Tianyin Tribute Tea

Tianyin Tribute Tea

　　Tianyin Tribute Tea is a specialty of Tianyin Village, Duping Town, Zhenyuan County, Qiandongnan Prefecture, Guizhou Province. Zhenyuan Tianyin Tribute Tea features an elegant shape, emerald color, bright green liquor, long-lasting aftertaste, and high endurance in brewing. It offers benefits such as clearing heat and toxins, refreshing the mind, relieving fatigue, promoting diuresis, aiding digestion, maintaining skin health, anti-aging, and helping prevent heart attacks.

　　Zhenyuan Tianyin Tribute Tea is produced in Tianyin Village, Duping Town, Zhenyuan County, Guizhou Province. As early as the Tang Dynasty, it became one of the renowned teas in China. Through the Song and Yuan Dynasties, it developed further in the Ming and Qing periods, gaining even greater fame through the promotion of Wu Sangui and E'ertai. Hence, it became known as “Tribute Tea.” In the 1960s, Tianyin Tribute Tea was showcased twice at national tea variety standardization conferences held in Beijing, receiving high praise from domestic and international tea merchants.

　　Tianyin Tea is grown in two main areas: Tianyin Mountain and Yangchangguan in Duping Town, about 30 kilometers northwest of Zhenyuan County, as well as in Chayuanguan in Yangchang Town. It is divided among four tea gardens: Liuxipo, Yangliutang, Maoshiyan, and Kuchadi in Tianyin Village. Its production techniques are widely practiced around Chayuanguan, Tianyin Mountain, and TuJunpo. At the onset of spring when trees begin to bud, the people of Tianyin are busy picking tender green tea buds from the mountains. Through processes such as pan-firing, rolling, and drying, they produce this pollution-free gem among green beverages.

　　The popularity of Tianyin Tribute Tea stems first from its long history, and second from the outstanding natural conditions of its production area—altitude, sunshine hours, soil, and ecological vegetation—which allow the tea to grow surrounded by clouds and nestled among mountains. “Morning dew flows freshly, new sprouts emerge, drawing in the purity of heaven and earth, embodying the charm of landscapes—its shape resembles a sharp sword tip or a lotus bud.” In addition, its picking and processing follow scientific methods, primarily using traditional manual techniques. The finished product is rich in vitamin C, vitamin B, tea polyphenols, antioxidant flavonoids, inorganic mineral salts, caffeine, and more. It provides unique benefits such as clearing heat and toxins, refreshing the mind, relieving fatigue, promoting diuresis, aiding digestion, maintaining skin health, anti-aging, and helping prevent heart attacks. The resulting tea leaves are elegant in shape, emerald in color, produce a bright green liquor, have a long-lasting aftertaste, and can withstand many infusions. A folk song from Tianyin in Duping Town, Zhenyuan, praises the tea: “By the Longjiang River lies Golden Tripod Mountain, shaped like a seal reaching the sky. Here Wu Sangui traded tea for horses, and the tribute tea’s fine name lives on through generations.”

　　Lu Yu, the Sage of Tea, wrote in the Classic of Tea: “(Tea) is produced in Qianzhong (referring to ancient Shizhou, now Zhenyuan), Bozhou, Feizhou, Yizhou… It is often obtained there and is of excellent flavor.” The Zhenyuan Prefecture Annals record: “After the Qingming Festival and during Guyu, the tender leaves of tea are picked and processed. It is a specialty of Zhenyuan and Shibing, especially the cloud-and-mist tea from Tianying and nearby, which is even more renowned.” By the Ming Jiajing period, Tianyin Tea had become a tribute item in the Qing Dynasty.

　　In 2002, Wan Wenxing, a farmer from Tianyin Village, Duping Town, Zhenyuan County, and Chen Nairen, General Manager of Taiwan’s Tiangong Cultural Communication Co., Ltd., visited ancient Zhenyuan for tourism. While tasting tea at a hotel, they were struck by its unique color, aroma, and flavor. After some inquiry, they learned that the tea came from the Tianyin area of Duping. This marked a new chapter of glory for Zhenyuan Tianyin Tribute Tea.

　　Currently, over 10,000 mu of tea plantations have been established in the Tianyin region, bringing back the long-renowned glory of “Tianyin Tribute Tea.”

　　On February 20, 2010, Duping Town initiated the construction of tea gardens at four locations: Yangliutang, Maoshiyan, Kuchadi, and Liuxipo, establishing 272 new mu of tea plantations.

　　The traditional production technique of Tianyin Tea was included in the county-level intangible cultural heritage list on June 23, 2011, for protection. In the same year, it was listed under the “First Batch of Qiandongnan Agricultural Standardization Construction Projects” by the Qiandongnan Prefecture People’s Government.

　　In December 2012, the evaluation expert group for the “Zhenyuan Tianyin Tribute Tea Comprehensive Standard System” consisted of five members: Zuo Song, Vice President of the Provincial Tea Association and Senior Economist; Liao Cheng, Deputy Secretary-General of the Provincial Tea Association and Senior Tea Taster; Dai Hongqian, Agronomist from the Prefecture Tea Association, among others. The expert group concluded that the standard system, tailored to the production characteristics of Zhenyuan Tianyin Tribute Tea and incorporating production methods from other types of tea, aligns well with actual production needs. It demonstrates strong relevance, operability, and practicality. The standards cover the natural conditions, planting procedures, and processing management protocols for Tianyin Tribute Tea. The documentation is complete, references are appropriately cited, the formulation process is compliant, and the regulations meet relevant national standards, thus approval was granted.

　　The “Zhenyuan Tianyin Tribute Tea Comprehensive System” includes six standard documents: “Environmental Conditions of the Zhenyuan Tianyin Tribute Tea Production Area,” “Tianyin Tribute Tea Production Technical Procedures,” “Tianyin Processing Management Specifications,” “Tianyin Tribute Tea Product Standards,” “Tianyin Tribute Tea Brewing and Tasting Guide,” and “Tianyin Tribute Tea Sales Store Standards.”

　　The review and implementation of the “Zhenyuan Tianyin Tribute Tea Comprehensive System” marks the establishment of standardized production techniques for Tianyin Tribute Tea, paving the way for the development of quality standards. It plays a positive role in promoting rapid growth of the tribute tea industry, building a premium local traditional brand, and advancing the sector.