“Quangang Hui Bai”

“Quangang Hui Bai”

　　“Quangang Hui Bai” is a green tea produced in Qiangang Village, Xiawang Town, Shengzhou City, located in the Siming Mountain Range. Renowned worldwide for its unique characteristics—tightly curled spiral leaves, frosty white appearance, rich aroma, mellow taste, clear liquor, and exceptional endurance through multiple infusions—it is ranked among China’s top ten traditional famous teas. Over the past decade, Shengzhou has placed great emphasis on developing premium teas. In addition to “Quangang Hui Bai,” the region has developed 20 varieties of high-quality teas, the most notable of which include “Jinzhong Tea,” produced in Huangze Town. This tea has been rated as a top-grade provincial tea for three consecutive years and has been included in the list of provincial high-quality famous teas.

　　The production area of Quangang Hui Bai is located on Fuhuan Mountain, a branch of the Siming Mountains, with Qiangang Village situated halfway up the mountain. Fuhuan Mountain stands over 800 meters above sea level, featuring a mild climate, abundant rainfall, fertile soil, thick mist and dew, early sunsets, and late dawns. The mountain is covered with ancient trees that provide dense shade, and wild animals are occasionally spotted. Local farmers describe the geographical features of Qiangang Village as: “The great ridge of Qiangang, where you walk bumping your nose; clouds and mist coil around the mountaintop, and tigers squat on the rocks.” This superior natural environment provides ideal conditions for producing premium tea.

　　The picking and processing techniques of Quangang Hui Bai are exceptionally refined and meticulous. Fresh leaves are generally harvested around Guyu (Grain Rain), with strict picking standards. Premium-grade tea uses one bud with two initial leaves as raw material, while ordinary-grade tea uses one bud with two to three initial leaves. After picking, the fresh leaves are carefully sorted to ensure cleanliness, uniform size, tenderness, and neatness. They are then graded and spread out by quality levels before undergoing separate processing stages. The entire production process includes six steps: fixation (kill-green), initial rolling, initial drying, final drying, second rolling, and Hui pan (finishing pan-firing). The formation of Quangang Hui Bai’s uniquely rounded yet not perfectly round shape mainly occurs during the Hui pan stage. Inside an angled pan, tea leaves are gently pushed against the pan wall with both hands and continuously rotated. As they rotate, the leaves slowly curl into a roundish shape. The entire Hui pan process takes about three hours until the leaves achieve their tightly curled, frosty white appearance.

　　Zhejiang green tea Quangang Hui Bai is primarily produced in Qiangang Village, located in the northeast of Shengxian County adjacent to Shangyu. The finished tea is emerald green with a frosty sheen, hence the name “Qiangang Hui Bai.” Later, “Qiangang” was changed to “Quangang,” undergoing an evolutionary process similar to that of Ping Shui Zhu Cha (Ping Shui Pearl Tea). During the Tang and Song dynasties, Zhejiang green tea known as Shanchi Tea was compressed into cakes or bricks. By the late Song and early Ming dynasties, it had transitioned into loose-leaf form. However, there are no exact records indicating when this rounded-yet-not-quite-round shape first emerged. Nevertheless, most scholars in the tea industry believe that Quangang Hui Bai predates Ping Shui Zhu Cha. That is to say, the perfectly round Ping Shui Zhu Cha evolved from the rounded-yet-irregular Quangang Hui Bai. Thus, the shape of Quangang Hui Bai had already taken form by at least the early Qing Dynasty. During the Kangxi and Yongzheng reigns of the Qing Dynasty, the maritime ban was lifted, and Ping Shui Zhu Cha began to be exported. Its export volume gradually expanded during the Jiaqing and Xianfeng reigns, reaching its peak during the Tongzhi and Guangxu reigns. To meet export demands, processing techniques were continually refined to enhance tightness and improve aesthetic appeal. However, Quangang Hui Bai retained its original shape from the early Qing Dynasty. Consequently, the two teas followed separate paths—one as an export green tea and the other as a premium domestic tea.