Cheyun Maojian

Cheyun Maojian

　　Cheyun Maojian is a renowned traditional Chinese tea, produced in Cheyun Mountain in the northern part of Suizhou City. The tea from Cheyun Mountain has a long history — as early as the 32nd year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1906), it was introduced and cultivated from Lu’an. Through the careful craftsmanship of tea farmers, it was refined into a premium Maojian tea characterized by tightly rolled, slender, straight leaves with visible leaf tips; it delivers a high fragrance, mellow taste, sweet and cooling sensation that stimulates saliva, all set against a tender green color and crystal-clear, vibrant green leaves. This tea was exhibited at the Panama International Exposition in 1915. Regular consumption of this tea can promote blood circulation, relieve fatigue, cut through greasiness, aid diuresis and digestion, refresh the mind, sober up the senses, and help detoxify. It also shows certain therapeutic effects for high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis. After the liberation, this tea was recognized as one of China’s famous teas and was included in the book "China's Famous Teas" published by Zhejiang People's Publishing House.

The picking of Cheyun Mountain Maojian is strictly regulated, and its processing is highly meticulous. Fresh leaves must be picked evenly, cleanly, and tenderly. The processing and pan-firing are divided into the “raw pan” and “ripe pan.” In the raw pan, leaves are evenly stirred with a broom handle until they become soft, then they are rotated clockwise into small rolls. The stirring starts heavy and becomes lighter, turning while shaking until the tea leaves begin to extrude oil. Then they move to the ripe pan for further rolling until the surface of the leaves is no longer sticky. The leaves are then hand-shaped: using four fingers together and the thumb apart, the tea is gently brushed along the pan wall, flipped in the palm, and released from the space between the thumb and fingers. The shaping must be even and the leaves well-opened. When the tea reaches about 70–80% dryness, it is taken off the pan for drying, which involves three rounds of baking. After the first and second baking sessions, the tea is left to rest briefly until it achieves a tender green color with visible leaf tips. The third baking aims to enhance aroma and ensure the tea is thoroughly dry. The tea-making techniques of Cheyun Mountain have been documented in the book "Tea Manufacturing Science," published by the Agricultural Press in August 1981, and used as a specialized textbook for tea studies in Fujian.