Lingyun Baihao Tea

Lingyun Baihao Tea

Lingyun Baihao Tea is a protected geographical indication product.

Lingyun Baihao Tea is a certified geographical indication trademark.

　　Lingyun Baihao Tea: A type of green tea. Originally named "Baimao Tea" (White Hair Tea), also known as "Lingyun Baimao Tea," it gets its name from the dense white hairs on the back of its leaves. It is mainly produced in the cloud-shrouded mountains of Lingyun and Leye counties in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The tea grown in Yuhong and Jiayou areas around Qinglong Mountain is considered to be of the highest quality and greatest yield. It is renowned for its five characteristics: emerald green color, abundant white hairs, high aroma, strong flavor, and excellent infusability, making it a rising star among China's famous teas.

　　China is the homeland of tea, and the area around Cenwanglaoshan and the Qinglong Mountain range in Guangxi is the birthplace of Lingyun Baihao Tea. Currently, there are over 600 cultivated varieties of tea trees in China, more than 250 of which are widely cultivated, and 76 have been officially approved as superior varieties by the state.

　　Lingyun and Leye are mountainous counties located in northwestern Guangxi, close to the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. With high terrain, undulating peaks, dense forests, abundant mountain springs, crisscrossing streams, lush greenery, and frequent mist, these regions enjoy suitable sunlight, abundant diffused light, mild and moist climate, and especially during spring and summer, “early morning and evening mists cover the mountains on clear days, while clouds shroud the hills all day on rainy days.” Winters are not extremely cold, and summers are free from intense heat. The annual average temperature ranges from 19–23°C, with annual rainfall between 1700–1800 mm. Tea trees mostly grow on mountains at altitudes of 800–1500 meters, with contiguous tea plantations often located in valleys and streams. The soil is mostly plateau forest soil, rich in organic matter, deep, fertile, and highly suitable for tea tree cultivation. The region features overlapping mountains, undulating peaks, fertile soil, and year-round misty conditions.

　　In 1964, numerous wild Baihao tea trees were discovered in Fengxiangping, Shuangmou Village, Yuhong Township, Lingyun County, including one of the largest with a height of 9.96 meters, a crown width of 6.38 meters, a trunk diameter of 25 cm, leaf length of 13.3 cm, and width of 4.7 cm. Until 2003, many ancient wild Lingyun Baihao tea trees still remained in areas such as Langfu Village, Shali, Longquan Mountain, Nali Village, Lihong Township, Jiujian and Panxian Villages in Yuhong Township. Some original tea trees, through artificial cultivation, selection, optimization, and gradual dwarfing, evolved into the Lingyun Baihao tea we know today.

　　By the end of 2001, the county’s Baihao tea planting area had reached 74,700 mu (approximately 4,980 hectares), making Lingyun County one of China’s first 20 demonstration counties for pollution-free tea production bases. In late September 2002, it passed the phased inspection by the National Ministry of Agriculture. The tea products were also approved by the Regional Department of Agriculture and the Regional Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision, meeting the pollution-free tea standards.

　　Baihao tea has been cultivated in Lingyun for over 300 years. The tea tree variety is a sexually propagated series, classified as a small arbor type, large leaf category, and mid-season variety. The plants are tall, with thick trunks, robust buds and leaves, soft leaf texture, strong tenderness retention, long and dense fuzz, and a natural fragrance. They are rich in components such as tea polyphenols, amino acids, and pectin. Naturally grown trees can reach heights of 6–9 meters, with a semi-spreading growth habit and sparse branching. The leaves are horizontally or pendulously attached, large and oval-shaped, dark green in color with a dull sheen, raised leaf surfaces, and hairy undersides. Veins are densely visible, and the leaf texture is thin and soft.

　　In Lingyun, the spring bud sprouting period is in mid-March, the peak period for one bud and three leaves is from late March to early April, and the average weight of 100 one-bud-three-leaf shoots is 99 grams. Flowering begins in November, peaks from late November to mid-December, and yields relatively few fruits that are small with fuzzy sepals. Mature tea fruits are green.

　　The plant has weaker resistance to stress. It is suitable for cultivation in Guangxi and winter tea regions of Yunnan. Propagation is best done via cuttings, though seedlings are less resistant in early stages. Two-year-old seedlings are recommended for transplanting, with staged pruning applied to facilitate early branching.

　　It is said that Lingyun Baihao tea (the tea tree variety) is currently the world’s only all-purpose tea tree variety capable of producing all six major types of tea.

　　Spring tea fresh leaves contain 3.36% amino acids, 35.6% tea polyphenols, 18.29% total catechins, and 4.91% caffeine. It is suitable for making both black and green tea. Broken black tea has uniformly sized, glossy particles with golden tips, a strong and robust taste, and a unique floral aroma. When processed into Maojian tea, it is covered in white fuzz, resembling silver needles, with a rich and mellow taste and a chestnut-like aroma. The superior ecological environment of the tea-growing region and the excellent tea tree variety give rise to this outstanding Bai Mao tea.

　　In 1984, Lingyun Baihao Tea (the tea tree variety) was recognized as one of the first batch of national-level superior tea tree varieties (No. Huacha 26).

　　According to biochemical component analysis by the Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences on Lingyun Baihao tea (roasted green), it contains 4.91% caffeine, 3.36% amino acids, 35.6% tea polyphenols, and 182.92 mg/g total catechins. As such, the tea has effects such as refreshing the mind, quenching thirst, relieving fatigue, promoting salivation, aiding digestion, and enhancing appetite. Amid the trend of returning to natural diets, Lingyun Baihao Tea has undoubtedly become...

　　The primary use of Lingyun Baihao Tea is as a beverage, and it is one of the best naturally flavored drinks that combines color, aroma, and taste.

　　The brewing method for Baihao tea is basically the same as for green tea, but because it is not rolled and is covered with white fuzz, the tea juice is not easily extracted. Thus, brewing time should be longer. Typically, it takes about 5–6 minutes after pouring water for the tea buds to slowly sink to the bottom, and around 10 minutes before drinking to fully experience the tea’s true color, aroma, and flavor.

　　In addition to domestic sales, Lingyun Baihao Tea is also exported to Morocco, Ireland, Hong Kong, Macao, and other regions. The tea was once presented as a national gift to King Hassan II of Morocco and was regarded as a treasure, hailed as the “finest tea among teas.”

　　1915 – Won the Second Prize at the Panama International Exposition

　　1965 – Recognized as an excellent Chinese tea tree variety by the Agricultural Department of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Tea Research Institute

　　1984 – Exhibited as an excellent tea tree variety resource at the National Agricultural Zoning Conference

　　1985 – Certified as a national variety by the National Committee for the Approval of Tea Tree Varieties

　　1990 – Included in the "Chinese Special Products Dictionary" and "Collection of Excellent Chinese Tea Tree Varieties"

　　1991 – Awarded the title of National High-Quality Famous Tea by the Tea Quality Supervision and Testing Center of the Ministry of Agriculture

　　1992 – Included in the "Chinese Tea Classics"

　　1994 – Included in the "Selected Collection of China’s Famous and High-Quality Teas," "Huacha Grand View," and "History of Guangxi Tea"

　　1999 – Won the Third National "China Tea Cup" Famous Tea Award

　　2000 – Won the Gold Award in the Black Tea Category and the Silver Award in the Green Tea Category at the 2nd International Famous Tea Competition organized by the Korean Tea Association