Jian’ou Beiyuan Tribute Tea

Jian’ou Beiyuan Tribute Tea

Jian’ou Beiyuan Tribute Tea is a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Beiyuan Imperial Tea (Beiyuan Tribute Tea) refers to the tribute tea of the Song Dynasty, with its main production area located in Jiyuanli, ancient Jian’an County, now within Dongfeng Town, Jian’ou City.

　　Dongfeng has a long history of tea cultivation and is one of the historically renowned tea-producing regions in China. According to written records and the research of contemporary tea scholar Chen Chuan, during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period (479–502 AD), Jianzhou already had artificially cultivated tea and engaged in tea processing and production. By the Tang Dynasty’s Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras (713–755 AD), Jianzhou was already producing tea abundantly, and tea production had transitioned from crude tea to steamed green tea. The *Huamuan Lu* states: During the Tang Zhenyuan era (785–804 AD), Chang Gun served as the Fujian Observation Commissioner and concurrently as the Jianzhou Prefect. He led reforms in tea production techniques in Jianzhou, grinding steamed green tea leaves into powder, mixing them with paste, and pressing them into tea cakes, thus creating the ground paste tea, commonly known as “slice tea.” Because a small hole was punched in the center of the tea cake for threading with string for easy carrying, it was also called “string tea.” A famous variety of ground paste tea was called “Purple Sprout,” also known as “Fragrant Wax Slice” (a type of slice tea coated with wax), which had gained a reputation nationwide. In the later Zhenyuan period, tea cultivation in the Jian’an mountains became quite common, and many large-scale tea growers emerged, along with some “tea-firing landlords” who grew wealthy from managing tea gardens. Zhang Tinghui from Jiyuanli, Jian’an, was a prominent figure among them. By the late Tang Dynasty, Jian’an’s ground paste tea began to enter the upper class and was listed as an annual tribute by local officials.

　　During the Southern Tang Dynasty, Wang Shenzhi established the Min Kingdom. At that time, Zhang Tinghui, the tea garden owner in Jiyuanli, Jian’an, owned dozens of miles of tea gardens on Phoenix Mountain, producing tea of considerable quality. Folklore says that because the Min King was fond of tea, especially Zhang’s Phoenix Mountain tea, he kept demanding it. Zhang, harassed by these requests and burdened by the frequent warfare among the Min King’s sons Wang Yanbing and Wang Yanzheng, as well as the resulting suffering of the people and the decline of the tea industry, decided in the first year of the Min Longqi era (933 AD) to offer the thirty-mile radius of tea mountains on Phoenix Mountain to the Min Kingdom. The Min King was overjoyed and appointed Zhang as a “Geimen Shi” (a court official), allowing him to continue managing the tea gardens. He turned Phoenix Mountain into the Min Kingdom’s imperial tea garden. Since Phoenix Mountain was located in the northern part of the Min Kingdom, it was named Beiyuan, hence the origin of the Beiyuan Imperial Tea Garden (the *Jianning Prefecture Annals* from the Jiajing era also record: “In Longqi (933–934 AD), the local Zhang Tinghui, seeing his land was suitable for tea, offered it all to the government, thus beginning the name Beiyuan”). The *Chinese Tea Dictionary* notes: In the first year of the Southern Tang Baoda era (943 AD), the Min King Yanzheng sent Pan Chengyou to oversee Beiyuan tea affairs. With the support of the court, the production techniques of Beiyuan ground paste tea were greatly improved. In the fourth year of Baoda, Jianzhou was ordered to produce a type of milk tea called “Jingting.”

