Wuyi Mountain Rock Tea

Wuyi Mountain Rock Tea

Wuyi Mountain Rock Tea is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　The tea produced in Wuyi Mountain is mainly oolong tea, accounting for over 80% of the annual output, along with about 10% Gongfu black tea and 7% green tea. Among them, the most famous are Wuyi Rock Tea and Zhengshan Xiaozhong.

　　Wuyi Rock Tea is a type of oolong tea, belonging to semi-fermented green tea. It features lush green leaves with red edges, presenting a striking appearance; the deep orange-yellow liquor shines like agate. It boasts a rich rocky charm, pleasant floral aroma, and a refreshing, sweet aftertaste that lingers. It combines the mellow taste of black tea with the fresh fragrance of green tea, making it a rare tea that embodies the “alive, mellow, clear, and fragrant” qualities. After drinking Wuyi Rock Tea, the lingering fragrance stays on the palate. Yuan Mei, a Qing Dynasty gourmet master, once said: “Having tasted all the teas under heaven, the one grown at the top of Wuyi Mountain, which brews into a white liquor, is the best.”

　　There is a wide variety of Wuyi Rock Tea. According to surveys, just the Huizhuan Rock on the northern side of the mountain has over 800 famous cultivars. The main types include Da Hong Pao, Tie Luo Han, Shui Jin Gui, Bai Ji Guan, Si Ji Chun, Wan Nian Qing, Rou Gui, Bu Zhi Chun, Bai Mu Dan, and more. The most renowned among them is Da Hong Pao. “Da Hong Pao” comes from Jiulong Ke. Legend has it that when Emperor Kangxi was touring the south of the Yangtze River, he suffered from severe discomfort due to the water and climate and fell seriously ill. Many skilled doctors offered prescriptions, but none could cure him. Later, someone presented a pack of tea from Wuyi Mountain for Emperor Kangxi to drink, and unexpectedly, he recovered after drinking it. When Kangxi learned that this miraculously effective tea was produced in Wuyi Mountain, he immediately took off his red imperial robe and sent someone to drape it over the tea tree as a token of gratitude—thus the name “Da Hong Pao” (Big Red Robe). Another legend says that the tea bushes grow on sheer cliffs, making them impossible to pick by hand, so monks trained monkeys in red clothes to harvest the leaves. “Da Hong Pao” is extraordinarily fine—legend says one leaf can brew an entire bucket of tea. It has a rich, mellow taste with a sweet aftertaste, bright orange-yellow liquor, clear clarity, even and bright leaves, and remains fragrant even after seven infusions. No wonder it is surrounded by such mystique.

　　Rou Gui tea is a rising star among Wuyi Rock Teas, produced in Huizhuan Rock. It is exquisitely processed, with a smooth, sweet, and mellow taste, celebrated for its “rock bone and floral aroma,” and has ranked among the top national famous teas in five consecutive evaluations.

　　Wuyi Shuixian is also a premium variety of Wuyi Rock Tea. The “Laojun Mei” (Old Immortal Eyebrow), which Granny Jia in Dream of the Red Chamber loved to drink, is Wuyi Shuixian.

　　Zhengshan Xiaozhong black tea is another unique tea variety from Wuyi. Also known as Tongmu Xiaozhong or Xingcun Xiaozhong, it uses full fermentation and unique processing techniques such as pine-smoke drying, which differ from oolong tea, resulting in distinctive shape, color, aroma, and flavor. Zhengshan Xiaozhong is the favorite black tea of the Queen of England. The British poet Byron wrote affectionately in his long poem Don Juan: “I must have recourse to the black tea of Wuyi...” (Wuyi Mountain)