Changsha Green Tea

Hunan is also a major province for green tea production. In Hunan, tea is divided into two categories: high-mountain series and rivers-and-lakes series. The high-mountain series refers to the green tea produced in the high-altitude tea gardens of western Hunan. The rivers-and-lakes series comes from tea gardens located near large rivers and lakes. Although Changsha is the largest city in Hunan, the quality of its green tea production is by no means inferior to that of high-mountain and flowing-water regions.

Although Changsha green tea may lack the demeanor of a hermit in the high mountains or the lofty charm of being by the rivers and lakes, the green tea produced on the hilly land of Changsha has its own unique flavor. The protected area for Changsha green tea, registered as a geographical indication for agricultural products, includes 33 towns, 5 townships, and 1 subdistrict within Changsha County, Wangcheng District, Liuyang City, and Ningxiang City in Changsha.

Changsha is very suitable for tea cultivation and produces high-quality tea. In fact, Changsha is located near the 28°N latitude, within the golden tea production belt. Historically, many famous teas have originated here, such as Gaoqiao Yinfeng, Jinjing Maojian, and Xiangbo Green. The fertile soil environment of the Xiangjiang Basin and its abundant groundwater resources nurture every tea plant, helping it grow strong. A characteristic of Changsha green tea is its tightly rolled, slender, and even shape with visible fuzz—a continuation of the fine processing techniques of the past. The quality features of Changsha green tea products, "curved shape showing white pekoe, mellow taste with a sweet aftertaste," have been preserved to this day.

Golden Tea, Shimen Yinfeng, and Guzhang Maojian all come from the high-mountain tea gardens of western Hunan. They are more or less genetically connected to the teas of Yunnan and Guizhou. As the tail end of the transition zone from China’s second to third terrain steps, the Wuling Mountains in western Hunan feature numerous high-altitude plateaus. These plateaus are well-suited for tea cultivation, and with the region’s high forest coverage, deep valleys, and frequent cloud cover, they enjoy abundant diffused light along with consistently high air and soil humidity.

The resulting tea has a slender, tight, slightly curved, emerald-green appearance with visible fuzz, and its internal qualities include bright liquor color, high and lasting aroma—common traits of mountain-style green tea. For example, Baojing Golden Tea was designated as tribute tea during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty and is known for the saying “an ounce of gold for an ounce of tea.”

In stark contrast is the rivers-and-lakes school of Hunan green tea. Born by the water and shaped by its proximity to rivers and lakes, it has developed the unique misty-water flavor distinctive to Hunan, such as that of Jietan Tea. Jietan, named for “reefs standing upright like steles in the rapids,” lends its name to Jietan Tea, which is mainly produced on Jietan Mountain on the northern bank of the Yuan River. Jietan Mountain lies beside the Yuan River, where peaks stand majestically, forests are lush, clouds and mists gather densely, and the rapid Yuan River stirs up layers of spray at the rapids, which are then carried by the river breeze, shrouding Jietan Mountain in fog year-round.