Yunxian Green Tea

Yunxian Green Tea

　　   Tea cultivation in Yunxian had already formed large plantations during the Qing Dynasty and the Republican era, mainly consisting of locally grown small-leaf tea cultivars, which were distributed across the entire county. Areas such as Gaqiao in Baoxia, Taishan in Yeda, and Caishenmiao in Huanglong had relatively higher concentrations.

In 1949, the county produced 600 kilograms of tea. Starting in 1964, superior tea varieties from other regions were introduced, and in 1965, tea production reached 2,100 kilograms. Subsequently, improved tea seedlings were introduced from Fujian, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Huangshan in Anhui, and Yichang in Hubei. The introduced varieties included large-leaf tea, Jiukeng tea, Meitan tea, and Fuding Dabai tea. In 1975, the county’s total tea production reached 9,050 kilograms. From 1976 to 1983, the cumulative tea output was 199,250 kilograms. During the cultivation process, Jiukeng and Dabai tea gradually became the dominant varieties. In 1985, the county had a total of 8,792 mu of tea plantations, distributed across 183 villages in 13 districts (towns) except Chengguan Town. The main producing areas were located along the Danjiangkou Reservoir, particularly in Yangxi, Dayan, Chadian, Baoxia, and Wufeng. The tea gardens were situated at elevations ranging from a minimum of 200 meters (in Liugou Village, Liubei) to a maximum of 1,200 meters (in Huangxiang, Yeda), with the primary production zones located between 400 and 600 meters above sea level. In 1989, the tea plantation area covered 9,899 mu, with 5,360 mu under active cultivation, yielding 41,571 kilograms of tea. Among these, Anyang had the largest plantation area at 1,441 mu, while Donghe recorded the highest output at 7,764 kilograms. In 1992, the county’s total tea plantation area reached 16,125 mu, with a production of 55,599 kilograms. That year, Hujiaying had the largest planting area at 2,355 mu, while Huangshi recorded the highest yield at 9,500 kilograms. In 1994, the county had 152 tea farms covering a total area of 25,595 mu, with a production of 76,118 kilograms. That year, Qingshan had the largest tea plantation area and yield, with 6,435 mu and 12,945 kilograms respectively, ranking first in the county.