Tonglu Xueshuiyun Green Tea

Tonglu Xueshuiyun Green Tea

Tonglu Xueshuiyun Green Tea is a geographical indication certification trademark.

Tonglu Xueshuiyun Green Tea is an agricultural geographical indication product.

　　Xueshuiyun Green Tea is produced in the mountainous regions of Tonglu, primarily using wild tea leaves. The production area features layered green peaks, misty seas of clouds, and stunning scenery, with scattered tea bushes nestled among the forests. The tea leaves absorb the essence of nature and the vitality of all things, exuding a delicate fragrance. This product combines traditional techniques with outstanding methods of modern premium teas, emphasizing careful selection of materials, meticulous processing, and distinctive characteristics. It uses tender, unopened full buds as raw material, undergoing eight refined processes to create this fine tea. The finished tea has a tightly rolled, slightly flat shape, tender green color, lofty aroma, fresh and mellow taste, clear liquor with upright buds, and is regarded as a rare tea treasure for its exceptional flavor and visual appeal.

　　Tonglu’s renowned tea, grown on mist-covered high mountains, is thus called “Xueshui Yunlv” (Snow Water Cloud Green). The Ming Dynasty’s Li Rihua wrote in his "Notes from the Six Study Studio" that it was already tribute tea during the Song Dynasty. Xueshui Yunlv is shaped like a silver sword drawn from its sheath, with hidden downy fuzz and a bright, tender green liquor, offering a fragrant and sweet taste. It has won the Gold Award at the China International Tea Expo.  Xueshui Yunlv

　　The culturally significant Chinese tea “Xueshui Yunlv,” a type of green needle tea, pioneered the history of needle-shaped premium teas in the province and even the nation due to the uniqueness of its raw materials. Renowned for its “four beauties”—color, aroma, taste, and shape—it resembles lotus heart, with a jade-like translucent green color, straight and uniform appearance, and is highly favored by consumers. It has won gold awards in national, provincial, and municipal tea competitions, and is the only tea in the province to have continuously won the Gold Award at the China Agricultural Expo.

　　Description

　　Upon opening, it resembles a short sword carved from xiuyu (jade) and emerald

　　When brewed, it looks like a fairy scattering flowers, with each sprout gracefully unfurling

　　Upon sipping, the forest-like aroma lingers richly in the chest, throat, and mouth, uninterrupted for three moments, evoking sheer amazement.

　　Xueshui Yunlv

　　Upon research, it is discovered that this tea is a renowned product from Tonglu, grown on mist-covered high mountains, hence called “Xueshui Yunlv.” The Ming Dynasty’s Li Rihua wrote in his "Notes from the Six Study Studio" that it was already tribute tea during the Song Dynasty. Xueshui Yunlv is shaped like a silver sword drawn from its sheath, with hidden downy fuzz and a bright, tender green liquor, offering a fragrant and sweet taste. It has won the Gold Award at the China International Tea Expo. The contemporary monk poet Yuezhao wrote: "The snow mountain towers ten thousand zhang, springs fly over Dragon Pool. Heavenly clouds and mist nourish the tender green fragrance." The Xueshui and Tian Tang areas in Tonglu County’s Xinhe Township, with their high mountains, heavy fog, low temperatures, produce Xueshui Yunlv, a tea treasure among treasures.

　　This tea was the favorite of the late Mr. Zhao Puchu. It features an outward appearance that is green, smooth, and finely flat, with a tender green, bright liquor, an elegant aroma, a refreshing and mellow taste, and perfectly uniform leaf bases.

　　History

　　Of great pedigree

　　The tea bearing the title “Xueshui Yunlv” comes from Tonglu by the Fuchun River. Its packaging may not be particularly special, even somewhat rough, but it naturally brings to mind Fan Zhongyan’s poem "Jiukeng Tea": “Charming Tonglu Prefecture, where spring hills are half covered in tea. What kind deed stirred the light thunder, startling the pre-rain sprouts?” This “Jiukeng Tea” was one of the ancient famous teas, with Lu Yu’s "Classic of Tea" noting “tea from Mu Prefecture is produced in the valleys of Tonglu.” According to the "Scattered Discussions on the History of Chinese Tea" by contemporary tea scholar Zhuang Wanfang: “According to the Qing Dynasty’s Haiji, among the tributes of tea from various provinces in the early Qing, Tonglu contributed twelve jin.” It is evident that Tonglu has long been a land of fine tea, and today’s so-called “Xueshui Yunlv” has a rich history.

