Shouning Tea

Shouning Tea

　　Tea

　　Tea Shouning belongs to a subtropical red soil region, which is highly suitable for the growth and development of tea. It has a long history of tea cultivation. As early as the eighth year of the Jingtai era during the Ming Dynasty, tea was sold as a major local specialty product. During the Xianfeng and Tongzhi reigns of the Qing Dynasty (1851–1874), the black tea produced in the county, known as “Tanyang Gongfu,” was highly popular among merchants both at home and abroad. By 1936, the total tea planting area in the county reached 57,300 mu, with an annual production of 1,044.5 tons of raw tea. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the tea industry has developed rapidly. Currently, there are 120,000 mu of tea plantations, producing 7,500 tons of tea, generating an output value of 80 million yuan. The “YUJI Brand Silver Tip” and “Phoenix Tongue” green teas have respectively won the “Five-Star Diamond Award” from multinational companies and the International Gold Award at the Macao Expo. Products such as jasmine tea, “Fushou Silver Tip,” and “Meizhen Tea” have also received multiple provincial and ministerial-level quality awards for their excellent color, aroma, and taste, and are popular both domestically and internationally. The tea industry has become one of the pillar industries of Shouning’s economy, occupying half of the rural economic structure. All towns and villages actively develop the industry, with Wiqu, Xietan, Nanyang, Fengyang, and Zhuguanlong fully engaged, while most areas of Xixi, Qinyang, and Pingxi are also involved. These regions, blessed with favorable natural conditions and concentrated tea plantations, form the core tea-producing zones of the county. Major tea farms include the Longhushan Tea Farm and the Nanyang Tea Farm.