New Forces in the Tea World: Even White Tea Wants to Become an Antique

　　If you’re a true tea enthusiast, you’ll notice that something exciting is brewing right now in Zhengzhou’s tea scene: following the popularity of Pu-erh tea, another tea variety is now making waves with its own "aged tea" story—Fuding white tea from Fujian.

　　A stroll through the tea market reveals that not only are there now specialty shops dedicated to white tea, but many other tea retailers have quietly started stocking it as well. In their large and small baskets—or even in various packaging—freshly harvested Bai Hao Yin Zhen and Bai Mu Dan teas appear like tiny silver-furred elves, each one exuding a delicate, graceful, and naturally stunning beauty. Even the slightly coarser Shou Mei variety, with its robust leaves, still bursts with an enchanting aroma.

　　Why does beautiful white tea prefer to age slowly—indeed, the older it gets, the more appealing it becomes, and the higher its price climbs?

　　Tips brought by the information

　　Clip 1: Old White Tea Sells for Record-Breaking Price, Sparking a White Tea Craze

　　Last year, at the auction held during the Yuyuan International Tea Culture and Art Festival in Shanghai, a 20-year-old Fuding Old White Tea cake weighing 375 grams was sold for 188,000 yuan to a middle-aged "tea enthusiast" who specializes in rare finds. Notably, the starting price for this prized old white tea cake was also remarkably high—reaching 138,000 yuan.

　　The sky-high prices fetched for aged white tea cakes have ignited a surge in the aged white tea collection market, with some savvy tea enthusiasts even viewing it as a new investment opportunity. Reports indicate that currently, in regions like Guangdong and Hong Kong, aged white tea can appreciate by more than 30% annually—while the market for these teas is also steadily heating up in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

　　How much is aged white tea worth today? It’s reported that a 20-plus-year-old aged white tea can now fetch as much as 70,000 to 80,000 yuan for every 500 grams. In contrast, freshly harvested, regular white tea doesn’t command such high prices—typically ranging from around 100 to over 1,000 yuan per half-kilogram. Some seasoned tea enthusiasts are quick to seize the opportunity, often buying up supplies before others do. At Guoxiang Tea City, the owner of a tea shop shared with us that just two days ago, a customer snapped up dozens of kilograms of his store’s white tea, all aged over three years.

　　Clip 2: White Tea Investment Begins to Heat Up

　　Compared to black tea and green tea, white tea—also one of the six major tea categories—has long remained relatively low-key in the domestic market. However, its situation took a surprising turn in the spring of 2012, as capital from across China began pouring into Fuding, known as the "Home of Chinese White Tea." This year, white tea prices surged by more than 30% during the spring season, finally bringing this once-forgotten tea type into the spotlight.

　　Clip 3: A Whisper Among Tea Research Institute Experts

　　My interest in white tea began at a Zen tea event held last year-end at Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou. While accompanying Ji Xamin, Vice President of the China Tea Culture Research Association and Chairman of the Henan Provincial Tea Chamber of Commerce, to the conference, Luo Shaojun—a renowned Chinese expert in tea quality chemistry, Director of the Hangzhou Tea Research Institute, and Director of the National Tea Quality Inspection Center—spoke informally with Ms. Ji about white tea. She noted that several countries, including Germany, are now placing significant emphasis on medicinal research into white tea, uncovering its unique benefits such as blood-sugar reduction and anti-inflammatory properties. With a smile, she even joked that it might be possible to transform Xinyang tea into white tea.

　　The experimenter of Henan White Tea

　　It seems to be confirming what Director Luo Shaojun said—Henan indeed has passionate enthusiasts dedicated to researching white tea production. Kong Wei, the head of Changming Tea Industry at Guoxiang Tea City, has been exploring how to craft white tea using Xinyang tea leaves since 2005. When asked about his motivation, tea expert Kong Wei explains it stems from his quest to capture that signature "sweet aftertaste" characteristic of white tea. After the Qingming and Guyu festivals, when the first and pre-rain teas have already been harvested, he ventures once more to pluck tender tea buds—about 3 centimeters long—from high-altitude mountain areas. By processing these young leaves into white tea, he gets to enjoy both the vibrant freshness of green tea’s bud tips and the delicate sweetness of white tea itself, making it a truly rewarding endeavor. Smiling, Kong Wei shares that in the Xinyang tea region, he previously experimented with both Fuding No. 6 and wild Xinyang tea buds to create white tea. He believes the wild Xinyang tea actually boasts a slightly superior inner quality compared to the Fuding variety.

　　However, Kong Wei’s research is purely a personal hobby—every year, he only produces a few jin just for his own enjoyment, keeping it as an archive for occasional comparison. Still, if someone were truly motivated to develop this further, who knows? Henan might just start producing fragrant white tea too, adding yet another culinary delight to the region’s rich offerings.

　　What's the secret to storing white tea?

　　The view that the longer white tea is stored, the higher its medicinal value becomes, has gained widespread acceptance within the industry. Ji Xiamin, president of the Henan Provincial Tea Traders Association, notes that 20-year-old or older white teas are nearly impossible to find in northern markets due to their limited availability. As a result, it’s often difficult for ordinary tea enthusiasts to identify genuine aged white tea, making caution essential whether you’re considering it as a collectible or an investment. She advises starting with newer batches instead—after all, white tea prices remain relatively affordable today. By setting aside a portion of each year’s harvest, you can gradually build a collection over time. After all, the traditional wisdom goes: "One year makes tea; three years turn it into medicine; and seven years transform it into treasure." And best of all, you don’t have to wait too long to start enjoying the rewards!

　　White Tea Profile

　　White tea production has a history of around 200 years, originating initially in Fuding County, which is why it’s also known as Fuding White Tea. As one of China’s six major tea categories, it’s crafted using the withering process and ranks alongside yellow tea, black tea, oolong tea, red tea, and green tea. Its primary growing regions include Fuding, Zhenghe, Songxi, and Jianyang. White tea is renowned for its delicate qualities: it features intact, silvery-white buds fully coated in fine white hairs, exuding a fresh, fragrant aroma; its liquor boasts a clear, bright yellow-green hue, while the taste is light yet pleasantly sweet and lingering on the palate. Belonging to the lightly fermented tea category, white tea is considered a rare and exquisite treasure within China’s diverse tea heritage. Popular varieties include Bai Hao Yin Zhen (Silver Needle), Bai Mu Dan (White Peony), Shou Mei, and Gong Mei.

　　Link: Research Findings on the Health Benefits of White Tea Released for the First Time

　　On June 16, five leading research institutions, including the National Research Center for Engineering Technology of Plant Functional Components Utilization, officially unveiled their groundbreaking research findings on the health and wellness benefits of Fuding white tea at the "2012 Beijing International Tea Expo."

　　According to reports, scientific research has revealed eight remarkable benefits of Fuding white tea: it helps enhance skin beauty and combat aging, prevents photoaging of skin cells, lowers blood lipids and blood sugar levels, repairs alcohol-induced liver damage caused by excessive drinking, reduces inflammation, balances gut microbiota, and promotes digestive health. Moreover, a comparative study conducted on white teas aged 1, 6, and 18 years demonstrated that as the aging process progresses, aged white tea exhibits significantly better efficacy in areas such as anti-inflammation, blood-sugar regulation, protection against alcohol-related liver damage, and gastrointestinal support—outperforming freshly produced white tea in these key functions.