　　1.2 Development of Beiyuan Tribute Tea

　　In the late Kaibao era of the Northern Song Dynasty (975 AD), the Southern Tang was conquered, and Beiyuan was taken over. The *Xuanhe Beiyuan Tribute Tea Record* states: “In the early years of the Taiping Xingguo era (976 AD), special dragon and phoenix molds were created, and envoys were sent to Beiyuan to produce compressed tea cakes to distinguish them from ordinary tea. The origin of dragon and phoenix tea began here.” Beiyuan truly gained fame during the era of “Qian Ding Hou Cai” (First Ding, Later Cai). “Qian Ding” refers to Ding Wei, who served as the Fujian Transport Commissioner in the first year of Xianping (998 AD). He went to Beiyuan to supervise the production of Feng Tuan (Phoenix Cake) tea and later produced Long Tuan (Dragon Cake) tea, which was exquisitely crafted. The *Huamuan Ji* records: “The tribute did not exceed forty cakes, specifically prepared for imperial offerings. Even the households of close ministers only heard of them but never saw them.” “Hou Cai” refers to Cai Xiang, who served as the Fujian Transport Commissioner in the third year of Qingli (1043 AD). He reformed the dragon and phoenix tea cakes into smaller dragon and phoenix tea cakes, known as rare treasures. Ouyang Xiu’s *Guītián Lù* states: “Their craftsmanship was extremely refined. Called small cakes, twenty cakes weighed one jin (500g), valued at two taels of gold. However, while gold could be obtained, the tea could not. Thus, even nobles and officials lamented, ‘Gold is obtainable, but dragon cakes are not.’” In the fourth year of the Song Xining era (1071 AD), Jia Qing, serving as the Fujian Transport Commissioner, created Miyun Long (Dense Cloud Dragon) tea. Twenty cakes weighed one jin, and the double-packaged version was called Shuangjiao Tuan tea. The “crimson” packaging was for rewarding ministers, while the “yellow lid” packaging was reserved for imperial use as “imperial delicacies.” The *Qingbo Zazhi* records: “When Miyun Long was first created, every year’s first tribute, aside from being used for ancestral worship and imperial consumption, was rarely bestowed upon ministers. The nobility and influential families frequently begged for it.” Empress Xiaozhen was so troubled by the constant requests for Miyun Long that she lamented, “Tell Jianzhou to stop making Miyun Long altogether,” yet its fame only grew. The peak of refinement, highest quality, and luxury in Beiyuan compressed tea cakes came during the Xuanhe era (1119–1121 AD) when Zheng Kejian served as the Fujian Transport Commissioner. He created Yinxian Xiaoya (Silver Thread Sprout), called Long Tuan Shengxue (Dragon Cake Surpassing Snow), and divided the compressed tea cakes into five fine-grade categories (Shixin, Gongxin, Long Tuan Shengxue, Wubi Shouya, Taiping Jiarui) comprising forty-three varieties, and seven coarse-grade categories (Xiao Long Xiao Feng, Da Long Da Feng, Bu Ru Naodao Shangpin, Dongya Xiao Long, Bu Ru Naodao Xiao Feng, Ru Naodao Da Feng, Ru Naodao Xiao Feng) comprising thirty-one varieties. Notably, among the five fine-grade categories, buds harvested ten days before the solar term “Sheqiu” (Awakening of Insects) were gathered, with thousands of workers gathering to produce them. Once roasted, swift horse couriers would deliver them to the capital. Ouyang Xiu’s poem reads: “Three thousand five hundred li from Jian’an, the capital tastes new tea in March.” The dragon and phoenix tea cakes produced by Beiyuan Imperial Tea Garden were exquisitely crafted, of noble quality, and luxuriously packaged, with a single cake worth up to forty min (an ancient currency unit), unmatched in the world. Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, praised in *Daguan Cha Lun*: “Since the rise of our dynasty, Jianxi tribute tea has been produced annually. Dragon cakes and phoenix pastries are renowned throughout the world.” Zhou Jiang’s *Supplement to the Classic of Tea* states: “Among all teas in the world, Jian’an is the best, and among Jian’an teas, Beiyuan is the best.”

