Lianghe Huilong Tea

Lianghe Huilong Tea

Lianghe Huilong Tea is a geographical indication certification trademark.

Lianghe Huilong Tea is a product of geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Huilong Tea is characterized by its tightly rolled, robust leaves; deep emerald color; clear, bright liquor; rich aroma; and lingering, refreshing aftertaste. It is truly deserving of the title "Bamboo Leaf Green."

　　Huilong Tea mainly derives its name from its origin in Huilong Village, Dachang, Lianghe County. Lianghe County boasts a long and profound humanistic history, with numerous legends and tales about its ethnic tea culture. Huilong Tea embodies the crystallization of wisdom passed down through generations of Lianghe's ancestors and tea enthusiasts. Since ancient times, Lianghe has enjoyed a relatively favorable living environment with a long history of human development. According to historical records such as the Jingtail Yunnan Tujing Zhi, Baiyi Jiaozhu, Qianlong Donghua Lu, Yongchang Fu Zhi, Nandian Si Pu, and Lianghe Xian Zhi, "The indigenous ethnic groups of Lianghe have a long history. As early as the Neolithic Age, tribes of the Baiyue (ancestors of the Dai people) and Baipu (ancestors of the Wa and De'ang people) lived here. During the Yuan Dynasty, the area was inhabited by the Baiyi (Dai people), Jinchi (De'ang people), and Echang (Achang people). From the Ming Dynasty onward, the Han, Jingpo, and Lisu peoples began to migrate here." Lianghe, anciently known as Nansong and also called Nandian, was one of the ancient silk trade routes of Nandian. During the Western Han Dynasty, it was part of the Yizhou Buwei County; in the Eastern Han Dynasty, it belonged to the Ailao County of the Yongchang Commandery. Starting from the establishment of the Nandao Junmin Zongguan Fu during the Yuan Dynasty, it became an independent administrative region. The Ming Dynasty established the Nandian Xuanfu Si, which continued into the Qing Dynasty. During the Republican period, both local chieftainships and regular administrations coexisted until the entire county was fully liberated in May 1950. The Nandian chieftainship ruled for 661 years. Alongside Lianghe’s long human history, the region also possesses exceptionally favorable natural resources and ecological conditions for tea cultivation. Therefore, Lianghe’s tea history largely parallels the development of its human history. Investigations and research on tea tree resources, conducted multiple times by relevant departments and experts, have revealed that over 10,000 ancient tea trees—some hundreds or even thousands of years old—are still preserved in the mountainous and semi-mountainous areas (the Huilong Tea region) of Lianghe County. These trees are scattered or form small clusters. Among them, a significant number are said to have been planted by the ancestors of the De'ang people. In 2004, a survey by the provincial and prefectural government innovation office found a 4.11-meter-circumference, 1,000-year-old cultivated Camellia taliensis tree in Hehua Village, Zhaolaodi, Dachang Township, Lianghe. There are many legends about the tea culture history of the various ethnic groups native to Lianghe. For instance, historical records note that the "Benglong" (De'ang people), descendants of the Pu people, are fond of tea regardless of gender and are considered among the "ancient tea farmers." The ancient De'ang song "Dagudaleng Gelai Biao" details the ancient social life and production of the De'ang people, as well as the origins of their title as "ancient tea farmers." It also describes how "betel nuts, tobacco, and tea" are essential elements of De'ang wedding ceremonies. According to the Jingtail Yunnan Tujing Zhi from the Ming Dynasty, under the section "Nandian Xuanfu Si," it states: "The customs of the Nandian Baiyi are similar to those of the Mubang; when forming marriage alliances, they offer two long tubes of grain tea and five to seven baskets of chicken eggs as betrothal gifts." "When guests arrive, grain tea is served, and they pinch and eat it with their hands." There are also legends such as the "Tea Grandpa and Tea Grandma" story in the Achang ethnic group’s "Zhepama and Zhemima," the "Thunder Tea," "Pickled Vegetable Tea," and "Bamboo Tube Tea" legends of the De'ang people, as well as the "Tusi Second Course Tea," "Bamboo Tube Tea," and "Bamboo Shoot Leaf Tea" legends of the Dai people. Since the dawn of human history in Lianghe, tea has always been an indispensable part of ceremonies for weddings, funerals, housewarmings, festivals, ancestral worship, and visiting relatives or friends among the various ethnic groups. Lianghe "Huilong Tea" emerged alongside the county’s humanistic history. It is the fruit of the wisdom of the various ethnic groups’ ancestors and tea enthusiasts in Lianghe, born from the region’s exceptional tea-friendly geography and natural ecology. The long tea history of Lianghe is essentially the history of Huilong Tea. The exact time of its creation is unknown due to its association with its place of origin. Before liberation, Huilong Tea was mostly consumed only by the local elite. By 1941, shortly before liberation, Sun Chaoqin, an advanced young farmer from Dachang Street, attended a tea planting training course held by Li Genyuan in Tengchong. He brought back a basket of high-quality large-leaf tea seeds, planted 2 acres of tea fields in Dachang, and succeeded in cultivating them. In 1945, Feng Weide, then director of the Dachang Administrative Bureau of the Kuomintang, advocated for banning opium and promoting tea cultivation. He issued the "Lianghe Administrative Bureau Proclamation on Replacing Opium with Tea Plantations" and personally wrote 500 copies of a booklet titled "Introduction to Tea Planting," which were distributed to local village heads. He also transported 18 loads of tea seeds from his hometown to be planted across Lianghe. Feng purchased 8 acres of land near Huilong Village in Dachang and established the first contiguous large-leaf variety tea parent garden in Lianghe, marking the beginning of the region’s "opium ban and tea promotion" movement and sparking a wave of tea cultivation. After the founding of New China, under the guidance of the Party and the state’s policies and with strong support from various measures, the Huilong Tea industry in Lianghe developed rapidly and became a pillar of survival and development for the people in the mountainous and semi-mountainous regions of the county. Since its creation, Huilong Tea has been highly favored and praised by consumers for its unique and superior intrinsic quality and captivating regional flavor, becoming one of Yunnan Province’s top ten famous green teas. Currently, Lianghe has been listed as one of Yunnan Province’s key counties for advantageous agricultural products, premium tea raw material bases, high-quality tea seedling bases, and tea production. Its products are renowned both within and outside the province. They have won numerous gold, silver, and quality awards at the 1994 International Horticultural Exposition and various spring trade fairs in Yunnan Province. At one point, it was honored as a "Yunnan Consumer Favorite Product." In 2005, the "Huisi" brand of Huilong Tea was awarded the title of Yunnan Famous Trademark. To this day, Huilong Tea has initially achieved a certain scale of industrialization and production foundation, with a relatively complete set of production and processing techniques. Among them, 8,000 acres of tea gardens and five product series—Huilong Chunming, Huilong Chunchi, Huilong Chunxue, Huilong Special Grade, and Huilong First Grade—have obtained Grade A certification from the National Green Food Center. Additionally, 1,050 acres of the "Huisi" brand Huilong Tea base and its products have received organic tea certification, while 4,800 acres of the "Hongliang" brand tea garden base and its products have gained organic food certification. Huilong Tea continues to sell well both within and outside Yunnan Province, especially during the annual spring tea season when merchants eagerly compete to purchase it. Huilong Tea has now established a certain market network and presence, with average annual prices as follows: premium high-end tea at 1,000–2,000 yuan/kg, high-grade tea at 200–500 yuan/kg, and standard mid-grade tea at 50–100 yuan/kg.

