Yuexiang Longjing

Yuexiang Longjing

　　Shengzhou is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with the winding Shancheng River flowing through it. The area boasts beautiful landscapes of lush hills and clear waters, with serene and picturesque scenery. The climate is mild and humid, with abundant rainfall. Tea plantations are mostly located in hilly regions at altitudes of 300 to 500 meters, where the soil is fertile and the area is often shrouded in mist — a naturally superior environment highly suitable for tea cultivation.

　　A Long History of Tea Production

　　Tea planting, picking, and drinking customs date back as early as the Han Dynasty in Shengzhou, becoming especially popular during the Jin Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, tea sage Lu Yu and eminent monk Jiao Ran left behind valuable tea classics and a rich tea culture for Shengzhou. In the Song Dynasty, an official tea trade management institution known as the "Tea Affairs Office" was established in Shengzhou. During the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, tea from Shengzhou was presented as tribute to the imperial court. From the Qing Dynasty to the Republican era, Shengzhou’s tea began to be exported to Europe, America, and African countries. By the late Qing Dynasty, “Quangang Hui Bai” became one of China's top ten famous teas. Wu Juenong, regarded as the modern tea sage, founded the Zhejiang Tea Improvement Station in Sanjie, Shengzhou. All these have contributed to a profound cultural foundation for the development of Yuexiang Longjing.

　　Building the Yuexiang Brand

　　Faced with its unique resource advantages and long history of tea production, in 1998 Shengzhou named its Longjing tea after the region’s culturally distinctive “Hometown of Yue Opera,” registering the culturally rich “Yuexiang” Longjing trademark as the city’s public brand for Longjing tea. After more than 10 years of development, Yuexiang Longjing has won the favor of tea experts and consumers alike for its flat and smooth appearance, emerald-green to tender-yellow color, fragrant aroma, mellow taste, and excellent endurance in brewing. It has successively received honors such as Zhejiang Famous Brand and Zhejiang Well-Known Trademark, and has won over 30 gold awards in both domestic and international famous tea competitions. In 2009, it proudly ranked first in the second Zhejiang Top Ten Famous Teas selection.

　　Yuexiang Longjing · Cultivation Chapter

　　Promoting High-Quality Varieties and Establishing Standards

　　To build the Yuexiang Longjing brand, Shengzhou vigorously promoted the development of high-quality tea varieties. The city has developed 95,000 acres of clonal high-quality tea plantations. The provincial-level modern tea demonstration zone located in Chongren Town has become a model of high-yield and high-efficiency tea production in the province, earning the title of “Zhejiang Advanced County in Tea Variety Development” three times. To ensure the quality of Yuexiang Longjing, Shengzhou has successively formulated the provincial standard “Yuexiang Longjing,” the local standard “Pollution-Free Tea,” and the “Pollution-Free Tea Production Technical Regulations,” achieving standardized and pollution-free tea planting and processing. Currently, pollution-free tea bases account for 80% of the total tea plantation area in the city.

　　Enhancing Techniques and Promoting the Brand

　　To promote the Yuexiang Longjing brand, the municipal government invested over 23 million yuan to carry out a series of activities to improve tea processing techniques and promote the brand. Since 1998, Shengzhou has held 12 consecutive Yuexiang Longjing Processing Competitions. It also co-hosted two Flat-Shaped Famous Tea Processing Competitions and one Mechanized Longjing Tea Competition with provincial-level departments. Over 900 skilled processors participated, with nearly 100 winners. Through the mentorship of these award-winning participants, more than 10,000 skilled tea workers have been trained, significantly improving overall processing quality. In 2008, the output value of famous tea was 146% of that in 2004. In 2004, the Yuexiang Longjing Processing Champion performed a live Longjing tea processing demonstration for nearly 10,000 foreign guests at the Sino-French International Tea Culture Festival, gaining an early advantage in opening up the European market.