　　1.3 Peak of Beiyuan Tribute Tea

　　Historical records indicate that the Northern Song Dynasty (Xining and Yuanyou eras) was the peak period of Beiyuan’s development. Jian’an had 1,336 official and private tea gardens, including 32 official gardens and more than ten small gardens. At that time, Jian’an tea was dominated by Beiyuan. The *Song Huiyao Jigao* records: “In the seventh year of Yuanyou (1084 AD), Jian’an tea production exceeded three million jin annually.” The golden age of Beiyuan ended before the fall of the Song Dynasty.

　　Historical accounts state that during Beiyuan’s golden period, there were transport commissioner offices, an imperial tea hall, an imperial spring pavilion, a Chengfeng pavilion, a Fengwei pavilion, a Fengshan pavilion, a Wangjing tower, a tribute tea courtyard, and numerous inscribed stone tablets and carvings such as imperial tea garden poetry, the *Beiyuan Five Poems* stele, the *Chengfeng Hall* inscription, the *Imperial Spring Pavilion* stele, and the *Imperial Tea Hall* stele. Unfortunately, these pavilions, terraces, and stone carvings have been buried by time and no longer exist. However, some ruins can still be found, such as the faint outlines of Longfeng Pool, Hongyun Island, Wangjing Tower, and Fenghuang Pavilion. In April 1987, during the national cultural relics field survey, a Song Qingli year Wu Zi (1048 AD) Beiyuan tea affairs cliff carving titled “Zhaiziyan” was discovered on the Linlong slope in Beiqian Natural Village, Peiqiao Village. It documented the geographical location of Beiyuan, the era of the imperial tea garden, the names of official tea workshops, and related historical information about the Beiyuan administrative offices. It is the only surviving and extremely precious historical relic of Beiyuan (see details in the *Beiyuan Tea Affairs Cliff Carving*, *Imperial Spring Stele Inscription*, and *Imperial Tea Garden Poetry Carving* inscriptions). In January 1995, Wang Zhenyong, head of the Fujian Provincial Museum archaeological team, along with three others, conducted the first on-site excavation of the “Longjing” site in Beiqian Village, Peiqiao Village. Archaeological confirmation identified “Longjing” as the site of the Song Dynasty Beiyuan “Imperial Spring Well.” In November of the same year, the provincial museum archaeological team conducted a second excavation at the Shangmen dang site, a Beiyuan tea workshop in Peiqiao Village. They discovered over 50 site units from the Song and Yuan periods, including courtyards, patios, roads, wells, pools, and earthen stoves, covering nearly 10,000 square meters. The Song and Yuan cultural layers were preliminarily excavated over an area of 646 square meters. After the excavation, the site was backfilled for protection.

　　The *Jianning Prefecture Annals* from the Jiajing era record that Beiyuan had 32 official gardens and more than ten small gardens, divided into inner and outer gardens. The 36 inner gardens were exclusively for “imperial delicacies,” while the 38 outer gardens were for producing tea to reward ministers. The inner and outer gardens in the records refer to the scope of the Beiyuan Imperial Tea Garden, roughly distributed across most of today’s Dongfeng Town, the western part of Xiaoqiao Town, and parts of the mountainous areas in Nanya, Dongyou, and Chuanshi towns. The thirty-mile radius of tea gardens that Zhang Tinghui offered to the Min Kingdom covered an area of no less than 100 square kilometers, centered around Peiqiao Village in Dongfeng Town. The administrative offices were located in the Shangmen dang and Jieshanhou areas of Beiqian Natural Village. To this day, Peiqiao Village, Beiqian Natural Village, still retains a Song Dynasty tea affairs cliff carving, as well as the “Imperial Spring Well,” “Longfeng Pool,” and “Hongyun Island” ruins. Additionally, Song Zhao Ruli’s *Beiyuan Bie Lu* (Record of Beiyuan) in the imperial garden section records numerous imperial tea gardens within Peiqiao Village, such as the inner garden forbidden area’s nine nests and twelve ridges: Maikuo, Fenghuang Mountain, Xiao Kuzhu, Kuzhu Yuan Tou, Da Kuo Tou, Huangji, Dongji, Xi ji, Zhangkeng, Hengkeng, Zengkeng, Shangxia Guankeng (mountain place names still in use today). Song Zian’s *Dongxi Shi Cha Lu* (Record of Tea Trials in Dongxi) notes that among the 32 official gardens, the 14 gardens of Dongshan, such as Hexiling, Suku, Zengkeng, Eyu, Fan yuan, as well as the Beiyuan Longbei, Rujv Nei Bei, and Rujv Wai Bei official gardens, were mostly distributed in Peiqiao, Yangmei, Changyuan, Tongchang, and Dongxikou administrative villages in Dongfeng Town. Many villages, such as Beiqian, Houbei, Dongbei, Xibei, Hexuan (also called Hao Yuan, now Fu Yuan Natural Village in Peiqiao Village), Suku, Tongchang, and Xikou, still retain their official garden village names.

