An Introduction To The Tea Tree Varieties And Tea Gardens Of Anhua Dark Tea.

Anhua boasts a rich variety of tea tree cultivars and is a national-designated tea tree germplasm resource bank. The native, sexually reproducing tea trees of Anhua are collectively known as the Anhua Group Cultivar.  The Yuntaishan Large-Leaf Tea, selected from the Anhua Group Cultivar, is one of the first 21 excellent tea tree varieties recognized by the state.  Its derivatives, Zhuye Qi, Baihao Zao, and Xiangbo Lu, are also national-level superior varieties.

Yuntaishan Large-leaf Variety

The most unforgettable aspect of a trip to Anhua is its unique tea garden landscape. Anhua is mountainous and well-watered, with 63 peaks over a thousand meters above sea level.  Besides the Zhexi Reservoir, the Zi River flows through the county, with numerous streams and valleys, providing abundant water resources. Many tea gardens are located in dense forests on the mountain slopes, with tea trees interspersed among other trees. This environment is ideal for tea tree growth. Tea trees prefer sunlight but are sensitive to excessive sun exposure; they thrive in shade but dislike excessive moisture.  While sunlight is necessary for growth, intense sunlight can cause the tea trees to wither and die. High-altitude areas have frequent fog and clouds, and the surrounding large trees provide shade and diffuse light through reflection, creating the most suitable light environment for tea tree growth. Furthermore, because the tea trees grow scattered on the mountain slopes, Anhua receives abundant rainfall, resulting in moist soil on the slopes. The soil contains rich gravel, providing good drainage, and the sloping terrain prevents water accumulation, allowing the tea trees to flourish.

In addition, Anhua is home to a large distribution of glacial tillite, also known as glacial diamictite. Formed 600-700 million years ago, during a global "ice age" or "snowball Earth" event, followed by a "hothouse climate" event, this extreme temperature fluctuation created the rare glacial tillite. It is grayish-brown in color, heavy, hard yet brittle, and contains sand, gravel, and other small fossils.  Except for a small area in South Africa, most of the world's glacial tillite is found in Anhua, China. In areas like Yuntai Mountain, a large amount of glacial till is scattered throughout the tea plantations, making it seem as if the tea trees are growing directly on the rocks. This is remarkably similar to the growing environment of Wuyi Mountain rock tea, and the tea produced in these plantations is rich in trace elements.

The unique geographical environment of Anhua has created a tea-producing area centered around "two mountains, two streams, and six caves." The two mountains refer to Yuntai Mountain and Furong Mountain. Yuntai Mountain has a large amount of glacial till landforms, and many locals in Anhua say that wherever there is glacial till, there is good tea. This is also the birthplace of the Yuntai large-leaf tea variety. This tea tree variety can grow leaves the size of a palm, and a folk saying goes, "the stems are strong enough to support a boat, and the leaves are large enough to wrap salt." Because of its rich internal substances, Yuntai Mountain tea has a strong and full-bodied taste with a strong stimulating effect. Malu Town, where Yuntai Mountain is located, traditionally focused on black tea, but now the focus has shifted to dark tea.  

Yuntai Mountain

Furong Mountain is located in Furong Village, Xianxi Town. Its highest peak is over 1400 meters above sea level and is composed of 72 large and small peaks. Furong Village is the most remote and highest-altitude administrative village in Anhua. It is said that the tea produced here is smooth and mellow, with a distinct floral and fruity aroma, abundant tea flavor, and a continuous, lingering sweetness that leaves a lasting impression.

The Stone Tablet In Gaomaerxi Village

Gaomaerxi Village in Tianzhuang Township is probably the most famous Anhua dark tea producing area. It is named after the Gaoxia Creek and Majia Creek. This area has an average altitude of about 800 meters and is home to many glacial till formations. The local vegetation is diverse, the ecology is excellent, and there is a unique microclimate. The tea produced here is rich in internal substances and was listed as a tribute tea during the 23rd year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, earning the reputation of having "naturally excellent raw materials." In 2011, a stone tablet was discovered in Gaomaerxi Village, Tianzhuang Township, the core production area of ​​Anhua dark tea.  The top of the tablet bears the four large characters "Strictly Prohibited by Imperial Decree." Most of the text on the tablet is clearly legible, explicitly prohibiting unfair practices between buyers and sellers, such as "privately altering scales" and "mixing in inferior tea." The inscription at the bottom of the tablet reads "Published by all townships on the first day of the eighth month of the fourth year of Daoguang (1824)." "By Imperial Decree" means by the emperor's order, which also indicates that Anhua was a tribute tea production area during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The Tea Gardens In Gaomaerxi Village

