Youxi Red Tea

Youxi Red Tea

Youxi Red is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Youxi is located in the heart of Fujian Province, nestled between the Daiyun Mountains and the Wuyi Mountains, and enjoys a subtropical continental and maritime monsoon climate. Historical records indicate that since the Song Dynasty, farmers in Youxi have been cultivating tea on a large scale.

　　The region produces a diverse range of tea varieties, making it a multi-tea category area within Fujian’s key tea-producing regions. It is understood that the mountainous areas suitable for tea cultivation in Youxi County cover over 200,000 mu, and by 2011, the county had more than 20 high-quality tea tree varieties at the provincial level or above, with a coverage rate of high-quality varieties exceeding 95%.

　　In 2008, TianShun Tea Co., Ltd. in Youxi County, in collaboration with five tea processing factories, formed a research and development team to experiment with processing black tea using the most widely grown “Fuyun No. 6” tea variety in the county, which proved successful. Youxi Yunfu Tea Co., Ltd. also began developing black tea in 2008. In June 2009, Youxi County took the lead in establishing a county-level comprehensive tea experimentation and promotion station, focusing on promoting “Five New” technologies and advancing the development of pollution-free and ecological tea gardens.

　　Subsequently, the Youxi County Party Committee and County Government built on this momentum by introducing policies to guide and support tea merchants and farmers in developing new tea gardens, renovating low-yield tea gardens, implementing standardized production, introducing advanced black tea deep-processing technologies, and developing a variety of tea products to explore both domestic and international markets. To date, mechanized tea harvesting has been promoted across 35,000 mu of tea gardens in green tea-producing areas such as Taixi, Banmian, and Meixian. Processing enterprises such as Guangxing Tea Factory in Banmian Township, Youxi Lüerxiang Tea Factory, Xicheng Town Heping Tea Factory, and Biyexin Tea Factory have also conducted experimental trials on innovative processing techniques for specialty black tea using air-conditioned withering equipment originally designed for oolong tea. These techniques have since been adopted by 86 tea processing enterprises.

　　➡ Building the “Zhu Xi’s Hometown” Tea Brand

　　According to Lin Xingtou, deputy director of the Youxi Tea Station, to promote the Youxi Red brand, the county has guided tea farmers and processing enterprises to expand their distribution channels and establish their own competitive brands.

　　On one hand, the county actively encourages tea processing enterprises to apply for “Three Products” certification and QS certification, and promotes the use of the “Zhu Xi’s Hometown” brand to develop markets. While building the reputation of Youxi’s series of green teas, efforts have been focused on promoting black tea series such as “Jinyunfu,” “Penglai,” and “Biyexin.” On the other hand, by organizing or participating in various tea-related events across the province and beyond, the visibility of Youxi tea has been enhanced and the brand strengthened. In recent years, for instance, Youxi County has organized tea enterprises to participate in tea events held by cities and provinces, with presence in Quanzhou, Wuyi Mountain, Ningde, Fuzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, and other locations, effectively expanding the tea market.

　　As of now, the county has 258 tea processing enterprises, including 1 provincial-level leading enterprise, 7 municipal-level leading enterprises, and 26 tea professional cooperatives. Currently, the price of fresh tea leaves used for making black tea has reached 60–70 yuan per jin, doubling compared to the previous year. According to statistics, from January to June this year, Youxi produced 4,527 tons of tea, generating an output value of 174.17 million yuan, of which Youxi Red accounted for 1,422 tons with an output value of 86.66 million yuan. Black tea is becoming the “golden goose” for tea farmers in Youxi.