Guzhu Zisun

Guzhu Zisun

　　Guzhu Zisun, also known as Huzhou Zisun or Changxing Zisun, is produced in the Guzhu Mountain area of Shuikou Township, Changxing County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province. It is a type of green tea and a traditional famous tea from Zhejiang. Thanks to its exquisite processing technique, tender tea buds, purplish hue, and bamboo shoot-like shape, it earned the name "Zisun" (purple shoot).

　　Guzhu Mountain is situated in the northwest of Changxing, bordered by Taihu Lake to the east, surrounded by continuous mountain ranges on three sides. The area is often shrouded in mist, enjoys a mild climate, fertile soil, abundant rainfall, and features year-round flowing springs at the foot of the mountain. This unique ecological environment provides the ideal conditions for producing Zisun tea.

　　Guzhu Zisun tea is harvested annually from the Qingming (Tomb-Sweeping) to Guyu (Grain Rain) periods, picking one bud with one leaf or one bud with two leaves just beginning to unfold. After picking, the fresh leaves need to wither for 5–6 hours until their moisture content drops to around 72% and a fragrant aroma emerges, then they are pan-fired. The production process includes withering, fixing, shaping, cooling, initial drying, and final drying. The highest-grade tea features tea buds and leaves hugging each other like bamboo shoots; premium-grade tea has slightly unfolded tender leaves resembling orchid blossoms.

　　This tea is semi-pan-fired and semi-baked, combining both techniques, resulting in a tight yet relatively intact appearance. It boasts a rich aroma, clear liquor, fresh and mellow taste, with a sweet aftertaste. When brewing high-quality Zisun tea, it is recommended to use locally produced high-grade purple clay teapots. The tea liquor is emerald green, the flavor sweet, fresh, and refreshing, with a subtle orchid-like fragrance.

　　As early as the Tang Dynasty, Guzhu Zisun was praised by the Tea Sage Lu Yu as the "finest tea of all." In 770 AD, Guzhu Zisun was officially designated as a tribute tea, becoming an essential item for the Tang emperors' Qingming banquets. With a history of over 1,200 years, it is the earliest recorded tribute tea in history. From the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties to the 1940s, Guzhu Zisun gradually disappeared. In the late 1970s, in an effort to revive this renowned tea, relevant organizations in Changxing County, Zhejiang, worked closely together to re-trial its production and cultivation, allowing the tea to regain its fame. Since its trial production in 1979, it has been rated as a high-quality tea at both ministerial and provincial levels in every evaluation. In 1979, at the Zhejiang Famous Tea Evaluation Conference, Guzhu Zisun was listed as a Class I famous tea; in 1986, at the National Flower Tea and Oolong Tea Quality Products Evaluation Conference, it was named one of China’s famous teas.