Fuding White Tea, fragrant and renowned both at home and abroad

　　In the first half of this year, the Fuding Tea Association and the Administration for Industry and Commerce jointly re-released the list of 54 companies authorized to use the national geographical indication trademark "Fuding White Tea." They also stepped up inspection and supervision of these licensed enterprises to ensure that the tea they produce meets stringent safety standards, firmly establishing Fuding White Tea as an eco-friendly, health-conscious, and trustworthy tea option.

　　“White tea of the world is found in China, and Chinese white tea comes from Fuding.” Fuding white tea boasts a rich history and is one of China’s six major tea categories. According to research by expert authorities, Fuding white tea possesses unique health-promoting benefits. As tea industry luminary Elder Zhang Tianfu once remarked, white tea is a masterpiece crafted by nature itself—a true gem in the world of tea.

　　So far, Fuding's white tea trade has a history of more than a hundred years. Known for its original and natural qualities, white tea exported overseas has been highly favored. A popular Qing Dynasty folk saying goes: "When marrying off their daughters, families do not covet official or noble households; they only ask about Peony and Silver Needle."

　　Time-honored white tea aroma spreads overseas

　　Fuding is located along the coast of the East China Sea, at the intersection of Fujian and Zhejiang provinces. Within its borders lie Taibao Mountain, a UNESCO Global Geopark and a nationally recognized 4A-level scenic area, as well as Yushan Island, one of "China's Top Ten Most Beautiful Islands." The city boasts a forest coverage rate of 65%, and its air quality has consistently ranked among the best in Fujian Province. Thanks to its unique geographic and climatic conditions, combined with an exceptionally pristine natural environment, Fuding is perfectly suited for tea cultivation. Here, the region’s renowned Fuding Dabai Tea and Fuding Dahao Tea—national-level superior tea varieties officially designated as Hua Cha No. 1 and Hua Cha No. 2, respectively—are thriving. Notably, Fuding Dabai Tea serves as the benchmark variety for China’s national tea tree breeding program.

　　In his "The Classic of Tea" from the Tang Dynasty, Lu Yu concludes that "tea as a beverage originated with Shennong," citing the ancient legend that "Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs and encountered seventy poisonous plants daily—only tea proved effective in neutralizing their effects." This tale underscores tea's deep-rooted origins in China's distant past. Interestingly enough, a similar myth also thrives in Fujian’s Taibao Mountain region: it is said that during the reign of Emperor Yao, an elderly woman living on Cai Mountain (now known as Taibao Mountain) cultivated indigo. When she noticed a widespread measles epidemic sweeping through the valley below, she taught the local villagers how to use tea—as a natural remedy—to heal and save lives. Moved by her selfless act, Heaven rewarded her with divine transformation into an immortal being. Later generations revered her as "Taibao Niangniang" and even studied under her to learn the art of tea cultivation themselves.

　　Historical records show that in the 22nd year of the Kangxi era (1683), Fuding’s Shacheng Port was established as a trade port, primarily exporting tea. By the early years of the Jiaqing era (early 19th century), "Bai Hao Yin Zhen," or Silver Needle White Tea, had already earned acclaim as one of the world’s most celebrated teas. From 1910 onward, Bai Hao Yin Zhen enjoyed remarkable popularity in Europe and America, reaching its peak between 1912 and 1916. At the time, white tea was highly prized for its rarity, and European and American tea enthusiasts often added Bai Hao Yin Zhen to their brews, not only to enhance the aesthetic appeal but also to elevate the overall sophistication of their tea-drinking experience.

　　During the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic era, Fuding white tea had already been exported to 39 countries and regions across Europe and Asia. In 1935, Wu Juenong, known as the "Tea Sage of Modern China," advocated for the establishment of a primary tea-processing factory in Fuding's Bailin area. The following year, in 1936, a tea inspection office was set up in Fuding’s Shacheng, specifically tasked with overseeing import and export quality control of tea products. Reflecting the growing popularity of white tea in overseas markets, the renowned scholar Zhuo Jianzhou aptly noted in his work *Tai Mu Shan Quan Zhi* from the Republican period: "Green Snow Sprout—now commonly called Bai Hao—is shipped abroad at prices rivaling those of gold."

