Yuyao Waterfall Immortal Tea

Yuyao Waterfall Immortal Tea

Yuyao Waterfall Immortal Tea is a geographical indication certification trademark.

Yuyao Waterfall Immortal Tea is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　     “Waterfall Immortal Tea” is China’s first ancient famous tea with an officially recognized brand name. This is no empty claim — its past and present are adorned with a glorious legacy.

　　    “Waterfall Immortal Tea” evolved from the primitive tea of the Hemudu Culture. The Hemudu site from the Neolithic Age is one of the earliest Neolithic cultural sites discovered in China. It is located at the foot of the Siming Mountains by the Yao River, connected to Yuyao — the birthplace of “Waterfall Immortal Tea” — and both belong to the Siming Mountain range. The preserved remains of Lauraceae plants exhibited in the Hemudu Site Museum today have been identified by experts as primitive tea. Meanwhile, ancient tea tree roots dating back six thousand years were excavated from the Tianluoshan site, also part of the Hemudu Culture. Expert testing confirmed them to be from the Camellia genus within the Theaceae family, possibly belonging to the tea plant species. Later tests conducted by relevant departments of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences revealed that these roots contained theanine, a compound unique to tea plants. All of this indicates that tea elements existed in Yuyao as early as six thousand years ago. From the moment of its birth, “Waterfall Immortal Tea” has been bathed in the ambiance of Hemudu’s primitive civilization.

　　    The Siming Mountains in Yuyao are a sacred site of Taoism. The immortal hermit Danqiu Zi discovered a grand tea plant in the Siming Mountains and bestowed it upon Yu Hong, a man from Yuyao, as recorded in Lu Yu’s Classic of Tea: “Yu Hong, a man from Yuyao, went into the mountains to gather tea and encountered a Taoist priest leading three green oxen. The priest led Hong to Waterfall Mountain and said: ‘I am Danqiu Zi. I have heard you are good at preparing tea and have long wished to receive some. There is great tea in these mountains that I can offer you. I hope that in the future, when you have spare tea, you will share it with me.’ Yu Hong then set up an altar for worship, and later often sent his family to the mountains, where they obtained great tea.” Tao Hongjing, a Taoist physician of the Southern Dynasties, wrote in his Divine Farmer's Materia Medica: “Tea lightens the body and transforms the bones — in the past, Danqiu Zi and Huangshan Jun consumed it.” The monk poet Jiao Ran composed the lines: “The immortal hermit of Danqiu scorns fine food, drinks tea and grows wings,” and “Who truly understands the Way of Tea in its entirety? Only Danqiu has attained it.” … Perhaps Danqiu Zi was an ancient, deified tea-loving Taoist priest, but the rich regional culture of the Siming Mountains is filled with traces of Taoists and tea. In the Tea Immortal Shrine of the Dalan tea-growing region, is not Danqiu Zi the enshrined Tea Immortal? Both Taoists in meditation and Buddhists in prayer use tea to quench thirst, ward off sleepiness, refresh the mind, and achieve spiritual elevation.

　　    The Classic of Tea, written by the Sage of Tea Lu Yu, marks the formation of Chinese tea culture. This classic work of over seven thousand characters not only mentions Yuyao’s tea culture multiple times, but also, in the section “Production Regions (Part 8),” names the only tea with an official designation — “In Yuyao County, on the peak of Waterfall Spring Ridge, it is called ‘Immortal Tea’.” China’s tea-growing regions span thousands of miles and cover more than 900 counties (cities) nationwide. The Classic of Tea uniquely names “Waterfall Immortal Tea,” which is indeed an honor for Yuyao.

　　    Later generations often regard the appearance of “Waterfall Immortal Tea” based on the Tang Dynasty’s Classic of Tea, but the name “Waterfall Immortal Tea” was actually recorded by Lu Yu based on the reputation of “Immortal Tea” at the time. The ancients advocated “narrating without creating” when writing about events. Lu Yu wrote the Classic of Tea with historical evidence and traceable sources. “Immortal Tea” likely emerged during the Han, Wei, and Six Dynasties periods. Teas of the Tang Dynasty already bore the character “茶” (tea), such as Yangxian Tea and Luzhou Tea, but before the Tang Dynasty, the character “茶” did not exist — tea was referred to as “荼” (tu) or “荈” (chuan), while the Wu-Yue region often called it “茗” (ming). The Classic of Tea refers to “Waterfall Immortal Tea” using “仙茗” (immortal tea) rather than “仙茶” (immortal tea, alternate form), indicating that this tea existed before the Tang Dynasty and had long enjoyed a distinguished reputation. During the Han, Wei, and Six Dynasties period, the practice of Taoism flourished. Moreover, “Waterfall Immortal Tea” had an ethereal, celestial aura. The “Han immortal Danqiu Zi” showed Yu Hong “great tea in the mountains.” This ancient famous tea had prestige, quality, and a tea shrine that spread its fame far and wide. The Zhejiang Provincial Annals of Agriculture record: “The Han scholar Danqiu Zi discovered large tea trees on the peak of Waterfall Spring Ridge in the Siming Mountains of Yuyao.”

