Qintang Maojian Tea

Qintang Maojian Tea

Qintang Maojian Tea is a product with geographical indication status.

　　Qintang Maojian Tea is produced in the Songbai Mountain and Liulu Mountain, both over 1,000 meters above sea level and known as "heavenly paradises." The mountains are constantly enveloped in clouds and mist, nourished by rain and dew, creating a naturally ideal tea-growing environment. The tea is made from meticulously selected leaves using advanced processing methods, refined through ten steps by expert tea masters. The tea boasts visible white pekoe, crystal-clear emerald green infusion, and a pure, mellow, and sweet aroma with a long-lasting fragrance. It offers various benefits such as refreshing the mind, relieving summer heat, quenching thirst, aiding digestion, reducing greasiness, promoting fitness and weight loss, preventing cancer, and extending longevity. Qintang Maojian stands out among tea varieties, ranking among China’s finest green teas and one of the top ten famous teas in China. In 1982, it won second place in the National Famous Tea Evaluation and has since received multiple accolades in various national green tea competitions.

　　Qintang Maojian is grown on Pingtian Mountain in Qintang District, Guigang City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, at an altitude of up to 1,100 meters. The area features dense forests, persistent mist, abundant diffused light, significant day-night temperature variations, murmuring streams, humid air, and deep, fertile, loose purple shale weathered soil—all ideal conditions for tea tree cultivation.

　　Qintang Maojian is made from tender shoots of the Fuding Dabai tea variety, introduced from Fujian. The spring tea harvest begins in early March and ends in late April. The picking standard is one bud with one leaf or one bud with two leaves just unfolding. The freshly picked leaves are carefully sorted to ensure uniform length and color, while purple buds, diseased or pest-infested leaves, and other impurities are removed. The leaves are kept intact and fresh.

　　The production technique of Qintang Maojian is highly refined, relying entirely on the skilled hands of master tea makers who skillfully employ various methods during processing. The main steps include withering, fixation, cooling, rolling, shaping, drying, screening, and scent enhancement—eight processes in total. High-temperature fixation is the key technique to ensuring the tea's emerald green color. Shaping and scent enhancement are crucial for forming the tea’s appearance and enhancing its aroma.

　　Qintang Maojian has tightly twisted, straight, and slender tea leaves with visible white pekoe and a glossy emerald green color. The liquor is yellowish-green and clear, with a high, lasting fragrance, a fresh and mellow taste with a sweet aftertaste, and bright, tender, and even leaf bottoms.

　　Qintang Maojian was first created in 1971, designated as a Guangxi provincial-level famous tea in 1973, and won top honors in the regional famous tea evaluations three consecutive times from 1978 to 1982. In 1982, it was awarded the title of National Famous Tea in the national evaluation. In 1989, it once again earned its place among China’s finest teas at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries' quality product competition, thanks to its outstanding quality.

　　Geographic Scope

　　The protected production area of Qintang Maojian Tea is located in Qintang District in southeastern Guangxi, within the South Asian tropical zone. The terrain is higher in the west and north but lower in the southeast, with mountain ranges concentrated in the northwest—including the Zhenlong Mountain Range in the west and the Pingtian Mountain Range in the north. The southeast mostly consists of karst hills and low mountains, while the central and southern parts feature open plains. The district borders Gangbei District to the east, Binyang County and Heng County to the west, faces Gangnan District across the Yu River to the south, and adjoins Wuxuan County and Xingbin District of Laibin City to the north. The protected area includes ten towns and their 138 administrative villages and seven neighborhood committees: Qintang Town, Donglong Town, Sanli Town, Huanglian Town, Shika Town, Wuli Town, Shanbei Township, Zhangmu Township, Menggong Township, and Dalin Township. The protected region spans between 108°58′–109°18′ east longitude and 22°48′–23°25′ north latitude, covering a cultivation area of 4,500 hectares with an annual output of 1,700 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) External Sensory Features: Qintang Maojian green tea has tightly twisted, slender leaves with a glossy green color and visible white pekoe. The liquor is bright green, with a high, lasting fragrance carrying a hint of tender chestnut aroma, and a fresh, mellow, and refreshing taste. The leaf bottoms are tender, green, bright, and uniform. With fifty years of production history in the region, Qintang Maojian maintains stable quality and enjoys a strong reputation in the market. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: Key content indicators of Qintang Maojian (green tea) include: tea polyphenols ≥18.4%, free amino acids ≥3.16%, water extract ≥50.6%, moisture ≤4.4%, total ash ≤6.6%, and crude fiber ≤8.0%. (3) Safety Requirements: The selection of production areas and cultivation processes for Qintang Maojian Tea follow the “Qintang Maojian Tea Pollution-Free Production Regulations,” implementing standardized production. Product safety indicators must comply with the hygiene and safety standards outlined in GB 2762-2012 (National Food Safety Standard—Maximum Levels of Contaminants in Foods) and GB 2763-2014 (National Food Safety Standard—Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides in Foods).