　　Xueshui Yunlv

　　Mr. Lu Xinji is the namer of this fine tea, “Xueshui Yunlv.” Over twenty years ago, he secluded himself in Tonglu’s verdant mountains to develop premium tea, eventually achieving success. Mr. Lu explained that each character in “Xueshui Yunlv” has its origin, not only aligning with the nature of tea as the finest of plants, but also embodying the spirit of Chinese tea culture and the origins and essence of the universe. Though it may sound somewhat mystical, the profound often manifests in mysterious, magical points—gathering the spirit of heaven and earth, shaped by nature, inspired by water, and embodying the essence of “harmony.” These green sprouts are indeed extraordinary. Undoubtedly, the value of “Xueshui Yunlv,” produced in Tonglu—where “every mountain grows tea” and “every village picks new buds”—and as the finest among bud-type teas, is abundantly clear.

　　“The moon before my window is the same as always, but once the plum blossoms appear, it becomes different.” This poem may not be about Tonglu, but upon closer reflection, the literary camaraderie of drinking tea by the fire and admiring plum blossoms through the window seems to find its most typical, purest, and most literary expression in Tonglu—surrounded by green waters, embraced by mountains, and filled with the aroma of tea. Indeed, historical records show that despite its modest size, Tonglu has long attracted literary giants such as Li Bai, Bai Juyi, Du Mu, Meng Jiao, Su Shi, Xie Lingyun, Shen Yue, Wang Anshi, Huang Tingjian, Fan Chengda, Yang Wanli, Luo Yin... who left behind countless poems and writings. The fragrance of tea is always intertwined with the scent of ink. Is it this magical landscape of “exploring sparrow tongues in the clouds of Junjun and boiling dragon balls in the emerald waters of Fuchun” that has utterly captivated them, making literati who “regard tea as a matter of life and death” (Qing Dynasty · Du Jun, Inscription on the Tea Mound) yearn for and linger in Tonglu, step after step, reluctant to leave, for thousands of years?

　　“When water is still, even the plain becomes clear, how much more so the spirit.” (Zhuangzi · Heaven’s Way) Today, the people of Tonglu deeply understand that only good mountains and waters yield good tea, and they protect the environment as carefully as they do their own eyes, ensuring sustainable development. In recent years, the slogan “Building Charming Tonglu” has been put into practice with remarkable results. Clip a piece of cloud green, brew a pot of snow water. The endlessly fragrant, clear tea is clearly a perfect symbol of this beautiful land’s journey toward sustainable development.

　　Tiansheng Gongya

　　Xueshui Yunlv

　　Tonglu tea is renowned both at home and abroad. Lu Yu of the Tang Dynasty wrote in the "Classic of Tea": “Xi Yang, Wuchang, Lujiang, and Jinling produce good tea, but none surpasses Tonglu.” “Tiansheng Gongya” (Heavenly Sage Tribute Sprout) was already a tribute tea during the Southern Song Dynasty.

　　Tiansheng Gongya tea is produced around Tianzun Rock in Wushan Township, situated at an altitude of one thousand meters amid overlapping mountain ranges. Each jin of tea contains 26,000 tender buds, resembling Shoumei tea, with a graceful, green, and glossy appearance, a lofty and lasting aroma, and a rich, fresh taste. Since 1985, this tea has repeatedly won provincial first-class and provincial famous tea titles in tea competitions. In 1991, it received the “New Famous Tea Award” at the first Hangzhou International Tea Culture Festival. The contemporary renowned tea scholar Professor Zhuang Wanfang, after tasting Tiansheng Gongya in Tonglu in August 1986, spontaneously wrote the praise: “Guests joyfully tour the fishing platform at Yaolin, tasting the tribute sprout reveals deeper serenity. Its fragrance is uniquely fragrant and clear, the four beauties of famous tea shall forever flow.”

　　Wuyun Quhao tea is produced in the high mountains of Baijiang Township and is a newly created famous tea from 1988. It was rated as a first-class provincial famous tea in both 1989 and 1991. This tea has a tightly rolled, curly appearance, with bright green color and visible fuzz, a tender green and bright liquor, a lasting, fragrant aroma, a refreshing and sweet taste, and green, bright leaf bases. It won the “New Famous Tea” award at the first Hangzhou International Tea Culture Festival in 1991.

