Tianshan Green Tea

Tianshan Green Tea

Tianshan Green Tea is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　   Tianshan Green Tea is a premium variety of roasted green tea from Fujian. It originates from Zhongtianshan, Tiepingkeng, and Liping Village in Jitou, located below Zhanghou on the slopes of Tianshan in Xixiang. The main production area extends from the “Central Gourd” of Wupingshan, stretching east to Zhanghou, west to Jitou, south to Liutian, and north to Qinyu, covering the inner, middle, and outer Tianshan regions across approximately 10 square kilometers, encompassing nearly 100 villages.

　　    The region has a long history of tea cultivation. Historical records indicate that tea planting was already underway in the Zhongtianshan area during the Tang Dynasty. Over time, the varieties and types of tea produced evolved, eventually giving rise to what is now known as “Tianshan Green Tea.” Around the year 1781, Tianshan “bud tea” was listed as a tribute product.

　　    Historically, Tianshan Green Tea came in a wide variety of types and grades. These were categorized by season of harvest into Leiming (Thunder), Mingqian (Pre-Qingming), Qingming (Qingming Festival), and Guyu (Grain Rain); by shape into Que’she (Sparrow’s Tongue), Fengmei (Phoenix Eyebrow), Fengyan (Phoenix Eye), Zhenmei (Precious Eyebrow), Xiumu (Graceful Eye), and Emei (Moth Eyebrow); and by grade into Yan Cha (Rock Tea), Tianshangding (Heavenly Top), Yishengchun (One Life Spring), Qibei Cha (Seven Cups Tea), and Qiwǎn Cha (Seven Bowls Tea). Among these, Leiming, Que’she, Zhenmei, and Yan Cha were the most prestigious.

　　    Leiming tea is made from buds picked during the early spring “first thunder” period. When brewed, the buds stand upright and float vertically in the cup, resembling newly sprouted bamboo shoots—quite a delightful sight. Que’she is made from the first tender leaves resembling “one flag and one shoot,” extremely delicate and shaped like a sparrow’s tongue. Zhenmei is meticulously processed, with finished tea leaves shaped like elegant curved eyebrows. Yan Cha is made from the tender leaves of tea trees growing in rocky crevices, offering a rich and lingering fragrance. The diversity of these products was once vast—some varieties have been lost to time, while others such as Tianshan Que’she, Fengmei, Mingqian, and Qingming have been revived, along with new creations like Qingshui Lü (Clear Water Green), Tianmaofeng (Heavenly Hair Peak), Tianshan YinHao (Tianshan Silver Tip), Siji Chun (Four Seasons Spring), and Maojian (Hair Tip). These green teas surpass traditional famous varieties in quality, sharing common traits of slender and straight buds, high aroma, strong flavor, emerald color, and excellent infusability. Since their revival, they have won numerous awards at local, provincial, and national tea competitions. The Ningde Tea Factory’s jasmine-scented “Tianshan YinHao” tea, scented with “Tianshan Yilu YinHao” as the base, ranked among the top in the 1979 National Loose Leaf Jasmine Tea Competition.

　　    The Tianshan Mountains of eastern Fujian boast majestic peaks, with the main peak Baoding reaching an elevation of 1,143 meters. The rolling slopes and valleys are crisscrossed by two streams that meander like jade belts, with steep cliffs lining the riverbanks. Tea gardens are often established on rocky slopes, by streams, or in valley hillsides. The soil is primarily sandy loam, rich in humus, which is highly conducive to tea tree growth. No wonder poets have described the area as “majestic rocks rise in the deep mountains, and the aroma of tea wafts from the cliffs in the valley.”

　　    The quality characteristics of Tianshan Green Tea are its emerald green color, jade-green infusion, and tender green leaf base, earning it the reputation of the “Three Greens.” The dry tea features tightly rolled, uniform, emerald green leaves with pointed sprouts, abundant fine hairs, a fragrance reminiscent of orchid that is elegant and long-lasting, a rich and sweet aftertaste, and a clear, bright liquor. This tea is highly resistant to multiple infusions, with lingering fragrance even after three or four brews.

　　Region

　　The Tianshan Mountains of eastern Fujian lie along the coast of the East China Sea. The range is majestic, with its main peak, Pingnan Tianhu Mountain, situated in Daixi Township, Pingnan County, at the junction of Pingnan, Ningde, and Gutian counties in Fujian Province. In addition to Tianhu Mountain, other ranges such as Tianfeng Mountain, Xianfeng Mountain, and Daping Mountain are also part of the Tianshan region and serve as the birthplace of Tianshan Green Tea.

　　Unique Quality

　　The tea is characterized by its emerald green color, jade-green infusion, and tender green leaf base, earning it the reputation of the “Three Greens.” The dry tea features tightly rolled, uniform, emerald green leaves with pointed sprouts, abundant fine hairs, a fragrance reminiscent of orchid that is elegant and long-lasting, a rich and sweet aftertaste, and a clear, bright liquor. This tea is highly resistant to multiple infusions, with lingering fragrance even after three or four brews.

　　Cultural Anecdotes

　　Tianshan has long been a superior location for tea production, blessed with both geography and history. The “Tang Book · Geography” states that as early as 940–945 AD, what is now Jiaocheng District of Ningde City was already a production site for “wax-surface” tribute tea. According to records by the Southern Song Dynasty scholar Zhang An during the Jiatai era (1201–1204 AD), “In the western region (i.e., Tianshan), residents planted tea trees abundantly on hillsides and open lands near lakes, with many bamboo groves cultivated on higher ridges. Tea was harvested in both summer and spring, yielding profits no less than those from mulberry and hemp.” This shows that over 800 years ago, tea had become a major cash crop for the people of Tianshan. At that time, the region produced compressed tea cakes and also made dairy tea and dragon tea balls. During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, the tea produced was used as gifts and for ceremonial purposes. In the late Qing Dynasty, thanks to the thriving maritime trade of Sandu, large quantities of green tea from the Tianshan region, as well as jasmine-scented tea made from Tianshan Green Tea, were exported both domestically and internationally, often unable to meet demand. From then on, “Tianshan Green Tea” gained fame worldwide. Tianshan Green Tea is a premium variety of roasted green tea from Fujian. It originates from Zhongtianshan, Tiepingkeng, and Liping Village in Jitou, located below Zhanghou on the slopes of Tianshan in Xixiang. The main production area extends from the “Central Gourd” of Wupingshan, stretching east to Zhanghou, west to Jitou, south to Liutian, and north to Qinyu, covering the inner, middle, and outer Tianshan regions across approximately 10 square kilometers, encompassing nearly 100 villages.