　　    Tea production in the Siming Mountains of Yuyao began during the Han, Wei, and Six Dynasties periods, flourishing in the Tang and Song Dynasties. The early origin, pioneering brand, superior quality, and ancient name of “Waterfall Immortal Tea” make it the foremost ancient famous tea in China.

　　    Today’s Yuyao “Waterfall Immortal Tea” innovates while carrying on tradition. In 2009, its production reached 655 tons. It has won numerous gold awards in tea evaluations, become a famous brand product of Zhejiang Province and Ningbo City, and earned titles such as China Famous Trademark and China Geographical Indication.

　　    Tea master Professor Zhuang Wanfang once wrote a poem: “Ancient fame of Waterfall Immortal Tea, springs and scenic relics welcome myriad homes; Siming carries memories of old brews, its delicious fragrance conveying friendship.”

　　    Geographical Scope

　　    Yuyao City is located on the Ningbo Plain in eastern Zhejiang, bordering Jiangbei District and Yinzhou District of Ningbo City to the east, the Siming Mountains to the south (adjoining Fenghua and Shengzhou), connecting to Shangyu City to the west, bordering Cixi City to the north, and touching the central line of the Qiantang River and Hangzhou Bay to the northwest with Haiyan County. The city covers a total area of 1,526.86 square kilometers, with 21 towns and subdistricts and 268 administrative villages. Yuyao Waterfall Immortal Tea is produced in seventeen towns (subdistricts): Siming Mountains, Dalan, Liangnong, Luting, Lubu, Dayin, Hemudu, Sanqishi, Zhangting, Mazhu, Mou Shan, Linshan, Lanjiang Subdistrict, Lizhou Subdistrict, Ditang Subdistrict, Yangming Subdistrict, and Fengshan Subdistrict. Its geographical coordinates are between 120°52′00″–121°54′00″ east longitude and 29°40′00″–30°23′00″ north latitude. The city’s total tea plantation area spans 61,000 mu, with a yield of 655 tons and an output value of 120 million yuan.

　　    Product Quality Characteristics

　　    (1) External Sensory Characteristics: Based on variety and processing techniques, Yuyao Waterfall Immortal Tea offers a “Three Colors, Four Names” series. Among them, yellow-green tea corresponds to the “Golden Charm” series, available in two grades: 24k and 18k. The Golden Charm series features tightly curled, uniform, and lustrous golden leaves, with a high, lasting aroma, mellow and refreshing taste, a bright yellow liquor, and tender, bright, jade-yellow leaves. White-green tea corresponds to the “Snow Charm” series, with three main grades (Snow Charm 700, Snow Charm 500, Snow Charm 300) and one sub-grade (Standard Grade). The main grades have consistent tenderness in fresh leaves, with differences in internal quality based on varying degrees of whitening. The Snow Charm series features tightly curled, hook-like, uniform, green leaves laced with gold, a high and lasting aroma, bright emerald liquor, a fresh and mellow taste, and white-tinted, tender, bright leaves. Green teas include two series: “Needle-shaped” and “Dragon Pearl.” The Needle-shaped series has five grades, with tightly rolled, slightly flat, uniform, green leaves, a tender and lasting aroma, a fresh and mellow taste, a bright, tender green liquor, and uniform, bud-and-leaf structured leaves. The Dragon Pearl series has two grades (Grade 1 and Grade 2), featuring coiled, tightly compressed, uniform leaves with a sandy green, glossy color, a high and lasting aroma, a fresh and mellow taste, a greenish liquor, and uniform, bud-and-leaf structured leaves. The diverse product range of Yuyao Waterfall Immortal Tea includes premium, specialty, rare products for high-end tastes, as well as affordable options for mass consumption, forming a three-tier structure of high, medium, and low grades to meet the needs of different consumer levels. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: Moisture content ≤6.5%, total ash ≤6.0%, broken fragments ≤5.5%, crude fiber ≤14.0%, water extract ≥36.0%. (3) Quality and Safety Requirements: Hygiene indicators comply with GB 2762 and GB 2763, the National Standards for Tea Hygiene.