Linxiang Tea

Linxiang Tea

　　Linxiang tea is a specialty of Linxiang City, Yueyang, Hunan Province. Tea has long been a major cash crop in Linxiang, with the area well known for producing green tea and border tea (such as green brick tea and fu brick tea).

　　Linxiang City has been listed among China’s 21 national key tea base counties (cities), with a total of 75,000 mu of tea plantations, producing 8,800 tons of tea annually, including 50 tons of premium tea, 270 tons of green tea, and 8,600 tons of dark rough tea.

　　Except for Jiangnan Town, all 19 other towns and subdistricts in the county produce tea, and there is one state-owned specialized tea farm. Major tea-producing towns include Hengpu Township, Nieshi Town, Zhongfang Town, Taolin Town, and Yangloudi Town, all with tea plantations exceeding 5,000 mu, among which Hengpu Township has over 10,000 mu.

　　Tea Processing:

　　Green Tea: The region traditionally produces green tea, harvesting one bud with two or three leaves in spring, and mainly one bud with two leaves in summer and autumn. The processing involves fixation, rolling, and drying. Depending on the drying method, it is divided into pan-fired green tea and baked green tea, with pan-fired being more common locally. Equipment used includes rotary fixation machines, rolling machines, rotary dryers, and automatic dryers. Some tea farmers use boiling water for fixation, followed by rolling and sun-drying, commonly referred to as “washed water tea.”

　　Black Tea: Production of black tea began in the area during the 1980s. The process includes withering fresh leaves, rolling, fermentation, and drying. Products include broken black tea and strip black tea.

　　Scented Tea: The main types of scented tea produced locally are jasmine tea and magnolia tea, made by scenting refined green tea bases. In 1980, the county demonstration tea farm planted 10 mu of jasmine and began scenting jasmine tea. Later, local scented tea was made by transporting tea bases to flower-producing regions such as Guangxi, Guangdong, and Fujian for scenting into finished scented tea. After 1992, scented tea production declined significantly.

　　Border Tea Raw Material (Old Tea): Locally harvested old tea leaves are processed through fixation, rolling, and sun-drying.

　　Premium Tea Processing: Premium teas here refer to high-grade varieties such as silver needle, maojian, and Longjing.

　　(1) Baishi Maojian: Produced at the Baishi Tea Farm in Hengpu Township, this tea was first made in 1977 and named “Baishi Maojian.” It was rated as a provincial “Famous Tea” in 1982. The production involves carefully selecting fresh leaves and going through processes such as withering, fixation, cooling, initial rolling, pan-firing, re-rolling, shaping, tipping, and drying. The tea has a curly shape with visible tips, a glossy emerald color, bright and clear green liquor, a refreshing aroma, and a tender, even green leaf base. Annual production exceeds 500 kilograms.

　　(2) Qianzhen Lusun: Produced at the city demonstration tea farm, originally named “Linxiang Dongting Chun.” It won a provincial quality award in 1985, was renamed “Qianzhen Lusun” in 1989, and was rated as a provincial famous tea for three consecutive years from 1989 to 1991. The production uses one bud and one leaf in early unfolding stage, harvested around Qingming Festival, shaped like a sparrow’s beak. Processes include withering, fixation, cooling, initial rolling, initial drying, shaping, tipping, and drying. The tea features tightly twisted, straight strips covered with white tips. When brewed, it offers a fragrant, mellow taste, with a slightly green liquor and an even, tender green leaf base. Total production was 1,200 kilograms in 1989 and 600 kilograms in 2002.