2014-01-11
White tea has long been cherished as a rare gem among teas, boasting an illustrious history that stretches back over 880 years. In his seminal work *Da Guan Cha Lun*—compiled during the "Da Guan" era (1107–1110), named after the reign title)—Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty (Zhao Ji) dedicated an entire section to white tea, eloquently declaring: "White tea stands apart as a unique variety, distinct from ordinary teas. Its delicate, expansive leaves are exquisitely thin and translucent, often growing spontaneously in secluded mountain groves—places where human intervention is virtually impossible. Even when found, it thrives in only a handful of households, with each producing no more than one or two precious plants. And though painstakingly crafted, the yield remains astonishingly limited—barely enough for two or three small batches. With its scarce, tender buds, white tea demands meticulous handling during steaming and drying; miss a single step in the process, and it instantly degrades into an ordinary tea. Only through expert craftsmanship and precise, balanced techniques can this exquisite brew truly reveal its ethereal beauty, achieving a luminous clarity that mirrors the purest jade."
National Superior Tea Tree Varieties
2013-12-28
Fuding Dabai Tea / Huacha No. 1
Originating from Bailiu Village, Diandou Town, Fuding City, Fujian Province, Fuding Dabai Tea boasts over 140 years of cultivation history. It is a premium variety renowned for its early harvest, robust buds, abundant white hairs, and exceptional ability to retain tenderness—qualities that contribute to its rich internal composition. This makes it exceptionally suited for crafting a wide range of high-quality teas.
The tea leaves exhibit versatile characteristics, making them ideal for producing red, green, and white teas alike. Today, Fuding Dabai Tea stands as the most widely introduced tea cultivar across China. Beyond Fujian’s green tea regions, it has also gained significant traction in provinces such as Zhejiang, Hunan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Anhui, and Jiangsu, where it is cultivated across vast areas totaling 1.7 million mu. Recognized nationwide as the standard reference variety for tea tree trials, Fuding Dabai Tea was officially designated as such in 1965.
The tea tree varieties of Fuding White Tea
2013-12-28
The tea tree varieties of Fujian white tea include:
1. Fuding Da Bai Cha, originally grown on Mount Taibao in Fuding. Legend has it that Mount Taibao was once known as Mount Cai during the reign of Emperor Yao (2358–2257 BCE). A kind-hearted elderly woman lived there, cultivating orchids and generously sharing her bounty with others, earning her deep respect and admiration from the local community. She even used the green snow芽 tea she cultivated as a miraculous remedy to save countless children suffering from measles. Moved by her selfless acts, people revered her as a divine figure, calling her "Ta Mu"—"Great Mother." As a result, the mountain itself came to be named Mount Ta Mu. Later, during the Han Dynasty under Emperor Wu, an imperial envoy named Dongfang Shuo was sent across the land to officially recognize and honor some of China's most celebrated mountains. In recognition of its legendary status, Mount Ta Mu was bestowed the title of "First Among the Thirty-Six Famous Mountains," and it was officially renamed Mount Taibao—its current name.
The History and Culture of Gongfu Black Tea
2013-12-28
Chinese people are renowned for their exceptional ability to enjoy tea. Historical records show that tea-drinking traditions in China date back at least 4,000 years. The ancient text *Er Ya* even notes, "Tea picked early is called 'cha,' while leaves gathered later are referred to as 'ming.'" Similarly, the *July* chapter of the *Book of Songs* mentions tea-picking activities. After the Han Dynasty, tea drinking became increasingly popular—though it truly flourished during the Tang Dynasty. By that time, tea gatherings and tea banquets were already common, and Lu Yu’s seminal work, *The Classic of Tea*, systematically codified the art and philosophy of tea preparation. This groundbreaking book not only popularized tea culture but also earned Lu Yu the revered title of "God of Tea" among later generations. As noted in *Chao Jia Feng Yue Ji*, "The meticulous method of preparing Gongfu tea originates directly from Lu Yu’s *Classic of Tea*; yet the accompanying utensils are crafted with even greater refinement." From this perspective, enjoying Gongfu tea
2013-12-28
We learned from the Fujian Provincial Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision that recently, the National Standardization Administration Committee issued a document commending the seventh batch of outstanding national agricultural standardization demonstration zones and advanced workers in national agricultural standardization demonstration zones. Among them, the "Fuding White Tea Cultivation Standardization Demonstration Zone" was awarded the title of "National Outstanding Agricultural Standardization Demonstration Zone."
White tea, one of China's six major tea categories, boasts a long history of production and originates from Mount Taibao in Fuding, Fujian. Today, its primary production areas are concentrated in Fuding City, Fujian Province, where it has become a traditional specialty industry and a key pillar of agriculture. Fuding is famously known as "The World’s White Tea is in China, and China’s White Tea is in Fuding." The tea-making process is entirely natural—no frying or rolling is involved—making it uniquely pure and authentic.
The Glorious White Lin Gongfu of History
2013-12-28
The glorious history of Bailin Gongfu
"Bailin Gongfu" is a Fuding-style black tea, named after Bailin in Fuding, its primary production area. Renowned both domestically and internationally for its exquisite, entirely handcrafted techniques and its uniquely superior quality, it was once celebrated alongside Fujian’s "Tanyang Gongfu" from Fuan County and "Zhenghe Gongfu" from Zhenghe County as one of the "Three Great Gongfu Teas of Min." The art of crafting Bailin Gongfu tea lies at the heart of creating high-quality black tea—it’s the pivotal step that transforms raw tea buds into a finished product. With a tradition spanning centuries, this time-honored technique not only embodies unparalleled craftsmanship but also stands as an invaluable intangible cultural heritage deeply rooted in Fuding’s rich history.
I. The Time-Tested Historical Origins of Bailin Gongfu
A rare, thousand-year-old white tea from Fujian discovered inside an ancient tomb in Xi'an
2013-12-28
Archaeologists were absolutely astonished to discover exquisite white tea from Fujian hidden inside a bronze ashtray unearthed during the excavation of an ancient tomb in Xi'an! According to a report by CCTV International on February 21, in 2009, archaeologists from Shaanxi Province stumbled upon tea leaves dating back over a thousand years while excavating the tomb of the Lü family, who once founded the Xi'an Beilin Museum.
What’s even more remarkable is that these millennia-old tea leaves turned out to be among the rarest and most prized varieties—premium white tea. Preliminary analysis by the archaeological team suggests the tea likely originated in Fujian, while industry insiders speculate that this exceptional white tea could very well be the famed "Bai Hao Yin Zhen" from Fuding.
"Fuding Da Bai Cha" tea seedlings enter their optimal planting season.
2013-12-28
We’ve now entered the prime season for digging up seedlings of "Fuding Dabai Tea." In Diandou Town, Fuding City—known as the "Home of White Tea in China"—tea farmers have been seizing the recent clear weather to carefully organize and dispatch high-quality tea seedlings. As a result, batch after batch of "Fuding Dabai Tea" seedlings is steadily being shipped to central and western regions.
On the 19th, the author visited Zhuang Minglie’s large-scale tea seedling nursery in Diandou Town, where farmers were busily but efficiently carrying out tasks like pruning, digging up seedlings, and packaging them. In recent years, numerous buyers from central and western China have come regularly to Zhuang Minglie’s nursery to place orders for tea seedlings. This year alone, about 15 million tea seedlings have already been reserved.