Dongjiang Lake Tea

The origin of tea can be traced back to China, a country with over five thousand years of history. In every dynasty and every year, local governments would present a selection of their region’s specialties as tribute to the central court. Among these tributes, tea was never absent—varieties such as Zhengshan Xiaozhong, Pu’er, and Longjing all appeared on the emperors’ tribute lists. Who knows how many of you have heard of Chenzhou’s Dongjiang Lake Tea? This tea was once offered as a tribute during the Song and Ming dynasties.

There are no shortage of tea mountains in Hunan capable of producing high-quality green tea. Hunan lies within the golden belt for tea cultivation. Generally speaking, as long as the conditions include high altitude, moist air, significant day-night temperature variation, and suitable soil acidity (pH between 4 and 6.5), good green tea can be grown.

In 1986, with the completion and impoundment of the national key project Dongjiang Hydropower Station, the microclimate generated by the large water body of Dongjiang Lake—covering an area of 16,000 square kilometers—significantly enhanced the quality of the tea grown along its shores. The thermal effect of the water volume not only leads to early sprouting of tea leaves and a harvest season that begins 6 to 10 days earlier than in surrounding counties and cities, but the unique misty microclimate also caters to the tea plants' preference for diffused light and humid conditions. This results in Dongjiang Lake Tea having plump buds, high water extract content, and rich tea polyphenols. If you’re looking to try the first green tea of spring, Dongjiang Lake is a great choice.

Dongjiang Lake green tea boasts the qualities of being green in color, rich in flavor, and elegant in aroma. Grade one tea features tightly twisted and curled leaves with visible white pekoe, a glossy emerald-green color, and a tender, bright green liquor. It has a lasting, delicate fragrance, a mellow and refreshing taste, and bright green, tender leaves. Grade two tea has tightly rolled leaves with visible pekoe, a lustrous green hue, a yellowish-green and bright liquor, a relatively high and long-lasting aroma, a thick and fairly refreshing taste, and good infusability.

As a former imperial tribute served to the emperors of the Ming and Song dynasties, Dongjiang Lake Tea speaks volumes about its superior quality and astonishing taste. Nowadays, with economic development, even ordinary people can enjoy a cup of tea that was once reserved for the elite—a truly fortunate and delightful thing.