Xiaogan Longjian Tea

Xiaogan Longjian Tea

Xiaogan Longjian Tea is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　  Legend has it that when Emperor Qianlong traveled to the south of the Yangtze River, he tasted Xiaogan tea and composed the elegant verse, “Today I love to watch tea being picked; the livelihood of the Wu people is naturally diligent.” Xiaogan tea also attracted scholars and poets who competed to critique and compose poems about it. According to the *Xiaogan County Annals* from the eighth year of the Guangxu reign, as early as the Ming Dynasty, people in Xiaogan began cultivating tea, and it was closely linked to filial piety, Buddhism, and physical wellness. Drinking tea had become a cultural practice. At that time, Cheng Liangshou, a local resident, visited the ancient Gucheng’an temple on Shuangfeng Mountain to enjoy tea and left behind the poem *Trying Tea at Gucheng’an*, which includes the lines: “I set aside all worldly concerns; the green mountains are my home. Through clouds I seek the ancient temple, with dew still on I pluck fresh tea.” Since then, the “peerless” Xiaogan Longjian Tea came into being. Today, Xiaogan Longjian Tea is produced using a combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology. It has formed a distinctive tea culture in Xiaogan. Walking through the streets, hundreds of teahouses in Xiaogan’s urban area present a beautiful cultural landscape of tea, while also embodying the essence of filial piety culture.

　　  Geographical Scope

　　  Xiaogan Longjian Tea is produced in six counties and districts under the jurisdiction of Xiaogan City, Hubei Province: Dawu, Xiaochang, Xiaonan, Yingcheng, Anlu, and Shuangfeng. The production areas include towns such as Sanlicheng, Daxin, Xuanhua, Lvwang, Zhouxiang, Fengshan, Xiaowu, Wangdian, Tiandian, Yanghe, Sanhe, Wangyizhen, Muzi, Yangdian, Xihe, and Zougang. The geographical scope spans longitude 113°19′ to 114°06′ east and latitude 30°42′ to 31°29′ north, bordering Wuhan City and Hong’an County to the southeast, Xinyang City to the north, and Jingshan County to the west. The total area covers 8,910 square kilometers, with 3 million mu of suitable tea-growing land, currently 370,000 mu of tea plantations, and an annual output of 7,124 tons.

　　  Product Quality Characteristics

　　  1. External Sensory Characteristics: Xiaogan Longjian Tea is flat, straight, and sword-like in shape, with a verdant color, clean and uniform appearance, a lasting chestnut aroma, a fresh and mellow taste, bright and clear tender green liquor, and bright tender green leaves with intact buds. 2. Internal Quality Characteristics: Xiaogan Longjian Tea is rich in nutrients, containing not only abundant amino acids, tea polyphenols, and alkaloids, but also many essential trace elements such as selenium and zinc. Amino acids ≥2.5%, water extract ≥36.0%, total ash ≤6.5%, broken tea ≤5.0%, crude fiber ≤14.0%, moisture ≤6.0%. 3. Safety Requirements: The quality and safety of Xiaogan Longjian Tea shall comply with the provisions of the NY/T288-2002 Green Food Tea standard set by the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China.