　　Protected Region

　　The progenitor of Chinese needle tea—“Tonglu Xueshuiyun Green Tea”—now has its own protected origin region. The county government has issued specific documents, marking the first detailed division of the production area for the local famous tea “Xueshuiyun Green.”

　　Since its creation over 20 years ago, “Tonglu Xueshuiyun Green Tea” has been beloved for its high quality and has won multiple awards in domestic and international tea competitions. However, as the tea’s fame grew, the cultivation and imitation of “Xueshuiyun Green” increased across regions, leading to unstable product quality and significantly impacting the market image of “Tonglu Xueshuiyun Green Tea.” In the past two years, the local government has taken measures such as trademark consolidation to protect the “Xueshuiyun Green” brand. To further ensure the quality characteristics of “Tonglu Xueshuiyun Green Tea,” the county recently decided to scientifically divide and protect the tea’s production areas throughout the county based on the raw material requirements of “Tonglu Xueshuiyun Green Tea,” the natural environmental conditions of each tea-producing region, and the suitability of the tea trees.

　　Based on the natural environment of each area and the characteristics of tea trees, Tonglu County has currently defined the production regions of its "Snow Water Cloud Green" tea within 59 villages across nine townships: Xinhe, Zhongshan, Fenshui, Baijiang, Hecun, Yaolin, Fengchuan, Hengcun, and along the Fuchun River. Original regional origin labels have been set up for tea gardens in these areas. Alongside regional delineation, the local authorities are also comprehensively promoting standardized production and processing techniques. Any production areas found not complying with standards will be stripped of their protected origin status upon investigation.

　　"Defining the production regions not only ensures the quality of our 'Snow Water Cloud Green' but also greatly safeguards the interests of tea farmers," said Yao Fujun, head of the Tonglu County Tea Industry Station. With the regional division of "Tonglu Snow Water Cloud Green Tea," the quality of raw materials is effectively guaranteed, and the stability of tea quality is assured. This will not only promote the future development of "Tonglu Snow Water Cloud Green Tea" but also help increase income for local tea farmers. Yao also revealed to reporters that the region is actively applying for an origin certification trademark to provide more effective protection for "Tonglu Snow Water Cloud Green Tea."

　　Production and Sales

　　Currently, Tonglu County has established 53,000 mu of famous tea production bases, including 43,500 mu of pollution-free tea bases, 1,000 mu of green food tea bases, and 1,960 mu of organic tea bases. In 2007, the output of the famous tea "Snow Water Cloud Green" was 350 tons, with a production value of 120 million yuan. "Snow Water Cloud Green" tea is a Zhejiang Famous Product, and "Snow Water Cloud Green" is a Zhejiang Well-Known Trademark. It has also passed national geographical indication certification as a trademark.

　　Challenging High Goals

　　"Snow Water Cloud Green" has long been loved by the public for its high-quality fragrance, taste, and appearance, winning multiple gold awards in domestic and international tea evaluation meetings and expos. Recently, at a county tea ceremony for seniors, good news arrived: the "Tonglu Snow Water Cloud Green Tea" certification trademark was officially publicized on April 6, marking the official launch of origin protection. This signifies another step forward in the development of the "Snow Water Cloud Green" tea brand in our county.

　　Snow Water Cloud Green

　　This is an era where branding reigns supreme. When it comes to brands, Coca-Cola immediately comes to mind for beverages, and IBM for laptops. What people can instantly recall and name is a brand. Today, the tea industry has also entered an era of brand competition, with well-known brands such as Lipton, West Lake Dragon Well, and Anxi Tieguanyin already household names. Of course, the market today is filled with "Dragon Wells everywhere in the south" and "Tieguanyin from every corner." Walking into a tea wholesale market, every merchant claims their product is "authentic" or from the "original producing area," making it hard to distinguish the real from the fake. To carve out a place in an increasingly competitive market, the brand building of "Snow Water Cloud Green" has no room for retreat.

