Jiangshan Green Peony Tea

Jiangshan Green Peony Tea

Jiangshan Green Peony Tea is a protected geographical indication product.

Jiangshan Green Peony Tea is a certified geographical indication trademark.

　　Region

　　　 The tea is produced in 17 mountainous areas at the northern foothills of the Xianxia Ridge in Jiangshan City, which feature unique climatic and soil conditions. Xianxia Mountain lies on the border between Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, with its main peak reaching an elevation of 1,503 meters. The mountainous region is covered with dense forests, crisscrossed by streams, often shrouded in thick fog, and bathed in abundant diffused light. The average annual temperature is around 17°C, with a frost-free period of approximately 256 days, and the area receives an average annual rainfall of about 1,600 mm. The soil is fertile and rich in organic matter. It has been a famous tea-producing area since ancient times.

　　Distinctive Qualities

　　　　　　The picking and processing techniques of Green Peony Tea are refined. The tea is picked early when the leaves are tender. It is essential not to pick leaves that are wet with rain or dew, underdeveloped, diseased or pest-infested, or purple in color — these are key characteristics of Green Peony Tea harvesting. The picking season starts before the Qingming Festival and ends after the Guyu Festival. The picking standard ranges from one bud with one leaf to one bud with two leaves just beginning to unfold, with the bud longer than the leaf. The processing mainly involves several steps: spreading fresh leaves, fixing (kill-green), light rolling, shaping, light re-rolling, initial drying, and final drying. A distinctive feature of Green Peony Tea processing is having one person stir-fry the leaves while another fans them nearby. Especially, fanning is used to rapidly lower the temperature of the leaves after fixation, initial drying, and re-drying, which accelerates moisture evaporation and reduces further oxidation of components like tea polyphenols under hot and humid conditions. This is a crucial technique to ensure the tea's exceptionally green color and fresh, delicate aroma.

　　Cultural Anecdotes

　　　　 Legend has it that during the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Zhengde (reigned 1506–1521), Zhu Houzhao, visited the Jiangnan region and tasted Xianxia tea while passing through Xianxia Ridge. He highly praised it, named it “Green Tea,” and designated it as imperial tea. As early as the Northern Song Dynasty, tea produced in the Xianxia Mountain area had already become one of the renowned teas of Jiangnan. When Su Dongpo served as the governor of Hangzhou, he once wrote a poem to his poet friend Mao Zhengzhong (a native of Jiangshan) titled "Thanks for the Gift of Xianxia Mountain Tea": “Buddhist window bright with midday light, Sichuan well water cold as ice and snow. All guests here are delightful, I personally clean the kettle and pot. Golden hairpins wait for the bubbling tea, Fish and crabs too should be delighted. Thus flavor, aroma, and color unite, A triple perfection in a single day. To repay you, I speak no empty words, Knowing I am no casual drinker.” Additionally, according to the Jiangshan Annals, the great literary master of the Northern Song Dynasty, Su Dongpo, while serving as prefect of Hangzhou, was full of praise for the Xianxia tea sent to him by Mao Pang from Jiangshan, calling it “an extraordinary tea of utmost refinement.” In his letter “Reply to Mao Pang,” Su Dongpo wrote: “…you sent me an extraordinary tea of utmost refinement, which I had never tasted before from the south. Occasionally, there are also mountain monks or recluses who can share it with me. Otherwise, I just seal and store it away.” The poetry and writings of the tea connoisseur Su Dongpo show that by the Yuanyou era (1086–1094) of the Song Dynasty, Xianxia Mountain tea was already a treasured “triple excellence” tea — excelling in color, aroma, and taste.