Gualiao Tea

Gualiao Tea

Gualiao Tea is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Gualiao Tea is produced in Gualiao Village, Liutou Village, Dongmen Town, located in the misty hills of the Shiwandashan Mountain Range. The tea offers benefits such as relieving diarrhea, improving digestion, invigorating the stomach, reducing internal heat, refreshing the mind, and eliminating bad breath. It is a natural health product ideal for home or travel use. Regular consumption can enhance appetite, effectively regulate bodily functions, strengthen the body, and delay aging. Gualiao Tea has a long cultivation history and deep cultural roots, having once been an imperial delicacy during the Qing Dynasty. In recent years, Gualiao Tea has been in high demand, leading to rising prices, currently selling at 2,080 yuan per kilogram. Dongmen Town now produces about 1,500 kilograms of Gualiao Tea per year.

　　Gualiao Tea is made from wild ancient arbor tea trees growing in red soil on mountain peaks over 600 meters above sea level in the Shiwandashan Mountain Range. According to statistics, there are more than 5,100 wild ancient arbor tea trees in Gualiao Village, including over 1,500 that are 100 years old, over 100 that are 500 years old, and 7 that are over 1,000 years old. These trees thrive year-round in a pristine environment, nourished by beneficial trace elements such as potassium, zinc, and selenium, resulting in naturally superior quality. The tea leaves are dark-colored and tightly curled. When brewed, the liquor is golden, clear, and bright. It is highly durable and pure in taste, smooth on the palate, with lingering sweetness reminiscent of honey. Even after 20 infusions, the flavor remains rich and sweet. Authoritative tests have shown that the tea polyphenol content of "Zhuangxiang Hong" ranks first among similar teas.

　　A few years ago, in an effort to develop the Gualiao Tea industry, Fusui County invited Huang Peifu, a tea merchant who sold tea in Beijing, to apply advanced tea processing techniques to Gualiao Tea. Instantly, Gualiao Tea transformed from a traditional herbal remedy known for its anti-diarrheal, digestive, and heat-reducing properties into an aromatic and honey-sweet new star in the world of tea.

　　In March 2010, tea expert Huang Peifu was invited to Gualiao Village, Dongmen Town, Fusui, to inspect and experiment with making Gualiao Tea. In 2011, based on his understanding of tea and the unique characteristics of Gualiao Tea trees, Huang improved upon the traditional green tea production method. Drawing inspiration from Taiwan’s Oolong tea “Oriental Beauty,” he developed a deeply fermented tea called “Zhuangxiang Hong.”

　　In 2011, Zhuangxiang Hong (Gualiao) Tea was designated as the official black tea for the 8th China-ASEAN Expo. Over the following year, the producers of Zhuangxiang Hong (Gualiao) Tea raised raw material procurement standards, refined processing techniques, enhanced packaging, and strengthened promotional efforts, achieving another leap in product quality. In 2012, Zhuangxiang Hong (Gualiao) Tea was again selected as the official black tea for the China-ASEAN Expo.