　　The "Huilong Tea" produced in Huilong Village, Dachang Township, located 18 kilometers east of Zhe Island in Lianghe County, is somewhat well-known among tea products in Yunnan Province. In 1940, Sun Chaoxin, a young farmer from Dachang Street, studied at a tea training institute in Tengchong County run by Li Genyuan. The following year, he successfully trial-planted tea seeds brought back to Huilong Village.

　　After liberation, the county party committee and government placed great emphasis on the development of Huilong Tea, with strong support from departments such as finance, agriculture, commerce, foreign trade, and finance. Since 1955, when large-leaf tea seedlings were transferred from Changning County for expansion, the tea plantations in Huilong Village have grown to over 300 acres. With the advancement of scientific tea cultivation techniques, the highest yield per acre has reached 400 jin, with an average of around 300 jin. Huilong Tea has consistently been a top-quality product within the province and prefecture. The fame and popularity of Huilong Tea stem from two main factors: First, the high elevation and cool climate of Dachang—its altitude of 1,580 meters, annual rainfall of 1,648 millimeters, average annual temperature of 15°C, frequent fog, abundant sunlight, and sufficient moisture, along with acidic red soil that is deep and rich in organic matter, not only provide ideal conditions for tea tree growth but also enhance the aromatic substances and protein content in the tea shoots. Second, the tea-making process is meticulous and refined, relying primarily on manual work. The master tea maker is the elderly tea farmer Zhai Wenkuan from Huilong Village. His production method can be summarized as: high-temperature fixation, starting high then lowering, hot rolling for tight strips, cold rolling for high aroma, low-temperature prolonged stir-frying, and intense fire to boost fragrance.

　　As a result, Huilong Tea features tightly rolled, robust leaves; deep emerald color; clear, bright liquor; rich aroma; and a lingering, refreshing aftertaste, making it truly deserving of the title "Bamboo Leaf Green." To better leverage Huilong Tea in revitalizing Lianghe’s economy, in recent years, both the Dachang Tea Factory and the County Tea Factory have purchased raw materials from Huilong Village, refining them into two premium boxed products branded as "Lianghe Huilong Tea" and "Huilong Green Jade," which are highly popular with consumers.

　　Geographic Scope

　　Huilong Tea is produced in Lianghe County, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. The production area spans nine townships (towns): Dachang, Xiaochang, Pingshan, Nangsong, Jiubao, Hexi, Mangdong, Mengyang, and Zhe'ao. The geographical coordinates are: 98°06′–98°34′ east longitude and 24°31′–24°58′ north latitude, covering a north-south distance of 49 km and an east-west distance of 45 km. The total planting area is 6,667 hectares, with an annual output of 8,000 tons.