　　The good news is that the county Party committee and government have always attached great importance to the construction of the "Snow Water Cloud Green" tea brand: in March 2005, the county established the "Snow Water Cloud Green" Tea Industry Association to manage the tea under industry standards, breaking through the "bottleneck" of brand integration. On December 14 of the same year, the "Snow Water Cloud Green" tea trademark was successfully registered, achieving the integration of the "Snow Water Cloud Green" tea brand. Strict "five unifications" management was enforced for the famous tea: unified branding, unified standards, unified packaging, unified promotion, and unified supervision... Through the joint efforts of the entire county, "Snow Water Cloud Green" tea has since been recognized as a Hangzhou Famous Product and Well-Known Trademark, as well as a Zhejiang Famous Product and Well-Known Trademark. The county government has also stated that it will strive to secure recognition of "Snow Water Cloud Green" tea as a China Famous Product and a China Well-Known Trademark as soon as possible, while intensifying overall brand promotion to enhance visibility and market share.

　　The era of branding has quietly arrived, and where there is existence, branding must be pursued. Cultivating a brand requires the relentless efforts of several generations, even spanning decades or a century, along with strategic vision and enduring perseverance. We have reason to believe that the "Snow Water Cloud Green" brand will resonate even louder tomorrow, just like the Fuchun Mountains and Waters, "resounding like drums and bells across the land."

　　Earning National Recognition

　　"Clip a piece of cloud green, brew a pot of snow water." Tonglu's "Snow Water Cloud Green" has long been well-known in the tea industry. Another piece of good news brings new opportunities for its development. The Tonglu County tea planting standard demonstration project has passed the review of national, provincial, and municipal departments. The successful initiation of this project marks the county’s first breakthrough in establishing a national-level agricultural standard demonstration zone.

　　The demonstration area of this project includes four key tea-producing townships in Tonglu County: Fenshui Town, Baijiang Town, Zhongshan Township, and Xinhe Township. These areas currently have a total tea garden area of 25,000 mu and 6,500 tea farming households. The establishment of the "Snow Water Cloud Green" tea standardization demonstration project will guide the development of famous tea toward refinement, scale, and industrialization, helping the county’s tea industry reach new heights, maximize brand benefits, and accelerate rapid development.

　　Tonglu County has a total tea garden area of 52,000 mu. In 2007, the output of the county’s famous tea "Snow Water Cloud Green" reached 345 tons, with a production value of 102 million yuan, contributing significantly to Tonglu County’s tea industry.

　　Tonglu Snow Water Cloud Green Tea

　　Geographical Scope

　　Tonglu County is located in the northwest of Zhejiang Province, along the middle reaches of the Qiantang River and the beautiful Fuchun River. It is 75 kilometers from the provincial capital Hangzhou, administratively under the jurisdiction of Hangzhou City, within the Shanghai Economic Zone of the Yangtze River Delta. Both National Highway 320 and the Hangzhou-Qianjiang Expressway pass through the area. The county stretches about 77 kilometers from east to west and 55 kilometers from north to south, covering a total area of 1,825 square kilometers. The protected geographical indication area for the Tonglu Snow Water Cloud Green Tea agricultural product includes 59 villages across nine townships within the administrative scope of Tonglu County, Zhejiang Province: Xinhe Township, Zhongshan Township, Baijiang Town, Hecun Township, Fenshui Town, Yaolin Town, Hengcun Town, Fuchunjiang Town, and Fengchuan Town. The area extends east to Yinkeng Village in Xinhe Township, south to Xiatang Village in Zhongshan Township, west to Hanban Village in Baijiang Town, and north to Yaoxi Village in Hecun Township. The geographical coordinates lie between 29°35′–30°05′ north latitude and 119°10′–119°58′ east longitude, covering an area of 3,334 hectares with an annual output of 400 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) External Sensory Features: Tonglu Snow Water Cloud Green Tea is characterized by its single-bud needle shape, tender green color, clear and bright liquor, lasting fragrant aroma, fresh and refreshing taste with a sweet aftertaste, and intact tender green leaves. When brewed, the leaves stand elegantly upright in the cup, showcasing unique internal quality and visual beauty. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: Tonglu Snow Water Cloud Green Tea is rich in tea polyphenols and amino acid compounds. Physical and chemical indicators include: moisture ≤6.5%, total ash ≤6.5%, crude fiber ≤12%, amino acid content ≥2.0%, and water extract ≥36%. (3) Quality and Safety: The safety of Snow Water Cloud Green Tea is ensured through the testing and monitoring of physical samples for physical, chemical, and hygiene indicators. The physical, chemical, and hygiene indicators of Snow Water Cloud Green Tea comply with GB2762, GB2763, and refer to NY/T 5244.