Lingtou Dancong Tea

Lingtou Dancong Tea

Lingtou Dancong Tea is a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Lingtou Dancong Tea, also known as White Leaf Dancong Tea, originates from Shuangjiniang Mountain at an altitude of 1,032 meters in Lingtou Village, Fubin Town (formerly Pingxi Township or Pingxi Town), Raoping County, Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province. It was selected from wild Narcissus tea plants by villagers of Lingtou in 1961 and was listed as a distinct variety during the 1981 Guangdong Provincial Tea Cultivar Conference. In 1988, the tea plant was officially recognized as an elite cultivar by the Guangdong Provincial Crop Variety Approval Committee and was formally named “Lingtou Dancong” Tea by the National Ministry of Agriculture, which also issued a certificate. From 1997 to 2001, it participated in the second batch of national tea cultivar regional trials and was approved as a national-level elite tea cultivar during the sixth meeting of the third National Crop Variety Approval Committee in April 2002. In December 2004, Raoping County was named “Hometown of China’s Lingtou Dancong Tea” by the State Forestry Administration. In July 2002, the Lingtou Tea Garden of Guangdong Guobin Group Co., Ltd. established the “Guangdong Lingtou Dancong Tea Standardization Demonstration Zone.” In March 1996, Raoping County was named “Hometown of China’s Lingtou Dancong Tea” by the Organizing Committee of the China Specialties Hometown Naming Campaign. In 2009, it was rated as one of the “Top 100 Tea Counties in China” by the China Tea Marketing Association. In 2010, Raoping County was designated by the Ministry of Agriculture as a unit for creating “National Tea Standard Gardens.”

　　Raoping County is situated between mountains and the sea and has a subtropical maritime monsoon climate. The mountainous areas in the north, especially the northwest, offer uniquely favorable geographic and climatic conditions for producing high-quality tea. Lingtou Dancong Tea is a type of oolong tea. Fifteen towns in the county grow Lingtou Dancong Tea, with a total planting area exceeding 50,000 mu. Cultivating and producing Lingtou Dancong Tea has become one of the main ways for the mountain people of Raoping to escape poverty and achieve prosperity.

　　Lingtou Dancong Tea boasts a perfect combination of aroma, honey notes, and aftertaste, possessing a unique celestial fragrance. It has won numerous awards at international and national tea-tasting events and enjoys a prestigious reputation both domestically and abroad.

　　In December 2004, Raoping County was named “Hometown of China’s Lingtou Dancong Tea” by the State Forestry Administration.

　　Lingtou Dancong Tea, also known as White Leaf Dancong Tea, originated from Shuangjiniang Mountain at an altitude of 1,032 meters in Lingtou Village, Fubin Town, Raoping County. It was selected from wild Narcissus tea plants by villagers of Lingtou in 1961. After three consecutive years of single-plant harvesting and processing, samples were sent to experts from provincial, municipal, and county agricultural departments as well as tea import-export companies. In 1981, it was listed as a distinct variety during the Guangdong Provincial Tea Cultivar Conference. In 1988, the tea plant was officially recognized as an elite cultivar by the Guangdong Provincial Crop Variety Approval Committee and was formally named “Lingtou Dancong” Tea by the National Ministry of Agriculture, which also issued a certificate. From 1997 to 2001, it participated in the second batch of national tea cultivar regional trials and was approved as a national-level elite tea cultivar during the sixth meeting of the third National Crop Variety Approval Committee in April 2002.

　　The Lingtou Dancong tea plant is a small arbor type, medium leaf category, and very early-maturing variety. The plant is tall with a semi-spreading canopy and branching angles of around 40°. The leaves are long elliptical, averaging 9.0 cm in length and 3.5 cm in width, with 7–9 pairs of lateral veins. The leaf color is yellowish-green with a glossy sheen, the leaf surface is flat, the leaf body is slightly inward-curved, the leaf margin is even, the leaf tip is acuminate, the leaf teeth are blunt and shallow, and the leaf texture is relatively thick and soft. The buds and leaves are yellowish-green with sparse fuzz, and the weight of 100 buds and three leaves is 121.0 grams. The flower corolla diameter is 3.0–4.0 cm, with seven petals, medium fuzz on the ovary, and a three-lobed style. It has strong bud-forming ability, sprouts early, usually in February, with the peak period for three-leaf sprouting occurring in mid-to-late March. The annual growth cycle is long, with tea still available for harvest even at the end of November. Spring tea from one bud and two leaves (dry sample) contains 1.5% amino acids, 37.2% tea polyphenols, and 4.4% caffeine. When processed into oolong tea, it exhibits exceptional quality with a unique “subtle floral and dense honey” character, a mellow and refreshing taste with a sweet aftertaste, bright orange-yellow liquor, and a yellow-green leaf base with reddish edges. It is highly resistant to multiple infusions and has excellent storage qualities. As long as the production and processing procedures outlined in the “Comprehensive Standards for Lingtou Dancong Tea” are strictly followed, the distinctive qualities of Lingtou Dancong can be achieved in tea gardens at high altitudes, low altitudes, or on flat land.