　　1.4 Decline of Beiyuan Tribute Tea

　　The wars during the transition from the Song to the Yuan Dynasty dealt a heavy blow to the Beiyuan Imperial Tea. In the early Dade era (1297 AD) of Yuan Emperor Chengzong, an imperial tea official garden was planned in Wuyi to replace Beiyuan. In the sixth year of Dade, the imperial tea garden was officially moved to the fourth bend of the Jiuxi Stream in Wuyi, and Beiyuan was handed over to the Jian’an County local government for management. The Jian’an tea people did not escape their burdens despite the relocation of the imperial tea to Wuyi. Beiyuan was still ordered to produce compressed tea cakes for tribute. The oppression intensified, leading to greater unrest. The Beiyuan official tea became a flashpoint for trouble. Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, deeply understood the reasons behind the Beiyuan issues and, in September of the 24th year of the Hongwu era (1391 AD), simply ordered the cessation of the production of dragon and phoenix compressed tea tribute. Jiang Heng’s *Record of Twelve Views* states: “During the Yuan Dynasty, Wuyi flourished while Beiyuan gradually declined.” By the Ming Dynasty, Beiyuan was completely abandoned.

　　The Beiyuan Imperial Tea in Jian’an, from its establishment as an imperial tea garden in the first year of the Longqi era (933 AD) of the Min Kingdom in the Five Dynasties period to its cessation in the 24th year of the Hongwu era (1391 AD) of the Ming Dynasty, spanned four dynasties, 26 emperors, and lasted 458 years of continuous tribute to the imperial court.

　　After the Hongwu era, despite the “cessation” order, Beiyuan did not shut down entirely. The *Ye Huo Bian* records: “In September of the 24th year of Hongwu, the emperor, citing excessive labor, ceased the production of dragon cakes, allowing only tea buds to be offered. There were four types: Caichun, Xianchun, Cichun, and Zisun. Five hundred tea households were assigned to this labor service.” Because tribute tea was still required, Jian’an County had to renovate the Beiyuan tea gardens and halls. The 500 tea households were still conscripted to produce loose tea for tribute. After the cessation, Beiyuan merely reduced its old gardens, and the entire tea industry was no longer state-run. Beiyuan no longer produced dragon and phoenix compressed tea cakes, but the production and processing techniques of compressed tea were passed down through generations without interruption. The Qing Dynasty poet Zheng Banqiao, one of the “Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou,” wrote: “The first tribute of eight cakes of Jianxi tea, traveling ten thousand li to Shandong. This is the heavenly tribute of Cai and Ding, who would have thought it would be shared with common folk?”

