Pubei Kuding Tea

Pubei Kuding Tea

　　Kuding tea is a rare and precious type of tea produced in Fuwang Township of the county. It has medicinal benefits such as clearing liver heat, activating blood circulation, strengthening the spleen and stomach, lowering blood pressure, and aiding weight loss. The tea has a bitter taste with a hint of sweetness and a faint aroma reminiscent of ordinary tea.

　　Before 1987, there was only one 60-year-old kuding tea tree in the county, planted at the age of 23 by Wu Yonglu, an 86-year-old farmer from Heshantian Production Team, Guantang Village, Fuwang, who brought it back from a distant place. After several transplantations, it is now planted in front of the house. This tree stands straight, with a trunk circumference of 110 cm, a height of over 10 meters, a crown spread of over 7 meters, and 13 main branches; its large leaves are 15.3 cm long and 6.5 cm wide, thick in texture, with serrated edges. It blooms around the Beginning of Spring, producing pale white flowers with clustered stamens that resemble water lily blossoms, attracting bees and butterflies; the tea fruits are about the size of chopsticks. This tree can be harvested for mature leaves three times a year, with only leaf buds left after each picking. It yields 80–100 kg of leaves annually, and in 1987, it produced 115 kg of fresh leaves. In 1990, each kilogram of fresh leaves sold for 20 yuan. After harvesting, the mature leaves are dried, crushed, and packaged to become the final kuding tea product.

　　After 1988, Fuwang Township’s village committees introduced kuding tea in two phases, planting over 500 acres and more than 50,000 plants across the area from Zhizhi to Malutang. By 1990, a small portion had reached harvestable maturity and entered the market. The products sold well across the country and were also exported to Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia, and other regions and countries.