　　Lingtou Dancong Tea maintains stable quality. Its appearance features tightly rolled, robust strips with a yellowish-brown, glossy hue. It offers a high, sharp, and lasting floral-honey aroma, a rich, mellow, and refreshing taste with a strong sweet aftertaste and a unique subtle floral-honey fragrance (now referred to as “honey charm”). The liquor is bright orange-yellow, and the leaf base is yellow-green with crimson edges. It is highly resistant to multiple infusions and has excellent storage characteristics. As long as the production and processing procedures outlined in the “Comprehensive Standards for Lingtou Dancong Tea” are strictly followed, the distinctive qualities of Lingtou Dancong can be achieved in tea gardens at high altitudes, low altitudes, or on flat land.

　　The Lingtou Dancong tea plant variety is high-yielding and premium-quality. In the eastern Guangdong oolong tea region, it not only achieves high yields but also exhibits outstanding stylistic characteristics. Currently, the planting area of Lingtou Dancong Tea in Raoping County has reached over 60,000 mu, with an annual output of 5,500 tons and an agricultural output value of 100 million yuan. There are 30,000 farming households, over 400 tea processing enterprises of various types, and more than 2,000 tea retail shops. The total planting area across the province has exceeded 200,000 mu, making it the dominant cultivar in the province’s oolong tea region. The Lingtou Dancong tea plant variety has made significant contributions to the production and development of oolong tea in Guangdong. Since its promotion across the province, many producers have won national and provincial awards such as Famous and High-Quality Tea, Special Prizes, and Gold Awards in various tea competitions.

　　Geographic Scope

　　Lingtou Dancong Tea is produced in Raoping County, Guangdong Province. Its place of origin is Lingtou Village, Fubin Town, Raoping County, Guangdong Province. The main production areas include 11 towns (and farms): Fubin, Dongshan, Tangxi, Xintang, Sanrao, Hanjiang Forest Farm, Xinfeng, Shangrao, Raoyang, Jianrao, and Zhangxi, covering a protected area of 3,333.3 hectares with an annual output of 5,000 tons. The production area is located between 116°35′–116°58′ east longitude and 23°45′–24°14′ north latitude, at altitudes ranging from 61 meters to 1,256 meters. It borders Zhao’an County and Pinghe County of Fujian Province to the east and northeast, neighbors Dabu County to the north, and is adjacent to Fengshun County, Chao’an County, and Chenghai County to the west and southwest. To the south, it connects with Raoping County’s own towns of Fushan, Xinxu, and Zhangxi.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　4.1 Sensory Characteristics: The sensory features of Lingtou Dancong Tea are: tightly rolled, uniform strips with a yellowish-brown, glossy color; the internal quality includes a subtle floral, dense honey aroma that is fresh, high, and long-lasting, a mellow, refreshing taste with a sweet aftertaste, a prominent honey charm, bright orange-yellow liquor, and soft, bright yellow leaf bases with red edges. 4.2 Physicochemical Indicators. 4.3 Safety Requirements: The hygiene and safety indicators of Lingtou Dancong Tea comply with the “Pollution-Free Food – Tea” (NY5244—2004) standards. 4.4 Packaging, Transportation, and Storage Regulations: 4.4.1 Packaging: Packaging containers should meet the “General Technical Conditions for Tea Sales Packaging” (SB/T10035—1992) and food packaging hygiene standards. 4.4.2 Transportation: Transport vehicles should be clean, hygienic, dry, odor-free, and uncontaminated. During transport, protection against rain, moisture, and sun exposure is required. Loading and unloading should be done gently without throwing or collision. Mixing or transporting with toxic, harmful, odorous, or easily contaminating items is strictly prohibited. 4.4.3 Storage: Products should be stored in dedicated warehouses that are low temperature, dry, clean, hygienic, odor-free, and uncontaminated, with a cushioned floor. Mixing or storing with toxic, harmful, odorous, or easily contaminating items is strictly prohibited. Attention should be paid to ventilation, dryness, low temperature, and avoidance of direct sunlight.