Shengzhou Tea

Shengzhou Tea

　　Shengzhou has long been famous for tea production and has played an important role in China’s tea industry for thousands of years. In recent years, the city’s tea output has consistently ranked first in the nation. In March 1996, Shengzhou was designated as “China’s Hometown of Tea.” The city’s tea gardens are mainly located on red soil, yellow soil, erosive red soil, oily red-yellow soil, and aromatic ash soil.

　　     The tea industry in Shengzhou originated during the Han and Jin dynasties, as recorded in the story “Chen Wu’s Wife of Shanyin County” in the book *Yi Yuan*. During the Tang Dynasty, the tea sage Lu Yu came to Shengzhou to study tea production, and his friend Jiao Ran highly praised the “Shanxi Tea” produced here. Song dynasty scholar Gao Sisun documented ten types of local teas in *Shan Lu*, namely: Waterfall Tea, Five Dragons Tea, Zhenru Tea, Ziyuan Tea, Beikeng Tea, Dakun Tea, Xiaokun Tea, Luyuan Tea, Xikeng Tea, and Jiaokeng Tea. During the Song Dynasty, under the influence of Rizhu Tea, Shengzhou tea also achieved excellent quality and was often used as a substitute for Rizhu Tea—“most Rizhu Tea brewed at that time was actually from Shengzhou.” At the time, the imperial court even established an official tea management agency known as the Tea Affairs Office in Shengzhou.

　　     During the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, Shengzhou continued to supply tea to the imperial court. From the Qing Dynasty to the Republican era, Shengzhou tea, as a major component of Pinghu Zhucha (Pearl Tea), was exported to Europe, America, and African countries. During the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, Shengzhou created “Qian’gang Hui Bai” tea, which quickly gained fame across the country and became a nationally renowned tea. In the 1920s and 1930s, Shengzhou had around 100,000 acres of tea gardens, with annual output reaching up to 80,000 dan (a traditional unit of weight). In 1936, agricultural expert Wu Juenong founded the Tea Farm at the Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry Improvement Station in Sanjie, Shengzhou, introducing superior tea varieties and advanced machinery while conducting research and promoting tea production techniques. However, after the Japanese invasion, the tea industry in Shengzhou collapsed—the tea gardens were abandoned, acreage shrank to 30,000, and output dropped to 17,800 dan. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the government established tea production guidance agencies, introduced high-quality tea varieties, developed specialized strip-planted and densely planted tea gardens, promoted advanced production techniques, and introduced or developed efficient tea processing and garden operation machinery. A number of primary and refined tea processing plants were built, gradually restoring and developing the industry.                           Shengzhou has made a significant historical contribution to the development of Zhucha (Pearl Tea). In the mid-to-late 1960s, Shengzhou locals Ma Chuanjin and Zhang Dexing collaborated with teachers from the Tea Science Department of Zhejiang Agricultural University to develop the Zhucha Roasting Machine, which later won the Fourth Prize for National Invention. This achievement stands as one of the most successful examples in China’s tea machinery industry. Statistics show that between 1969 and 1982, more than 11,000 Zhucha Roasting Machines were purchased, transplanted, or replicated from Shengzhou by various Pearl Tea producing regions. Shengzhou also successfully reformed the Pearl Tea roasting process, changing the second drying stage from baking to tumbling, which significantly improved tea quality. Some high-altitude tea regions also created the “even-fire roasting method” for Pearl Tea. In 1971 and 1980, Shengzhou’s tea output successively surpassed 2,500 tons and 5,000 tons. In 1981, the Tian Tan brand Premium Pearl Tea won a National Silver Award, and in 1984, it earned an International Gold Award. Subsequently, Shengzhou was designated as one of the three national export bases for Pearl Tea. By 1989, the city had 156,000 acres of tea gardens and produced nearly 10,000 tons of tea.                                         Starting in 1975, Shengzhou began reviving historical premium teas, and from 1985 onward, it started creating new ones. Over the years, the city restored and developed premium teas such as Qian’gang Hui Bai, Jinzhong Tea, Guiyan Wujian, Shunhuang Yunjian, Hushangyuan Longjing, and Maifanshi Longjing. After the 1990s, the development of premium teas accelerated rapidly. In 1998, production reached 49,000 dan, with output value exceeding 100 million yuan. Yingguiyan Village in Chongren Town set an advanced example by producing 300 kg of premium tea per mu, becoming a well-known specialty tea village both within and outside the province. In Wuge Village, Changle Town, located over 800 meters above sea level, there grows a rare white tea plant whose leaves appear white in early spring and gradually turn green later—its processed tea offers a uniquely distinctive flavor.

　　     Currently, Shengzhou has developed a comprehensive tea industry system covering production, primary and refined processing, sales, and tea machinery manufacturing. In 1999, the city had over 110,000 acres of tea gardens, 1,100 primary processing factories, 36 refined processing plants, and 9 premium tea markets, including the Sanjie Tea Factory—the largest refined Pearl Tea processing facility in China. The tea-growing areas are equipped with over 200 types of tea garden machinery such as pruning machines, tea-picking machines, and cultivation machines, as well as 2,100 machines for processing premium teas. Additionally, a comprehensive technical standard for Qian’gang Hui Bai tea has been established. Shengzhou’s tea industry is steadily advancing toward industrialization and modernization.