Many Anhua dark teas claim to use raw materials from Gaomaerxi, but Gaomaerxi is a remote mountainous area. The tea trees are mostly small- and medium-leaf Anhua varieties, with soft and juicy leaves. The tea yield is limited, and the price of fresh leaves is much higher than in other areas.  Only a few truly source their tea leaves from here. Authentic Gaomaerxi tea has a rich inner quality, a delicate texture, excellent brewing resistance, a distinct sweet aftertaste, and a long-lasting aroma. Gaomaerxi tea is highly distinctive; if you frequently drink authentic Gaomaerxi tea, you can immediately notice the difference when tasting tea from other regions. While writing this article, I was drinking Gaomaerxi Tianjian tea, and the continuous sweet aftertaste filled my mouth like a flowing spring.

The Old Tea Tree In Gaomaerxi Village

The Six Caves refer to Huoshao Cave in Sixian Stream, Tiaoyu Cave in Zhulin Stream, Piaoshui Cave and Tanxiang Cave in Daxixi Stream, Shenshui Cave in Huangsha Stream, and Xianguan Cave in Zhupingxi. These "caves" do not refer to actual caves, but rather small basin-like areas in the mountains, similar to the Three Pits, Two Streams, Two Hollows, and One Cave of Wuyi Mountain. In recent years, the two mountains and two streams production areas have become quite popular, while the Six Caves area is relatively less well-known. However, Anhua has many areas suitable for tea tree growth, and as long as it is authentic Anhua dark tea, with proper processing and storage, the taste will not disappoint.

In the words of Mr. Wu Xiangan, a leading figure in Anhua dark tea, for Anhua dark tea, the raw material is the foundation, the technology is the key, and aging is the sublimation. A good origin yields high-quality tea leaves, and good raw materials possess rich characteristics. Ultimately, drinking tea is often a way to directly connect with nature through the taste of the tea leaves.

The Weathered Rock Known As "Glacial Till" Is The Foundation For High-quality Anhua Dark Tea

The unique terroir of a region gives rise to its unique tea; all good and famous teas have their origins.  A crucial reason why Anhua dark tea maintains its unique position in the tea world is that it grows in a glacial till environment. What is glacial till? What impact does it have on Anhua dark tea?

A Tea Garden In Anhua

1. What is glacial till?

Glacial till, also known as glacial tillite, is one of the world's rarest types of rock. It is grayish-brown or dark brown in color, heavy, hard yet brittle, and contains sand, gravel, or other small fossilized organisms.

The Glacial Till In Anhua

2. How is glacial till formed?

According to research, glacial till was formed approximately 600-700 million years ago. At that time, the Earth experienced a global "ice age" event with a "snowball Earth" climate, followed by a "hothouse climate" event. This extreme heat and cold resulted in the formation of the rare glacial till.

3. Anhua Glacial Till: A World Wonder, the "Stone of Longevity"

Anhua is the most concentrated area of ​​glacial till in the world, accounting for over 85% of the world's glacial till, and is known as a "world wonder" by the scientific community.

In August 2001, a team of professors from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and foreign experts conducted a geological survey in Anhua, Hunan, and accidentally discovered a 700-million-year-old glacial till layer in Xiaomu Village, Zhexi Town. It not only perfectly preserved the rock record from 700 million years ago but also preserved the rock record of the "hothouse" climate event after the ice age. This significant discovery provided valuable physical evidence for scientists to study the climate, geology, and evolution of the Earth at that time.

In August 2010, tea enthusiasts discovered an even larger area of ​​glacial till. After discovering glacial till in the contracted forest area of ​​Furong Mountain, they conducted extensive investigations of the Furong Mountain range for more than two months. Experts confirmed that many areas of the Furong Mountain range are composed of glacial till, including layers dating back 600 million years and others dating back over 700 million years. The townships involved include Dongshan Township, Fuwangshan Forest Farm, Furongshan Forest Farm, Liaojiaping Reservoir, Xinqiao Township, Mukong Township, Gaoming Township, Jiulong Township, Qingtangpu Town, and Dafu Town, all of which contain glacial till.

Due to its ancient origins, glacial till is also known as "longevity stone" or "auspicious stone," and has become a unique type of stone in Anhua, considered a treasure with immeasurable value.

