Haimagong Tea

Haimagong Tea

　　Haimagong Tea is produced in Haimagong Township at the foot of Right Eagle Rock in Dafang County, Guizhou Province. The tea gardens are surrounded by mountains on three sides and open to a river valley on one side, situated at an altitude of around 1,500 meters. With high mountains, thick clouds, crisscrossing streams, an average annual temperature of about 13°C, an effective accumulated annual temperature of 4,670°C, a frost-free period of 260 days, and annual rainfall between 1,000–1,200 millimeters, the area has an average monthly relative humidity of over 80%, making it one of the colder and more humid tea regions in Guizhou Province. However, the tea gardens are shielded by mountains on three sides, which act as a natural barrier against cold air. In addition, the dense local vegetation creates unique microclimatic conditions. Moreover, the soil parent material of the Haimagong tea gardens is sandy shale, which is loose in texture and rich in potassium, with a content reaching 127 ppm, and a pH of 4.6–4.9, suitable for tea tree growth.

　　Haimagong Tea is harvested from local medium and small tea cultivars, which feature abundant fuzz and strong tenderness. The picking season begins around Grain Rain. The picking standards are as follows: first-grade tea consists of one bud and one newly opened leaf; second-grade tea consists of one bud and two leaves; third-grade tea consists of one bud and three leaves. This aligns with the description in the Tongren Prefecture Annals from the 18th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1890 AD): “Tea with white fuzz on the back is of better quality and should be picked several days before Grain Rain.”

　　The processing of Haimagong Tea involves steps such as fixation, initial rolling, pile fermentation, repeated rolling, secondary stir-frying, secondary rolling, drying, and sorting. The specific process is as follows:

　　Fixation is carried out in a new flat-bottomed wok with a diameter of 35–50 cm. The wok temperature is around 140°C, and the amount of tea leaves used per batch is about 700 grams. The goal is thorough and even fixation. Once the gloss on the leaves disappears and the tea fragrance emerges, the leaves are taken off the heat and rolled while still hot. When the buds and leaves start forming strips, pile fermentation begins—this involves rolling the tea leaves into small clusters, wrapping them tightly in clean white cloth, placing them in a basin, and pressing them down for 24 hours. Under the humid heat conditions of pile fermentation, the rolled leaves develop the distinctive quality and character of Haimagong Tea. The well-fermented tea then undergoes two rounds of repeated rolling and stir-frying to tighten the tea strips, evaporate moisture, and enhance aroma. The final drying stage is performed in a stove using low heat over a slow fire for more than 10 hours, achieving a high aroma, mellow taste, and fully dried leaves. The fully dried leaves are sorted and sieved to remove stalks, impurities, and broken pieces, then graded, packaged, and stored. The entire process of making Haimagong Tea takes over 30 hours.

　　Haimagong Tea is a famous yellow tea. It features tightly rolled and curled strips, visible fuzz, a high aroma, mellow taste, sweet aftertaste, bright yellow-green soup color, and tender, even, and bright yellow leaf bottoms.