Hengxian Nanshan White Down Tea

Hengxian Nanshan White Down Tea

Hengxian Nanshan White Down Tea is a protected geographical indication product.

　　   White Down Tea gets its name from its leaves being covered with fine white down, appearing snow-white in color. Legend has it that Nanshan White Down Tea was planted and named by Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty during his exile. The *Guangxi General Annals* records: “Nanshan tea has white down on the back of its leaves like snow. The tender buds are picked as soon as they sprout, delicate as silver needles, with color and flavor surpassing Longjing. When brewed, it fills the mouth with a refreshing fragrance and a natural lotus aroma—truly an extraordinary variety.” In 1915, it won the second prize at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition held in the United States to commemorate the opening of the Panama Canal, and later earned another second prize at the Nanjing Commodity Exhibition. Since then, Nanshan White Down Tea has gained widespread fame and recognition globally.

　　Nanshan White Down Tea is named for the dense white down covering the back of its leaves. Produced in Nanshan, Hengxian, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, it is a renowned variety of green tea. The tea leaves are tightly rolled, slender, and slightly curved, covered with down, with a silvery-white sheen and green tint. It boasts a high, fragrant aroma with hints of lotus, bright greenish liquor, a mellow and refreshing taste, and tender, even, bright green leaves. The production process of Nanshan White Down Tea is meticulous: only the first unfolded leaf bud is picked for top-grade tea, while others are limited to one bud and one leaf. Larger leaves and stems are torn into two or three pieces. The processing involves pan-firing for fixation, air-drying, gentle hand-rolling combined with pan-firing, repeated three times, and finally drying over a charcoal-fired basket with low heat.

　　Quality characteristics of Nanshan White Down Tea: vibrant green color, tightly rolled and slightly curved leaves; pure and lasting aroma with notes of lotus and creamy milk; clear, bright green liquor; rich, mellow taste with a smooth aftertaste; tender, bright green leaves.

　　Nanshan White Down Tea was exhibited at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in the United States and won the second prize. Later, its production area expanded to counties such as Lingyun and Leye. However, the original variety (from Nanshan) is a medium-leaf tea plant, named “White Down” for its abundant white down on the buds and leaves, while the Lingyun-Leye variety comes from large-leaf tea plants, hence named “White Down Tea” after the plant species. The *Guangxi General Annals* states: “Nanshan tea has white down on the back of its leaves like snow. The tender buds are picked as soon as they sprout, delicate as silver needles, with color and flavor surpassing Longjing. When brewed, it fills the mouth with a refreshing fragrance and a natural lotus aroma—truly an authentic variety.”

　　Production process: divided into four steps—fixation, rolling, pan-firing, and drying. The frying process emphasizes “preserving the white down.” For plucking, top-grade tea uses one bud and one leaf, while first- and second-grade teas use one bud and two leaves.

　　Nanshan White Down Tea: Spring, Summer, and Autumn teas. Spring tea features robust, plump buds and leaves, dark green color with a glossy sheen, tightly rolled and heavy strips; the brewed tea has a strong, mellow, and refreshing flavor, rich aroma, and soft, bright leaves. Summer tea has coarser, looser strips, mixed colors, and distinct woody leaf buds; the tea tastes astringent, with hard leaves, visible veins, and some copper-green leaves. Autumn tea has tight, slender strips with many fine veins, thin and light green in color; the tea liquor is light, with a mild, slightly sweet taste, subtle aroma, and soft leaves with many copper-colored single leaves.

　　High-mountain tea vs. lowland tea: High-mountain green tea features thick, heavy strips, green color with gloss; the brewed tea has bright green liquor, lasting aroma, rich taste, bright leaves, and soft leaf texture. Lowland tea has thin, exposed veins, light and thin strips, yellow-green color; the tea liquor is pale, with a plain aroma, mild taste, harder leaf texture, and visible veins.

　　The protected geographical indication area for Nanshan White Down Tea covers the entire administrative region of Hengxian, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.