4. What impact does glacial till have on Anhua dark tea?

Lu Yu, the Sage of Tea, said in his "Classic of Tea": "The best tea grows on weathered rocks, the medium quality tea grows on gravelly soil, and the inferior tea grows on yellow soil." Su Shi, in his poem "Reading Dr. Zhu's Poems at Night While Ill," wrote: "On rugged, weathered rocks, I obtained this one-inch sprout." This shows that only tea plants that have endured the harsh environment of weathered rocks can produce high-quality tea. The "weathered rocks" mentioned in these two lines of poetry include glacial till.

Areas with glacial till form a relatively unique geographical environment and climate conditions, which are very suitable for the growth of tea plants. Glacial till is tough yet porous, containing dozens of trace elements such as zinc, selenium, magnesium, iron, and calcium. Therefore, tea trees grown on these weathered rocks have tea leaves rich in minerals and nutrients, with thick leaves, a unique aroma, and a taste and physical effects far superior to other teas. Scientific experiments have shown that the trace element content is more than twice as high as that of tea not grown on glacial till. The saying "good tea comes from areas with glacial till" stems from this.

Therefore, in Anhua, glacial till is a valuable resource for tea tree cultivation. On mountain cliffs and wild slopes, tea trees grow naturally without being planted.

The weathered rock, "glacial till," is the foundation of high-quality Anhua dark tea – now you know why.

The Origin, History And Evolution Of Anhua Dark Tea

 Anhua, located in western Yiyang City, Hunan Province, was formerly known as "Meishan" and is the birthplace of Meishan Culture. It boasts the world's highest concentration of rare glacial till, accounting for approximately 85% of the Earth's total deposits. Anhua has abundant soil formed from weathered glacial till and shale, characterized by numerous pebbles, good permeability, suitable pH levels, and rich in trace elements such as zinc and selenium. Combined with its subtropical monsoon climate, characterized by warmth and distinct seasons, Anhua enjoys an ideal environment for tea cultivation.

Glacial Tillite And Shale In Anhua

Anhua's tea industry predates its county status. The *Tea Manual* by Mao Wenxi of Shu (modern-day Sichuan) from the Five Dynasties period (935 AD) records: "Between Tan and Shao, there is the Qujiang River, in which tea grows… Qujiang tea leaves are thin, iron-colored, and exceptionally fragrant; when brewed, they leave no residue." This describes early Anhua tea. While the processing techniques of that time are lost to history, it is evident that Anhua tea was already renowned during the Five Dynasties period.

Anhua County was established in 1072 AD (the fifth year of the Xining era of Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty). According to the *Anhua County Gazetteer*, "At the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty (i.e., when the county was established in 1072), tea was still largely sourced from the wild… It grew naturally on mountain cliffs and riverbanks, with few plants growing in the valleys, but tea was the most abundant and of the highest quality among all the counties." This indicates that by the Song Dynasty, Anhua tea was already renowned for its superior quality.

The Tea Garden In Anhua

During the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, "the majority of the villagers relied on tea as their main source of income, and it was considered the best local product." In the 23rd year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, Anhua tea was selected as a tribute item. The imperial court stipulated that Anhua County, Changsha Prefecture, should pay an annual tribute of 11 kilograms of bud tea, a practice that continued until the Qing Dynasty, later known as "Sibao Tribute Tea." In the 23rd year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, with the approval of the imperial court, Anhua dark tea became a Guancha (a type of tea) transported to the Northwest. It served as a commodity for barter between the imperial court and ethnic minorities on the border, exchanging for horses for military use. From then on, Anhua became one of the main production areas of border-traded tea in my country, a tradition that continues to this day.

In September 1952, Soviet Academy of Sciences academician and tea expert Bekov led a delegation to Anhua to investigate research on black and dark tea. In 1953, Chairman Mao personally ordered the Hunan Provincial Party Committee to prepare 200 dan (a unit of weight) of high-quality Anhua dark tea from Gaoma Erxi as a national gift to Soviet friends. From the 1950s to the 1990s, China used Anhua tea to exchange for a large amount of important strategic materials.

