Wanyuan Selenium-Rich Tea

Wanyuan Selenium-Rich Tea

Wanyuan Selenium-Rich Tea is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　“Tea as a beverage originated with Shennong.” This is probably the earliest written record of tea. “Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs and encountered seventy-two poisons in a single day, but was cured by tea.” This may be the most primitive use of tea, yet it reveals its most fundamental function. The *Record of Planting Tea in the Ziyun Terrace*, located in Gusheping Village, Shiwo Township, Wanyuan City, is not only the earliest discovered cliff carving in China documenting tea planting, but also serves as evidence of Wanyuan’s long history of tea cultivation.

　　Wanyuan City has long been known as the “Source of Myriad Treasures,” and is one of China’s ancient tea regions. Situated at the heart of the Qinba Mountain area — the easternmost part of Sichuan Province — it is one of the nation’s three major selenium-rich regions and a national nature reserve. As an ecological shield for the upper reaches of the Jialing and Han rivers, Wanyuan boasts a long history of tea production and superior natural ecological conditions. These factors have contributed to the development of the Wanyuan Selenium-Rich Tea brand, represented by “Bashan Que She,” which has played a significant role in accelerating the development of Wanyuan’s tea industry and promoting the growth of the region’s characteristic economy.

　　Wanyuan sits on the dividing line between China’s northern and southern climates, as well as the watershed between the Jialing and Han rivers. It has a subtropical humid monsoon climate, with its landscape characterized by overlapping mountains and crisscrossing valleys. The highest elevation reaches 2,412 meters, while the lowest is 335 meters. Forest coverage stands at 61.3%. The area enjoys moist, foggy weather with distinct vertical climatic zones. The average annual temperature is 14.7°C, the frost-free period averages over 230 days, and annual precipitation averages 1,169.3 mm.

　　Tea-growing areas are located far from cities and industrial zones, with most tea gardens distributed in mountain forests between 800 and 1,200 meters above sea level. The air, soil, and irrigation water are clean and free of pollution. Heavy metal content in Wanyuan’s soil is relatively low, with most areas meeting national second-class soil standards, and some even reaching first-class standards. Moreover, no chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or plant growth regulators are used in the tea gardens. Sampling tests by the Sichuan Agricultural Quality Testing Center confirmed that the products are free from pesticide residues and heavy metal contamination. In 2006, the city’s entire tea base was certified as a national pollution-free agricultural product base.

　　In recent years, Wanyuan’s tea industry has developed rapidly. The city now has 48 selenium-rich tea base towns, with a total tea garden area of 150,000 mu (approximately 10,000 hectares), and 13 provincial and municipal leading enterprises in the tea industrialization sector. The flagship product of Wanyuan Selenium-Rich Tea, “Bashan Que She,” was honored as one of the “Top Ten Famous Teas of Sichuan” and an “Sichuan Famous Product” in both 2006 and 2007. In 2008, the Bashan Que She trademark was recognized as a well-known trademark in Sichuan. In 2001, Wanyuan City was awarded the title of “Hometown of Selenium-Rich Famous Tea in Sichuan” by the Sichuan Specialty Association, and in December 2007, it was named the “Capital of China’s Selenium-Rich Tea” by the China National Food Industry Association. Wanyuan has since grown into a national pollution-free selenium-rich green tea production demonstration base, a national tea standardization demonstration zone, and a selenium-rich tea advantage base in northeastern Sichuan. In 2008, it was designated as one of Sichuan’s ten key tea base counties and confirmed as the core base county for the development of selenium-rich health teas in northeastern Sichuan. In 2009, “Wanyuan Selenium-Rich Tea” received national geographical indication certification from the Ministry of Agriculture.

　　Geographic Scope

　　The protected production area of Wanyuan Selenium-Rich Tea covers 48 towns and townships in Wanyuan City, Sichuan Province — including Caoba Town, Baiyang Township, Gujun Township, Qinghua Town, and Jingxi Township — encompassing 112 villages across a protected area of 10,000 hectares, with an annual output of 7,500 tons. Wanyuan City is located on the northeastern edge of the Sichuan Basin, at the junction of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Chongqing (three provinces/cities), in the heart of the southern Daba Mountains. It lies between 107°29′–108°31′ east longitude and 31°39′–32°20′ north latitude, bordering Chengkou County of Chongqing to the east, Xuanhan County to the south, Pingchang and Tongjiang counties to the west, and Zhenba and Ziyang counties of Shaanxi Province to the north.