A local tea company paid 85,000 yuan (US$10,241) at auction on Saturday for 50 grams of Huangshan Maofeng Tea, while an Australian company paid 159,000 yuan for 100 grams of Taiping Houkui Tea at the auction.

The two blends of tea are famous brands grown around Huangshan, or the Yellow Mountain, in Anhui Province.

Shanghai Huangshan Tea Co Ltd won the bidding for the Huangshan Maofeng Tea, which had a floor price of 50,000 yuan.

"We will display the tea at the company's Xuyou Teahouse on Huaihai Road M. next week," a company official said after the auction.

Huangshan Maofeng Tea is best known for its unique and lasting fragrance, which results from its growing environment, and its sturdy buds.

Eleven individuals and companies bid on various teas during the auction.

An Australian company won the bid for Taiping Houkui, which was produced in Houkeng, a national ecological demonstration zone, in Xinming Township.

The name Taiping Houkui refers to the tea's superior quality, as 'Kui' means the best or the highest in Chinese. The tea has an olive-green color and a straight shape with slightly pointed ends, exuding a fragrance that is similar to orchids.

(Shanghai Daily May 15, 2005)