　　It is worth mentioning that Beiyuan’s civilian compressed tea, from the Min Kingdom to the Song and Yuan Dynasties, was renowned worldwide. It was always the “attached category” to the Beiyuan official tea tribute. One could say they were siblings—one wearing the queen’s crown, flourishing in the palace, the other dressed in plain civilian clothes, circulating among the people, earning praise. Beiyuan tea held an extremely high position in Chinese tea history and naturally dominated the majority of the compressed tea chapter. When the Ming Hongwu era banned the production of dragon and phoenix compressed tea, the official tea disappeared, but civilian compressed tea lingered like a comet with a long tail, not vanishing until the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty. It truly was a long-lived member of the tea family. Beiyuan was the birthplace of China’s highest compressed tea production techniques. Beiyuan tea studies hold significant importance in Chinese tea history. The prosperity of Beiyuan tribute tea sparked a trend of tea studies in the Song Dynasty. Following the first Chinese tea study monograph, *The Classic of Tea* by Lu Yu, the Song Dynasty saw the publication of tea studies works such as Ding Wei’s *Jian’an Tea Record*, Cai Xiang’s *Tea Record*, Song Zian’s *Dongxi Tea Trial Record*, and Zhao Ruli’s *Beiyuan Bie Lu*. According to modern tea scholars, there were 22–24 tea study monographs from the Song and Yuan periods, two-thirds of which were Beiyuan tea studies. The currently available complete edition (*Ancient Chinese Tea Books Complete Collection*, published by Zhejiang Photography Publishing House) includes eight works: Cai Xiang’s *Tea Record*, Song Zian’s *Dongxi Tea Trial Record*, Zhao Ruli’s *Beiyuan Bie Lu*, Zhao Ji’s *Daguan Tea Theory*, Huang Ru’s *Tea Tasting Essentials*, Xiong Fan’s *Xuanhe Beiyuan Tribute Tea Record*, Xu Huobo’s *Cai Duanming’s Separate Record*, and Yu Zheng’s *Tea Collection*. Beiyuan tea studies are a treasure created by the Chinese nation and are invaluable historical materials for researching Song Dynasty tribute tea, tea history, tea studies, and tea culture.

　　Due to the special status of Beiyuan Imperial Tea in the Song Dynasty, a large number of poems and essays praising Beiyuan tea emerged. Over fifty ancient masters, including Wang Yucheng, Ding Wei, Lin Bu, Mei Yaochen, Ouyang Xiu, Cai Xiang, Zeng Gong, Shen Kuo, Wang Anshi, Su Song, Su Zhe, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, Zeng Ji, Chao Buzhi, Huang Shang, Wang Shipeng, Zhou Bida, Yang Wanli, Zhu Xi, and Hong Xiweng, composed over 180 poems (or verses) praising Beiyuan tea.

　　Geographic Scope

　　Beiyuan Tribute Tea is produced in Jian’ou City, Fujian Province. Jian’ou City is located in northern Fujian, upstream of the Min River, southeast of the Wuyi Mountains, and northwest of the Jiufeng Mountains. It borders Jianyang City to the north, Nanping City and Gutian County to the south, Zhenghe and Pingnan counties to the east, and Shunchang County to the west. It serves as a key gateway from Jiangsu and Zhejiang into Fujian, with convenient transportation. The city spans between 117°58'45"–118°57'11" east longitude and 26°38'54"–27°20'26" north latitude, covering a land area of 4,233 square kilometers, with a length of 96.5 kilometers from east to west and 76.6 kilometers from north to south. It includes 14 towns and 4 subdistricts: Xudun Town, Jiyang Town, Fangdao Town, Nanya Town, Dikou Town, Xiaoqiao Town, Yushan Town, Dongfeng Town, Dongyou Town, Xiaosong Town, Shunyang Township, Chuanshi Township, Longcun Township, and Shuiyuan Township, as well as Jian’an Subdistrict, Tongji Subdistrict, Ouning Subdistrict, and Zhishan Subdistrict. The area boasts abundant biodiversity and resources, often referred to as a “green gold mine.” In 2010, the city had a total tea-growing area of 7,000 hectares, with a production of 8,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. Beiyuan Tribute Tea products feature tightly rolled, heavy strips with a greenish-brown, glossy color. They have a rich, lasting aroma with floral and fruity notes, a mellow and sweet taste, a clear orange-yellow liquor, and thick, soft, bright leaves with green leaves edged in red. 2. They contain substances such as tea polyphenols, caffeine, and amino acids. 3. The product complies with NY/T288-2002 *Green Food Tea* standards. (Table omitted)