Xiangbolv

Xiangbolv

　　Hunan specialty — Xiangbolv, originally the name of a tea plant variety, is a clonal cultivar developed by the Hunan Tea Research Institute in the 1950s. It is a shrub-type, large-leaf, late-budding variety. When processed into black broken tea, it has floral aromas, and when made into green tea, it also delivers excellent quality. After the launch of Gaoqiao YinFeng, due to its superior quality, it became highly favored by consumers, leading to supply falling short of demand. Its quality characteristics include tightly twisted and slightly curved strips, a green and glossy appearance with visible fine hairs, a high and refreshing aroma, clear and bright liquor, a mellow and refreshing taste, and yellowish-green, vibrant leaves. Tests show that it has high levels of tea polyphenols, water extract, amino acids, catechins, and caffeine, indicating very high quality.

　　 Specialty Story: Not only is Xiangbolv tea of exceptional quality, but its name is also beautifully poetic, standing out uniquely among the countless tea names across China. Its origin can be traced back to a famous poem, "Bodhisattva Barbarian," by Northern Song Dynasty poet Zhang Xian (990–1078), which reads: An aged zither plays the tune of the Xiang River, Each note vividly portrays the green waves of the Xiang. Slender fingers on thirteen strings Gently convey hidden sorrows. Before the gathering, autumn eyes gaze slowly, Jade pillars slant like flying geese. When the melody reaches the most heartrending part, The painted brows lower like spring mountains.

　　 Since its debut alongside Gaoqiao YinFeng, Xiangbolv has been widely loved by tea drinkers and highly praised by all sectors of society. In 1980, renowned film artist Zhao Dan and painter Fu Hua collaborated on a painting in Shanghai. The artwork featured an antique-style teapot set against a floral background, vividly capturing the ambiance of fragrant tea. They inscribed the phrase “A pot of Xiangbolv, a page filled with the aroma of YinFeng,” to commend the transcendent character and lingering charm of both Xiangbolv and Gaoqiao YinFeng teas. In 1990, Changsha TV Station came to the Hunan Tea Research Institute to film a documentary titled "Xiangbolv," using a poetic inscription by Guo Moruo (Poem for the Hunan Tea Research Institute – Ode to Gaoqiao YinFeng Tea) as the theme song, sung by the celebrated vocalist He Jiguang. In April 1992, renowned painters Li Li, Yu Yifu, Wang Chaochen, and others gathered at the Hunan Tea Research Institute for a tea culture fellowship event. They tasted tea, painted, and composed couplets — Li Li, Yuan Haichao, and Chen Huisheng jointly created a two-meter-long traditional Chinese painting titled "Spring Fills the Tea Homeland"; 79-year-old Mr. Yu Yifu wrote a Han-style couplet: “Fine tea, eight hundred years of longevity medicine; fragrances, thousands of aromas to awaken dreams”; and Wang Chaochen, one of China’s top five clerical script calligraphers, inscribed another clerical script couplet: “Delightful to the eye and heart in discussing paintings and calligraphy, delightful to the taste and aroma in brewing and savoring tea.” Painters, calligraphers, and distinguished guests from various fields used their exceptional and masterful artworks to highly praise and celebrate the contributions made by the Hunan Tea Research Institute in developing teas such as Xiangbolv and YinFeng, advancing modern tea science.

　　 Even Japanese tea connoisseurs are familiar with Xiangbolv. In 2001, when Tang Qingfeng founded the Deyu Living Tea Shop in eastern Changsha, a Japanese customer hurried into the store specifically asking for Xiangbolv. Unfortunately, the shop was out of stock. Tang Qingfeng recommended various other famous teas, but the customer shook his head and repeatedly uttered, with a thick Japanese accent, the only three Chinese characters he knew: Xiangbolv, Xiangbolv. This shows that Xiangbolv has become a brand with international recognition.

　　 Specialty Production: The raw material standard for Xiangbolv is one bud with two initial leaves, all harvested from clonal improved varieties. It inherits the strengths of Gaoqiao YinFeng. The entire processing procedure includes ten steps: fixation, initial rolling, initial drying, re-rolling, re-drying, strip shaping, tipping, cooling, spreading, and baking. The raw materials are slightly coarser than those of Gaoqiao YinFeng. Before processing, more emphasis is placed on spreading and fixation. Rolling is done twice with slightly greater force to increase leaf breakage and enhance the tea's concentration.

　　 Xiangbolv is produced at the Experimental Tea Factory of the Hunan Tea Research Institute. This tea is another famous green tea variety created by the Hunan Tea Research Institute in 1961 to meet market demands and consumer preferences, following the successful development of the renowned Gaoqiao YinFeng tea in 1959.