Horse Head Rock

　　Wuyi Mountain's Horse Head Rock, named for its horse-head-shaped rock formation, stands at an elevation of 425 meters with a relative height of 83 meters. Nearby lies Leishi Rock, which resembles five galloping steeds and is also called "Five Horses Galloping to the Trough." To the north are Sanhua Peak, resembling three huge blooming flowers. The area also features attractions such as Horse Saddle Rock, Iron Lang Fortress, and Wuyuan Stream, as well as structures like Leishi Nunnery and Ningyun Temple. To the north lies Tianxin, to the south Tianyou, to the east you can cross Mazi Pit to reach the main tourist route or head to Wuyi Palace and Lantang. It stretches from Dawang Peak in the east, Tianyou Peak in the south, Sanyang Peak in the west, to the Dahongpao Scenic Area (Jiukeng) in the north.

　　In the late 1970s, under the leadership of the former head of the Tea Research Institute, due to the high per-mu yield of Rougui (Cassia) tea and government subsidies encouraging its cultivation, many tea farmers cut down other famous tea bushes to plant Rougui. The soil in the Horse Head Rock area contains a relatively high amount of gravel, has a thick yet loose soil layer with good ventilation and drainage, and features steep cliffs and open ridges. It enjoys moderate sunlight in summer,

　　blocks cold winds in winter, has fine seeping water flows at the valley bottom, and is surrounded by good vegetation, creating unique soil fertility essential for authentic Yan tea. This distinctive terrain gives Horse Head Rock Rougui its sharp cinnamon aroma and mellow, smooth, sweet taste. Today, "Horse Head Rock Rougui" has become one of the three major representative types of Wuyi Rougui.

　　There are too many tea-growing areas in Wuyi Mountain, and people generally do not subdivide further within the same growing zone. However, because the Horse Head Rock area is quite extensive, it is roughly divided into several smaller zones, primarily including Sanhua Peak, Taoshu Keng, Ma'er Shi, and Yunfeng. While they share some geographical similarities, each also has its own distinct characteristics due to differences in location and soil.

　　For example, Taoshu Keng behind Dawang Peak mainly consists of weathered rock with a shallow soil layer and abundant vegetation; Yunfeng has semi-weathered rock soil with a deeper soil layer and sparse vegetation; Hengkeng is located at the foot of Sanyang Peak, situated between two pits and two streams, with stream water flowing through and rich vegetation and biodiversity; most of the Rougui in Hengkeng was planted in the 1980s, exhibiting a rather unique old-tree quality; Sanhua Peak has sandy, weathered rock soil, while Ma'er Shi consists of semi-weathered rock mixed with yellow loam.

　　Tea produced in valleys and streams receives less sunlight, retains more moisture in the leaves, and has richer leaf wax, making it relatively harder to process. The aroma is slower to develop during shaking, and the moisture must be fully drained—a colloquial term is "you need to be heavy-handed." Otherwise, the final product can easily end up half-raw. Sanhua Peak and Xiaotianyou fall into this category. In contrast, tea grown on slopes and ridges, which receive more sunlight and have less decaying matter and thinner leaf wax, is easier to process and tends to develop floral and fruity aromas—for instance, Taoshu Keng, Yunfeng, and Ma'er Shi. A skilled tea master must not only master every step of the tea-making process but also possess considerable experience to apply different techniques based on the characteristics of the leaf to produce high-quality tea.