It is renowned for its "two knives and one pole": two straight leaves clasping the enormous bud with white hairs.

They are plucked from the Shi Da Cha, a large-leaf variety found only in Anhui Province.

Factories can produce symmetrical looking Hou Kui tea that looks even better than the authentic handmade variety.