　　Since entering the new century, with the growing global appetite for white tea, Fuding white tea has tremendous potential for development. Today, as an emerging gem among tea varieties, Fuding white tea is gaining recognition and popularity among discerning connoisseurs for its unique and remarkable health-promoting benefits. It has especially captured the attention—and admiration—of consumers in Europe, America, and Southeast Asia, earning accolades such as being described by researcher Luo Shaojun as "a distinguished family within China's vast tea community—flourishing quietly behind closed doors yet radiating its fragrance far beyond." Indeed, its health-enhancing properties are said to rival those of wild ginseng.

　　Policy support accelerates the revival of white tea.

　　In 2007, Fuding City established the Fuding Tea Industry Development Leading Group, whose membership list included the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, the Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress, the Vice Mayor of the Government, the Vice Chairman of the Political Consultative Conference, and the top executives from various tea-related administrative departments.

　　From the day it was established, members of the leading group traveled north to Beijing and south to Guangzhou, tirelessly conducting research and field visits. It was during this process that they came up with the idea of building a distinctive public brand for "Fuding White Tea." Later, the policy known as the "20 Measures for the Revival of White Tea" emerged—clearly a product of the collective wisdom of this very leadership team.

　　On January 5, 2008, the Fuding Municipal Party Committee and Government issued the "Several Opinions on Further Promoting the Development of the Tea Industry," outlining 20 measures aimed at revitalizing white tea. These measures emphasize vigorously implementing the "Science and Technology Revitalize Tea" initiative to achieve sustainable growth in the tea sector; strengthening government support while fostering industry self-regulation to drive upgrades across the tea value chain; optimizing industry structure, building strong brands, and advancing standardized development within the tea industry; and reinforcing leadership, ensuring effective implementation of supportive policies to provide robust backing for accelerating the tea industry's expansion.

　　With the introduction of 20 revitalization policies, Fuding’s townships (and subdistricts) promptly established township- and village-level accountability systems for tea industry development, aligning with the city’s overall tea industry development plan. Tea-related work has been placed high on the local agenda, with production and product quality safety explicitly included as key components of annual performance evaluations for township and village officials. Meanwhile, tea enterprises and farmers have swiftly mobilized, actively collaborating with the government to fully accelerate the growth of the tea economy.

　　Strengthen the leading enterprises to enhance their radiating influence.

　　"Only by first honing ourselves can we attract investment. Guiding and supporting the growth of leading Fuding white tea enterprises has become the primary task for government departments at present." To this end, the Fuding Municipal Party Committee and Government have adopted the philosophy that "supporting leading enterprises means boosting farmers' incomes," optimizing the business environment, actively attracting investment, and promoting the "Company + Base + Farmer Household" model. As a result, the city has established 10 organic tea and green food bases spanning 38,000 mu, as well as 5 pollution-free tea garden bases covering another 38,000 mu. These initiatives have not only empowered local tea farmers but also expanded the overall tea production base. Today, 28 leading enterprises (companies) are thriving, driving robust growth in both tea production and sales, ensuring sustained increases in tea yields, higher incomes for tea farmers, and improved efficiency for tea businesses—ultimately achieving the goal of mutual prosperity for the entire industry.

　　Following the principles of "unified planning, rational layout, contiguous development, and standardized implementation," the city is pursuing a strategy of large-scale growth in its tea bases, driven by leading enterprises. This approach is helping to propel the city’s tea industry toward greater scalability. Currently, the city has established 200,000 mu of high-quality tea-growing areas, with a business model that integrates processing facilities at the foot of the mountains and tea base development on the slopes.

　　Driven by leading enterprises, each has established its own tea production base. These bases are helping surrounding farmers adopt pollution-free tea cultivation practices, benefiting 17 townships across the city and even extending support to neighboring municipalities. The construction of these pollution-free tea bases has successfully passed inspection and approval by the Ministry of Agriculture, while the development of organic tea farms continues to maintain the province's leading position.

