Da Hong Pao tea costs 30 times more than gold

Da Hong Pao is a rare Oolong tea from China's Wuyi Mountains, regarded as the world's most expensive tea.

Only six original mother trees remain, and their leaves are worth more than gold by weight, estimated at 30 times more valuable than gold.

At an auction, 20 grams of Da Hong Pao leaves sold for 208,000 yuan (approximately ₹1.23 lakh).

China banned harvesting from the original mother trees in 2006 to preserve them; they are insured for 100 million yuan.

Commercially available Da Hong Pao is produced from cloned plants or blended with other premium Oolong teas.