Xianyang Fu Tea

Xianyang Fu Tea

Xianyang Fu Tea is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Shaanxi Fu tea originates from Jingyang County in Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, and boasts a history of nearly a thousand years. It flourished during the Song Dynasty and reached its peak in the Ming, Qing, and Republican periods. The raw material comes from dark-haired tea produced in the Jingyang area of Shaanxi. The tea leaves are tightly compressed, with a dark brown and glossy appearance, abundant golden flowers, a rich fungal aroma, and an orange-red, translucent liquor with a mellow and long-lasting taste. It is suitable for people living in high-altitude and cold regions as well as those with high-fat diets. Especially for nomadic ethnic groups residing in desolate areas such as deserts, Gobi, and plateaus, where their staple foods are beef, mutton, and cheese and fresh vegetables and fruits are scarce. Hence, in northwestern China, there is a saying: “A day without tea brings stagnation, three days without tea brings pain,” and “Better go a day without food than a day without tea.”

　　Jingyang County is located in Xianyang City, situated in the central part of the Guanzhong Plain and the lower reaches of the Jing River. It borders Sanyuan and Gaoling counties to the east, the Weicheng District of Xianyang City to the south, faces Liquan County across the Jing River to the west, and neighbors Chunhua and Sanyuan counties via the Zhongshan and Cuo'e mountains to the north. The distance from Jingyang County to Xi’an North Bus Station is 44 kilometers. The emergence of Fu tea dates back to around 1368 AD (the first year of the Hongwu era, when Zhu Yuanzhang, known as the Hongwu Emperor, founded the Ming Dynasty). Made from dark-haired tea from Jingyang, Shaanxi, and hand-pressed, it was called “Jingyang Brick.” Because it was processed during the dog days of summer, it was also known as “Fu Tea” (summer tea). The name evolved from its medicinal properties resembling those of Poria cocos, leading to the more elegant terms “Fu Tea” or “Fu Brick.” During the Qing Dynasty, particularly in its early period, due to being produced under official quotas, three to five out of every ten bricks had to be handed over as taxes to the Lanzhou government. These teas were sold by the government and thus called “Official Tea” or “Government Tea.” The remaining bricks were sold by merchants in designated areas according to government regulations, hence referred to as “Attached Tea.”

　　There are three things essential for making Shaanxi Fu tea: first, it cannot be made without the water of the Jing River; second, it cannot be made without the climate of the Guanzhong region; third, it cannot be made without the craftsmanship of the people of Shaanxi. This shows that the water quality and climate of Xianyang are undoubtedly the best natural resources for processing Fu brick tea. Thanks to the unremitting efforts of the Xianyang Supply and Marketing Cooperative and careful research, the Shaanxi Fu Brick Tea production project, with a total investment of 59.584 million yuan, has officially been established in Fengdong Town, Qindu District. Upholding the historical roots of Fu brick tea and exploring its traditional culture, this tea processing technique, which had been lost for over 600 years, has been successfully revived.