Wuniu Early Tea

Wuniu Early Tea

　　   Wuniu Early Tea from Yongjia, with over 400 years of cultivation history, is an early-sprouting tea tree variety in China that begins budding around the Spring Equinox. As early as 1957, it was listed among Zhejiang's famous teas alongside “West Lake Longjing.” The county currently has 34,000 mu of Wuniu Early Tea plantations, with an annual output value exceeding 70 million yuan.

　　    Wuniu Town in Yongjia County is the origin of Wuniu Early Tea, boasting over 100 years of cultivation history. It is one of the earliest-harvested premium tea varieties in China. In 1990, the provincial Department of Agriculture designated Wuniu Early Tea as the main variety for promotion, and in 1999, Yongjia County was awarded the title “Hometown of Wuniu Early Tea in China.”

　　　　   Wuniu Town in Wenzhou City is located at the eastern gate of Yongjia County, covering an area of 76.60 square kilometers. It administers 37 administrative villages, with 15,800 mu of arable land and a total population of 39,500. The town borders Yueqing City to the east, Oubei Town to the west, and the Ou River to the south, facing downtown Wenzhou across the river. National Highway 104 runs through the town, and the Yong-Taiwen Expressway and Wenzhou Bridge are nearby, giving it a distinct geographical advantage. The county has 44,000 mu of Wuniu Early tea plantation, with an output value nearing 100 million yuan. Due to its early market availability, Wuniu Early Tea dominates the early spring tea market. Every spring, tea merchants flock here to purchase the freshly harvested tea, making its market prospects very promising.

　　　　   In addition to being harvested extremely early, Wuniu Early Tea also features uniform sprouting, distinct growth stages, balanced maturity, good tenderness retention, and strong resistance to drought, cold, and disease. Quality assessments by experts rate it highly: Wuniu Early Tea has excellent quality and distinctive characteristics of a premium tea. It has a flat, smooth, and glossy appearance, with straight, uniform leaves, prominent bud tips, and slight fuzz. Its color is tender green and shiny. The inner leaf quality features tender, plump, and even leaf buds, bright tender green color, clear soup, high and fresh aroma, sweet and refreshing taste, and an overall excellent balance of color, aroma, taste, and shape.

　　　　   Over the past 20 years of reform and opening up, the people of Wuniu Town have consistently stayed at the forefront of progress, achieving vigorous development in both the economy and various social endeavors. In recent years, under the guidance of Theory No. 1 and in accordance with the requirements of the important Thought No. 1, the Wuniu Town Party Committee and government have aimed to build the town into a key agricultural hub, a major industrial base, a strong education center, and a model of civility. Leading the townspeople in united endeavor and pioneering progress, they have forged a path of regional economic development with distinctive local features.

　　　　   In 1985, the successful creation of flat-shaped tea products was achieved. In 1992, it won a silver award in the National “Spark Program,” followed by a gold award at the Second China Agricultural Fair in 1995. Since then, it has repeatedly won gold awards in international and domestic famous tea competitions, been recognized as a Famous Tea of Zhejiang and a Zhejiang Branded Product. Its “Wuniu Early” trademark has been designated a Provincial Famous Trademark, and four Wuniu Early Tea products have obtained organic tea and green food certifications. In 1999, Yongjia County was honored with the title “Hometown of Wuniu Early Tea in China,” and in 2001, it was named an Advanced County in Tea Variety Development across the province.

　　　　   In 2000, the town’s total social output value reached 1.726 billion yuan, with per capita rural income at 5,072 yuan, making it an industrial satellite town of Wenzhou. The pace of agricultural modernization accelerated, with a series of measures taken to support, protect, and strengthen agriculture to increase farmers’ income, consolidate its foundational status, and improve agricultural technology. The town vigorously developed four major industries—“Wuniu Early Tea, Wuniu Rice, Wuniu Wine, and Wuniu Pork”—especially achieving remarkable success in the development of Wuniu Early Tea.