Fúquán Mountain Tea Sea

Fúquán Mountain Tea Sea

Fúquán Mountain Tea Sea is located on Fúquán Mountain in the Dongqian Lake Tourist Resort of Ningbo City. Part of the Tiantai Mountain range, it serves as a production base for “Tiantan Brand” pearl tea in China, a typical premium tea production base in Zhejiang Province, a tea plant variety breeding base, a pollution-free agricultural product base, a demonstration base for northern China tea varieties, a base for Donghai Longshe tea, and one of China’s famous tea regions. Primarily focused on tea production while also integrating agriculture, industry, commerce, and trade, it covers the largest area and grows the most diverse range of tea varieties in Ningbo. The site currently has five branch tea farms and is one of the three major tea production bases in Zhejiang Province. The Fúquán Mountain Tea Farm spans a total area of 10 km², with its main peak rising to an elevation of 569 m. It features 100 hectares of clonal cultivar tea gardens, 600 hectares of Chinese fir forests, and 33.3 hectares of bamboo groves. The tea gardens are mainly distributed at elevations between 200 m and 500 m, and there are eight reservoirs scattered across the mountain and surrounding areas. The annual average temperature is 16.2°C, with over 1,500 mm of annual precipitation, approximately 2,000 hours of annual sunshine, and about 105 kcal/cm² of annual solar radiation. The frost-free period lasts around 230 days. The soil is primarily yellow earth, with some red earth. The soil is deep and fertile, with a depth of about 1 m. The yellow earth has an organic matter content (topsoil layer) of 4.25%, total nitrogen of 0.218%, total phosphorus of 0.028%, and a pH value of 5.3. Due to the superior ecological environment and dense vegetation, it is known as a “natural oxygen bar.” Dozens of high-quality tea varieties carpet the terraced fields in layers of dark emerald and light green, stretching across tens of square kilometers. “On sunny days, fog blankets the land; on rainy days, clouds shroud the mountains.” The lush mountain vegetation, deep soil layers, and abundant humus create the ideal environment for tea tree growth—as well as for wild azaleas and orchids. In spring and summer, fragrant orchid blossoms drift through the air. When weather permits, vast mist often envelops the tea-covered slopes in the early morning. The upper edge of the mist seems to touch the sky, while the lower part appears as if water has just overflowed a dam, cascading down onto the tea terraces—a truly ethereal scene. One of the largest sub-farms within Fúquán Mountain Tea Sea—Terraced Tea Ridge—features stone-paved paths along the mountain that form terraces, constructed using locally sourced materials and manually transported. The Terraced Tea Ridge spans a total area of 3,636 mu (approximately 242 hectares), with terrace widths ranging from 2 to 4.5 m and pathway widths of 2.45 m. The slope angle is around 25°.

Fúquán Mountain Tea Sea was established in the 1960s. It primarily produced stir-fried pearl tea, all of which was exported under foreign trade contracts. Today, it has introduced 36 high-quality tea plant varieties developed by domestic universities, research institutes, and academies, including Qiu Keng, Ying Shuang, Mao Xie, Jin Feng, Zhu Ye, Cui Feng, Fu Ding, and Bi Yun. Current premium teas include “Donghai Longshe,” “Cloud Mist Spring,” “Buddha Tea,” and “White Tea.” Among these, “Cloud Mist Spring” and “Donghai Longshe” have won multiple awards. The “Donghai Longshe,” inscribed by calligrapher and painter Sha Menghai, is of exceptional quality. Since its creation in 1988, it has enjoyed a strong market reputation both domestically and internationally, earning accolades at national, provincial, and municipal levels, and achieving recognition through three tiers of scientific and technological achievements.

Surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the sea on the other, Fúquán Mountain Tea Sea spans an area of 10 km². With lush forests, verdant tea gardens, and mist-shrouded peaks, it naturally forms a unique high-altitude climate, providing ideal conditions for producing premium teas. Located within the ancient Mao County established by Qin Shi Huang, Tang Dynasty scholar Lu Yu’s Classic of Tea recorded that tea was produced in Yujia Village (now Jiacun in Yinzhou District), which lies in close proximity to Fúquán Mountain. “Donghai Longshe” carries on the long-standing tea-growing tradition of Yinzhou County. Over 350 years ago, eastern Zhejiang scholar Li Yeshi visited Fúquán Mountain alone and was amazed by the spectacular cloud formations. In his writings, “Record of the Secluded Hut on Fúquán Mountain,” he noted: “The mountain was once the dwelling of the divine horse Longma, with its summit overlooking the sea. While resting in the mountain hall, clouds drifted in from outside. I closed the door to keep them out, but soon they gathered around the Buddha’s seat. I opened the door to let them out, yet they lingered around the Buddha’s figure like mist.” This rare natural phenomenon—where clouds seem to emerge from within despite efforts to keep them out, and where opening the door releases them only to have them envelop the Buddha’s seat—creates an ethereal atmosphere. This unique interplay of timing, location, and environment forms the perfect setting that underpins the exceptional quality of the “Donghai Longshe” premium tea.