Wujia Tai Tribute Tea

Wujia Tai Tribute Tea

Wujia Tai Tribute Tea is a protected geographical indication product.

Wujia Tai Tribute Tea is a certified geographical indication trademark.

Wujia Tai Tribute Tea is an agricultural geographical indication product.

　　Geographic Scope

　　The protected geographic area for the Wujia Tai Tribute Tea geographical indication product is defined in accordance with the letter “On Defining the Protected Geographic Scope of the ‘Wujia Tai Tribute Tea’ Geographical Indication Product” (Xuan Zheng Han [2007] No. 44) issued by the People’s Government of Xuan’en County, Hubei Province. It includes the administrative regions of Wujia Tai Village, Ban Chang Village, and Ma An Shan Village in Wanzhai Township, Xiang Shu Lin Village and Hong Yan Ka Village in Jiao Yuan Town, as well as Xiao Xi Village and Qin Jia Village in Xiao Guan Dong Autonomous County, all within Xuan’en County, Hubei Province.

　　Unique Qualities

　　Wujia Tai Tribute Tea has a sweet taste, a clear and bright green liquor, and an aroma reminiscent of roasted chestnuts. The first brew yields a clear, green liquor that is mellow, fragrant, and rich; the deep green hue is tinged with light yellow, exuding the rich aroma of roasted chestnuts. The second brew shows a jade-green liquor with hints of blue, brimming with fragrance. Its color, aroma, taste, and appearance remain unchanged, preserving all the characteristics of freshly picked tea.

　　Cultural Story

　　The founder of the tribute tea, Wu Changchen, is buried in Wujia Tai, the birthplace of the tribute tea, in Xuan’en County. Born in 1757 (the 22nd year of the Qianlong reign in the Qing Dynasty), he passed away at the age of 70 in 1827 (the 7th year of the Daoguang reign). From his youth, Wu Changchen painstakingly cultivated tea on Hua Li Ping in Wujia Tai. The “white tea” he produced had many unique advantages: a sweet taste, a clear and bright green liquor, and an aroma reminiscent of roasted chestnuts. The first brew yields a clear, green liquor that is mellow, fragrant, and rich; the second brew shows a deep green hue tinged with light yellow, exuding the rich aroma of roasted chestnuts; the third brew reveals a jade-green liquor with hints of blue, brimming with fragrance. The spring tea picked in the first year, when sealed in a jar, can be consumed the following year without any change in its color, aroma, taste, or appearance, retaining all the qualities of fresh tea. Due to these exceptional qualities, the tea gradually gained fame far and wide. Officials and local elites competed to purchase it, and it was even presented as a tribute to Emperor Qianlong. Upon tasting it, the emperor was highly pleased and bestowed upon it the plaque “Imperial Favour Bestowed,” as an honourable recognition.

　　The planting area of “Wujia Tai Tribute Tea” is located in Xuan’en County, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hubei Province — known as China’s Selenium Capital — specifically in Wanzhai Township, Xiao Guan Township, Jiao Yuan Town, Zhu Shan Town, Chang Tan He Township, and Sha Dao Gou Town. The region lies at an altitude of 400–900 metres, spanning longitude 109°11′ to 109°55′ east and latitude 29°33′ to 30°12′ north, covering a north-south distance of 73.9 kilometres and an east-west distance of 71.5 kilometres. The county seat is 694 kilometres from Wuhan, the provincial capital, and 45 kilometres north of Enshi City, the prefectural capital. It borders Hefeng County to the east, Xianfeng County to the west, and Laifeng County to the south. National Highway 209 runs north-south through the area. The total cultivated land within the region is 11,280 hectares, including 6,667 hectares of tea plantations, producing 4,460 tonnes of dried tea annually.