It's as if you've entered paradise when at the Boseong Daehan Dawon Green Tea Fields.

This vast green tea plantation is Korea's largest tea garden. It opened in 1939. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the Korean War. Chang Young-seop took over its chairmanship in 1957. Since then, the plantation has been home to different kinds of trees such as Cedar, Cypress, Yew, Juniper, Ginkgo, Chestnut, Maple Trees, Camellias, Bamboo, Cherry, and Magnolia.

Boseong Daehan Dawon Green Tea Fields has dedicated 500,000 pyeong (one pyeong is equivalent to 3.3 sqm) of its 1.7 million pyeong area for about 5.8 million tea trees that produces over 120 tons of green tea per year.

In South Korea, tea leaves are collected three or four times annually. The taste and quality of green tea depends on its time of picking.

Woojeon tea is made from the first young leaves grown after winter that are collected before Gokwoo (spring rain for farming). It is produced in a limited quantity.

Sejak, also called Jakseol, is the most popular green tea made from leaves collected during the first part of May before it is not fully fattened.

Jungjak, made from the leaves collected in the middle of May, presents a more generous taste while Daejak is made from leaves ripened more than Jungjak. It is collected by the end of May and has an astringent taste because of tanning.

Yep Cha, on the other hand, is made from fully ripened leaves collected between June and July.

Aside from drinking tea, one can try green tea-infused food such as the Green Tea flavored ice cream we had during a familiarization tour with the Korea Tourism Organization Manila and Jeollanamdo Tourism Organization last month.

The Boseong Daehan Dawon Green Tea Fields has been featured in many Korean commercials, movies and dramas such as The Legend of the Blue Sea, Summer Scent, Bride from Hanoi, and Taewangsasingi.

Boseong Green Tea Fields is located at 763-67 Nokcha-ro,

Boseong-eup, Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do. It takes 15 minutes by taxi from Boseong Station. It is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 061-852-4540 or visit dhdawon.com.