Jietan Tea

Jietan Tea

Jietan Tea is a geographical indication protected product.

Jietan Tea is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Jietan Tea has a long history of cultivation. According to the Chronicles of Chenzhou Prefecture, “The county produces much tea, but that from Jietan is the finest...” Legend has it that over 1,300 years ago, Empress Feng, a consort in the inner palace of Emperor Ruizong, returned to the capital by boat traveling eastward. When her boat was forced to anchor at Jietan due to wind, she heard that tea was grown in the nearby high mountains and requested some to try. After drinking it, she found the aroma rich and the taste mellow and refreshing. She selected the finest quality to bring back to the imperial court, where she offered it to civil and military officials for a tasting. All sang its praises, and it was immediately listed as a tribute tea for the court. In 1972, when Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei visited China, he asked Premier Zhou Enlai about Jietan Tea. Since then, under the care of Premier Zhou and governments at all levels, the “Empress Brand” Jietan Tea saw rapid expansion in tea plantation areas. Currently, there are 20,465 acres of tea cultivation, producing over 100 tons of premium tea annually, with an output value of more than 5 million yuan. The “Empress Brand” Jietan Tea has been awarded gold prizes in provincial and ministerial-level tea competitions multiple times. In 1991, Jietan Tea was honored with the title of “Famous Cultural Tea of the International Cultural Festival” and awarded a gold medal, entering the Annals of China’s Famous Teas.

　　The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China issued Announcement No. 38 in 2011, approving the implementation of geographical indication product protection for “Jietan Tea.” This means that Jietan Tea produced in Yuanling County will receive comprehensive legislative protection in terms of cultivation and processing, production and management, quality characteristics, intellectual property rights, and more.

　　Jietan Tea from Yuanling County is one of the top ten famous teas in Hunan Province. With a long history, it was listed as a tribute tea during the Tang Dynasty and enjoyed great popularity. In 1972, then Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka praised Jietan Tea during his visit to China and referred to it as the “tea of China-Japan friendship.” It is rich in nutrients, with high levels of water extractables, tea polyphenols, amino acids, and more. Moreover, thanks to its excellent ecological environment, Jietan Tea has extremely low lead content, making it a pollution-free organic green tea. To promote the growth of the Jietan Tea industry and crack down on counterfeits and other illegal activities that damage its reputation, since 2010, the Yuanling County government has actively pursued the application for national geographical indication product protection for Jietan Tea. After successfully passing various stages of testing and review, it officially obtained geographical indication product protection.