Kongkeng Tea

Kongkeng Tea

Kongkeng Tea is a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Kongkeng Tea

　　Yanxiang Tea is a specialty of Ninghua County in Fujian Province, the ancestral home of the Hakka people, also known as Kongkeng Tea. During the Ming Dynasty, it was once an imperial tribute of the finest quality, hence also called "Tribute Tea." Kongkeng, located in the western part of Yanxiang Village—also known as Xiyuan—has been a high-quality tea garden since ancient times, cultivating dozens of acres of lush tea plants. According to the *Yanxiang Village Chronicles*, Yang De’an, who was appointed as a Bajin (a type of imperial scholar) and served as a strategist in Jinhua Prefecture, Zhejiang Province between 1506–1521 (during the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty), often traveled to the capital. He brought his hometown’s specialty, Kongkeng Tea, to serve to the emperor and ministers, where it received great praise. As a result, it is also locally known as "Tribute Tea."

　　Archival records indicate that in September 1947 (the 36th year of the Republic of China), Taiwan held an exhibition of famous local products to celebrate the second anniversary of its retrocession. A Fujian Pavilion was specially set up, featuring tea from the Kongkeng Xiyuan Garden in Yanxiang, Ninghua. In 1955 and 1956, the tea was selected to be displayed at the National Agricultural Exhibition in Beijing, where it received high acclaim. It was also presented as a gift to Chairman Mao Zedong, symbolizing the sentiments of the people of Quanshang in Ninghua.

　　The production of Kongkeng Tea still follows traditional manual methods. Fresh tea leaves undergo more than ten processes including withering, oxidation, fixation, rolling, and roasting. Proper withering of fresh leaves is the foundation for forming aroma and flavor, while oxidation is key to developing the quality of oolong tea. During oxidation, strict technical procedures must be followed, such as heavy withering with light shaking, light withering with heavy shaking, more shaking and less handling, starting light then progressing to heavy, beginning with less then increasing, starting short then extending, and adjusting techniques based on leaf condition.

　　The geographical indication protection area for the agricultural product "Kongkeng Tea" includes eight towns in Ninghua County: Cuijiang Town, Chengjiao Township, Hucun Town, Quanshang Town, Zhongsha Township, Helong Township, Shuixi Township, and Anyuan Town, covering 100 villages. The area spans from Yanxiang Village in Quanshang Town in the east, to Shexia Village in Chengjiao Township in the west, to Liqi Village in Chengjiao Township in the south, to Jingkeng Village in Anyuan Town in the north. The geographical coordinates are as follows: total protected area is 1,300.18 square kilometers, annual production area is 1,333.33 hectares, and annual yield is 1,600 tons.