Cen Tea

Cen Tea

　　Cenxi has a history of tea cultivation spanning over 300 years. The county annals from the fourth year of the Qianlong reign (1739) record: “Cenxi had no tea originally, except for that planted at the summit of Dadong Mountain, which tasted excellent, hence it was called Gang tea. By now, tea is cultivated in mountainous areas near villages across all townships, especially abundantly in the mountain fields of Xiemeng Fort, traded far and wide, yielding considerable profits.” In the second year of the Xuantong reign (1910), a survey by the Wuzhou Prefecture on locally produced goods recorded 2,600 dan (about 300,000 jin) of tea produced in Cenxi. Before liberation, tea flourished during the late Qing and early Republican periods; main production areas included Zhangmushanxin, Shuangyuan, Lihan, and Sixiang in Limu Township, Yiqing in Daxiang, Hengshan in Jinzhu Township, along with other townships. In the late Qing and early Republican eras, tea merchants operated 22 tea houses in local market towns such as Zhangmu, Jinzhu, Xinxu, Nandu, and Shuiwen, dealing in tea purchasing, processing, and export. Tea was considered one of the major agricultural products of the county during the late Qing. In 1933, the 22nd year of the Republican era, 4,000 dan of tea were exported. Statistics from 1936 show that the county (excluding the later-added areas of Sanbao and Nuodong, which were incorporated after liberation) had 10,380 mu of tea plantations, yielding 208.2 tons of tea annually. Cen Tea varieties each have their unique features—for example, the round and lustrous Shanxin Tea, the well-balanced Lihan Tea, the rich and long-lasting aroma of Sanguan, Sandu, and Gulang Teas, and the distinctive chestnut fragrance of Chaoyang Tea—all of which were highly regarded in places like Guangdong and Wuzhou, collectively known as “Cen Tea.”

　　After liberation, during the cooperative movement period, tea cultivation was strongly promoted. In 1956, technical specialists sent by the Yulin Prefecture established a tea production experimental station at Tangpo in Nuodong, introducing superior varieties such as Yunnan large-leaf tea, Fujian Tieguanyin, and Shuixian tea. In 1958, the State Council designated Cenxi County as a key tea-producing county. In the same year, the Guangxi Provincial Department of Agriculture held a tea production field conference in Limu Township, and that same year, the county party committee leaders and the head of the tea specialist team from Shuangyuan Village in Limu Township attended the National Tea Production Advanced Representatives Conference. Tea exports peaked between 1962 and 1970, averaging 272.34 tons per year, with 400 tons exported in 1967. In 1976, new technologies such as superior variety cultivation and dense planting were promoted, increasing both yield and quality. Tea production expanded from the original core areas to new regions including Nandu, Sanbao, Chengjian, and Guiyi. In 1982, Cenxi County was awarded the Third Prize for the Promotion of Dense Planting Cultivation Technology in Tea Plantations by the Wuzhou Region. 1984 was the year with the highest total tea plantation area and yield in the county, reaching 24,400 mu with an annual output of over 700 tons. Nandu Town was the largest tea-producing town in the county.

　　In recent years, domestic sales have expanded while exports have declined, but annual tea production still exceeds 200 tons. In 1990, the tea plantation area was 7,394 mu, with an annual output of 205 tons. The black broken tea, green rough tea, and roasted green tea processed by the local produce company’s tea processing factory are finely made, with a pure and lasting fragrance, and most are exported overseas.