　　Building Networks and Expanding Markets

　　To expand the sales market for Yuexiang Longjing, Shengzhou has placed great emphasis on developing a tea market network. It has established 15 origin-based famous tea markets and 28 fresh leaf markets. In March last year, Phase I of the Shengzhou (China) Tea City was put into use, upgrading the central market and establishing it as a major distribution hub for Longjing tea nationwide. Over 1,000 direct sales outlets and 72 Yuexiang Longjing specialty stores have been opened in 29 provinces (municipalities), along with 120 counters in large supermarkets such as Carrefour. In the Shandong market alone, there are over 600 direct sales outlets and 28 Yuexiang Longjing specialty stores, with annual sales of over 2,500 tons of Longjing tea, accounting for 42% of the Shandong market’s Longjing tea sales. Three offices have been established in countries such as France, forming a “Five-Market Synergy” sales network consisting of fresh leaf markets, origin markets, central markets, domestic markets, and international markets.

　　Yuexiang Longjing · Growth Chapter

　　Accelerating Standardized Production

　　To accelerate the development of the Yuexiang Longjing brand, the city has established a quality standard system, testing system, and product quality supervision system for Yuexiang Longjing. Six enterprises have obtained quality system certifications such as ISO9001 and HACCP, 14 have passed QS certification, 11 products have received national pollution-free agricultural product certification, seven have passed organic food certification, and four bases have obtained IMO international certification.

　　Significantly Improving Tea Processing Conditions

　　To optimize the processing environment for Yuexiang Longjing, by the end of 2008, over 18 million yuan had been invested to upgrade 172 primary tea processing factories, establish three provincial-level demonstration tea factories, and build 62 famous tea processing clusters. This breakthrough addressed challenges such as low organization in tea production and difficulty in clean processing, providing practical and effective models and approaches for advancing optimized renovation of tea factories and upgrading the famous tea industry across the province. Shengzhou leads the province in this effort, with its practices promoted statewide, and has been twice awarded the title of “Provincial Advanced County in Primary Tea Factory Renovation.”

　　Strengthening Brand Management Comprehensively

　　To make “Yuexiang” a collective brand for Shengzhou’s Longjing tea, in 2008 the municipal government invested 1.5 million yuan to acquire the “Yuexiang” trademark, integrating the city’s Longjing tea brands. The Yuexiang Famous Tea Association and Brand Management Office were established, along with systems such as the “Yuexiang Famous Tea Association Charter,” “Yuexiang Trademark Management Measures,” “Yuexiang Longjing Packaging Management Measures,” and “Yuexiang Longjing Packaging Printing Contracts.” Operating under the “Yuexiang + Enterprise Trademark” model, the brand implements “six unifications” in industry management: brand, standards, packaging, labeling, promotion, and supervision.

　　Yuexiang Longjing · Enhancement Chapter

　　Yuexiang Longjing has gained strong praise and vitality by standing the test of the market. While Shengzhou people focus intently on tea quality, they are equally dedicated to building the Yuexiang Longjing brand. Starting in 2009, four major projects — “Quality Enhancement, Brand Building, Leading Enterprise Development, and Cultural Heritage” — have been fully implemented. The goal is to further enhance the Yuexiang Longjing brand, making it a significant industry that increases agricultural efficiency and farmers’ income, and propelling Shengzhou from a “major tea city” to a “strong tea city.”

　　Quality Enhancement Project: Develop 53,000 acres of clonal high-quality tea plantations, build 100 famous tea processing clusters, establish 10 provincial-level demonstration tea factories, and add 40 new enterprises certified with QS.

　　Brand Building Project: Open 300 Yuexiang Longjing specialty stores, penetrate 1,000 supermarkets, explore international markets, and improve the “Yuexiang Longjing” marketing network.

　　Leading Enterprise Development Project: Cultivate 3–5 national and provincial-level agricultural leading enterprises; expand the Shengzhou (China) Tea City; develop 5–10 provincial-level demonstration cooperatives, forming a closely linked industrial chain driven by the market, anchored by leading enterprises, connected to bases, and extending to farmers.

　　Cultural Heritage Project: As the birthplace of Chinese tea ceremony, Shengzhou leverages its profound tea culture heritage by hosting tea culture festivals and tea art performances. It also integrates resources to plan distinctive leisure tourism that combines sightseeing, tea picking, tea processing, and tea tasting, further cultivating new growth points for Shengzhou’s tea industry.