Fulaiqing

Fulaiqing

　　Fulaiqing tea has a long growth period and boasts unique flavors of northern green tea such as "thick leaves and buds, high chestnut aroma, and strong endurance for brewing," along with its main characteristics of being "green, fragrant, mellow, and pure." Fulaiqing brand tea has won numerous awards, including the First Prize in the National Famous and High-quality Tea Evaluation at the "China Tea Cup," the Gold Award for International Famous Tea at the Second China International Tea Expo & Trade Fair, the Gold Award at the Second China Agricultural Expo, and the Famous Product title at the Fourth and Fifth China International Agricultural Expos; in June 2001, during the first Famous and High-quality Tea Evaluation in Rizhao City, "Fulaiqing" green tea was honored as the best of Rizhao green tea.

　　　Shandong Fulaiqing Tea Factory has a long history. It was formerly known as the Linyi Region Tea Research and Experimental Station, established in June 1978. It was the only tea research institution north of the Yangtze River and was later handed over to the management of Ju County due to administrative regional changes. In 1993, the Ju County government transferred it to the management of Xiazhuang Town Government. Since then, the tea experimental station, the affiliated tea factory, and the Xiazhuang Town Tea Factory were merged to form Shandong Fulaiqing Tea Factory. Thanks to its favorable climate and the factory’s commitment to advancing tea through science and technology, the factory has achieved remarkable success in Shandong and even across China’s tea industry. It is reported that Fulaiqing tea has won Gold Awards and Famous Product titles at the Second, Fourth, and Fifth China International Agricultural Expos, and in 1999, it received the Gold Award for Famous Tea at the China International Tea Expo. In 2004, the tea was awarded the title of Famous Trademark of Shandong Province.

　　　　There was a time when Fulaiqing tea, like an emperor’s daughter, had no trouble finding buyers, with sales across the country. But in recent years, due to institutional constraints and competition from teas produced in Zhejiang and Fujian, although the reputation of Fulaiqing tea remains, its market share has gradually shrunk. Hou, the mayor of Xiazhuang Town in Ju County, told reporters that to break the institutional constraints limiting Fulaiqing Tea Factory, and with authorization from the county government, the town decided to achieve the factory’s restructuring through auction—a fair and transparent method.

　　In 2003, "Fulaiqing" green tea was awarded the National Pollution-Free Agricultural Product Label Certificate; in the same year, Fulaiqing Tea Factory was recognized as a Standardization Demonstration Zone by the State Bureau of Technical Supervision; in 2004, Fulaiqing tea was named a Famous Trademark of Shandong Province; in 2005, Fulaiqing-brand tea received the China Three-Green Project "Trusted Tea—Recommended Brand by China Tea Marketing Association"; in 2006, Fulaiqing Company and its products were respectively honored as one of China’s Top 100 Tea Industry Enterprises, a Shandong Famous Brand, and one of Shandong’s Top Ten Famous Teas.

　　Growing Environment

　　　　Located in the southeastern part of Shandong Province, it belongs to the beautiful coastal city of Rizhao and is a National AA-level Tourist Area and a Provincial Geological Relics Nature Reserve. It is 60 kilometers from Rizhao City and 6 kilometers from the ancient capital of Ju. Attractions such as the thousand-year-old Dinglin Temple, the thousand-year-old Chaoyang Taoist Temple, the world’s oldest ginkgo tree, and the world’s largest sandalwood root king attract tourists from home and abroad. It has hosted more than 20 national leaders and celebrities, including -, -, -, Lü Zhengcao, Wang Bingqian, Qian Weichang, Zhang Siqing, -, Hu Sheng, Peng Peiyun, Samuel C.C. Ting, Zhao Zhongxiang, and Shen Li.

　　On the exquisite and beautiful Fulaishan Mountain, there are ancient trees from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, temples from the Jin Dynasty, temples and nunneries from the Sui and Tang dynasties, ancient vines entwining trees, towering pines and cypresses, beautiful birds perching on branches, and rare birds singing in the woods, creating a refreshing atmosphere. Historical events such as the alliance of the Ju and Lu state rulers on Fulaishan, the Eastern Jin Dynasty eminent monk Zhu Fatai lecturing on "Dhyana," Huidi proofreading scriptures, Tan Guan presenting relics, and Sanfeng passing on alchemy techniques... still have remnants and can be found in historical records.

　　Fulaishan Mountain has a unique geological structure and has been approved by the Shandong Provincial Government as a Provincial Geological Relics Nature Reserve. It is one of the four major geological parks in Shandong Province and the first geological relics reserve in Rizhao City.

　　Tea Characteristics

　　　　Green tea, also known as unfermented tea, is made from suitable fresh tea shoots through typical processes such as fixation, rolling, and drying. Its dry tea color, brewed tea liquor, and leaf bottom are predominantly green, hence the name.

　　The characteristics of Fulaiqing retain more of the natural substances in fresh leaves. Among them, tea polyphenols and caffeine are retained at over 85% of the fresh leaves, chlorophyll at about 50%, and vitamin loss is relatively low, forming the characteristics of green tea with "clear soup and green leaves, and a strong astringent taste." The latest scientific research results show that the natural substances retained in green tea have special effects in preventing aging, cancer, sterilization, and anti-inflammation, unmatched by other types of tea. Among Chinese green teas, there are the most famous varieties, not only with high fragrance and long-lasting taste, excellent quality, but also unique shapes, offering high artistic appreciation value. Depending on the drying and fixation methods, green tea is generally divided into pan-fired, baked, sun-dried, and steamed green tea.

　　Brewing Method

　　　　1. When brewing Fulaiqing, control the water temperature at around 80°C–90°C. If brewing green tea powder, use warm water at around 40°C–60°C. The portion is 2 grams of green tea powder with 450cc of plain water.

　　2. Do not drink the first brew; just shake it after pouring hot water and then discard it.

　　3. Drink the brewed tea within 30 to 60 minutes, otherwise the nutrients in the tea will become unstable.

　　4. Do not brew the tea powder too strong, as it may affect gastric juice secretion; it is best not to drink it on an empty stomach.