　　Building the brand to gain market share

　　To encourage the entire society to care about, develop, and expand the tea industry, Fuding City allocates more than 1 million yuan annually from its municipal budget to establish a Tea Development Fund. The city is committed to building a strong public brand centered around "Fuding White Tea," formulating local standards for "Fuding White Tea," supporting the Tea Association in registering trademarks for the brand, and encouraging businesses to create their own distinctive "Fuding White Tea" product lines. As a result, numerous well-known trademarks in Fujian Province and prestigious provincial-level agricultural brands have emerged. Notably, in 2009, Fuding White Tea was consecutively awarded the title of "China Famous Trademark," and Fuding White Tea (Tai Mu Silver Needle) was selected as one of the "Top Ten Teas at the World Expo." Adding to this milestone, the discovery of "Bai Hao Yin Zhen" (Silver Needle with White Tips) in a thousand-year-old tomb in Xi'an not only highlights the ancient heritage of Fuding White Tea but also presents an exceptional opportunity to further elevate the brand's global recognition.

　　After the tea brand gained momentum, the Fuding Municipal Party Committee and Government encouraged and supported enterprises, large-scale operators, farmer brokers, and intermediary organizations to open flagship brand stores in major and medium-sized cities and to tap into international markets. They also actively promoted participation in the China White Tea Culture Festival, organizing groups to attend prestigious tea events such as the Beijing Malian Dao International Tea Culture Festival and the Cross-Strait Tea Expo. Through a series of engaging activities—including specialty tea exhibitions and sales, tea-tasting sessions, tea art performances, tea-themed song and dance shows, and promotional events for "Fuding White Tea"—the brand’s reputation was significantly enhanced. Meanwhile, Fuding City has been proactively encouraging tea companies to participate in domestic and international competitions showcasing premium teas, leveraging these high-profile, authoritative platforms to further elevate the profile of Fuding’s renowned tea products.

　　Enhance services to nurture the tea farmer workforce

　　The tea industry is steadily growing—so how can we ensure quality, especially the quality of raw materials? After all, raw material quality depends on effective tea garden management, and the key drivers of that management are our service system and the tea farmers themselves.

　　In response to stricter pesticide residue controls imposed by Europe and North America on tea imports, the city has introduced new agricultural residue standards for tea. By establishing demonstration bases for organic tea production, the city is taking a targeted approach—starting with pilot sites—to systematically promote the development of pollution-free tea gardens across the board. This initiative also emphasizes comprehensive efforts to control and degrade pesticide residues at their source, ensuring top-notch tea quality from the very beginning. As of now, the city has successfully promoted 200,000 mu of pollution-free tea gardens and established organic tea and green-food bases spanning 38,000 mu. Notably, this county (or city) was among the first in Fujian Province to implement and scale up the construction of organic tea gardens and green-food bases—and currently boasts the largest area under such initiatives in the entire province.

　　Meanwhile, Fuding City has established tea development technology service centers, stations, and teams at the city, township, and village levels. The city has also hired provincial and municipal tea experts as year-round consultants to guide Fuding's tea industry development. Additionally, the city leverages the organization of the Tea Association to set tea quality standards and actively works toward building strong tea brands. To support this growth, the city has utilized poverty alleviation training funds to provide farmers with comprehensive training in areas such as tea cultivation, processing, management, and marketing—equipping them with the skills needed to become a new generation of knowledgeable, well-managed, business-savvy, and trustworthy tea producers. As the industry continues to thrive, Fuding has opened over 1,000 tea retail outlets across major cities nationwide, while a dedicated marketing team of more than 10,000 individuals is actively promoting and selling Fuding tea products throughout China.

　　Meanwhile, Fuding City is tapping into the cultural depth of tea to build a strong tea industry brand, promote the spirit of tea culture, and further enhance Fuding's global recognition and reputation—both domestically and internationally—thereby driving the city’s economic and cultural development toward even greater success and momentum.