Anhua is now widely considered the birthplace of Chinese dark tea. It is said that bamboo baskets containing tea leaves were unearthed from the Mawangdui Han tombs in Changsha, but due to the great age, it is difficult to investigate the tea-making techniques of that time. According to Volume 7, page 2 of the *Baling County Gazetteer*, "During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, Anhua dark tea was formerly called Lanya Guoqing, which was roasted over a fire, and was collectively called dark tea." This may be the early prototype of Anhua dark tea. In his 1939 book, *Anhua Dark Tea*, Mr. Peng Xianze noted that in the 1940s, the term "dark tea" was only used in Anhua. Dark teas from other regions, such as Liubao tea from Guangxi, Laoqing tea from Hubei, and Tibetan tea from Sichuan, while belonging to the dark tea category, were not directly called dark tea. At this time, the processing techniques for dark tea had matured.

Today, through inheritance and evolution, Anhua dark tea has developed a series of products. It is generally considered that Anhua dark tea originates in Anhua County, using tea leaves from the Anhua group of tea trees, represented by the Yuntai large-leaf variety, as raw materials. It undergoes traditional Anhua processing techniques, including initial processing (kill-green, rolling, piling, re-rolling, drying over a pine wood fire in a seven-star stove, etc.) and refining (sorting, sieving, blending, pressing, artificial post-fermentation, and natural aging, etc.), resulting in a series of products such as the "Three Tips" (Tianjian, Gongjian, Shengjian), the "Three Bricks" (Heizhuan, Huazhuan, Fuzhuan), and "Flower Rolls" (Qianliang tea, Bailiang tea, etc.). It is worth mentioning that in addition to dark tea, Anhua also produces green tea and red tea, which have unique flavors and excellent quality.

A Brief History Of Ya'an Tibetan Tea

Dark tea originated in Sichuan Province, China. Ya'an  with its long history, is renowned for its dark tea, which has been popular in the Tibetan region since the Tang and Song dynasties.  Since ancient times, it has been closely linked to the daily lives of the Tibetan people and other ethnic groups in northwestern China, including the Mongol, Uyghur, Hui, and Qiang peoples. Ya'an dark tea has been known by various names throughout history, including black tea, dark tea, border tea, border trade tea, Southern Sichuan border tea, Southern Sichuan road border tea, large tea, and Ya tea.  These ethnic groups have a deep understanding and appreciation for tea, expressing sentiments such as, "We would rather go without food for three days than without tea for one day," and "Without tea for a day, we feel sluggish; without tea for three days, we fall ill."

According to the *Records of the Grand Historian* (Shiji), in 1066 BC, during the Zhou Dynasty's conquest of the Shang Dynasty, "eight tribes from the south (Sichuan) offered tea to King Wu." The *History of the Ming Dynasty* (Ming Shi) records that Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang "issued an edict to the people of the six prefectures of Tianquan, exempting them from corvée labor and ordering them to exclusively produce dark tea for exchange with horses." Dark tea refers to Tibetan tea or border tea, and Tianquan is now Tianquan County in Ya'an City. The *Appendix to the History of Tibetan Politics and Religion* states that "tea was introduced to Tibet by Princess Wencheng," referring to the Longtuan and Fengbing teas produced in Ya'an, which were offered to the imperial court and then taken to Tibet as gifts. Since then, Ya'an black tea has been continuously supplied to Tibet for over 1300 years. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, the imperial court implemented policies such as "tea-horse trade," "tea monopoly system," and "tea distribution system" to "govern the border regions with tea," leading to the rapid development of Ya'an dark tea. The *History of the Ming Dynasty* (Ming Shi) records that Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty "established tea-horse trading offices in Qin, Tao, He, and Ya prefectures, from Diaomen (present-day Tianquan), Li (present-day Hanyuan), and Ya (present-day Yucheng) to Duogan and U-Tsang (Kang and Tibetan prefectures), covering over 5,000 li of tea trading routes..." In the seventh year of Xining (1074 AD), a tea-horse trading office was established in Ya'an, located in present-day Xindian, Mingshan County. Its ruins are the only verifiable tea-horse trading office site in my country today.

Tea Horse Trade In Ancient Time

The Ya'an tea-making techniques were primarily passed down orally from generation to generation by traditional artisans and craftsmen in tea companies and factories, with written records only appearing in modern times. Before the Ming Dynasty, the production of Ya'an Tibetan tea was carried out by scattered processing units, with the imperial court centrally purchasing and managing the trade. The *Ya'an County Gazetteer* (Republican era edition) records that the earliest Tibetan tea processing enterprise was the "Yixing Tea Shop" established in the 25th year of Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1546), followed by "Tianxing," "Hengtai," and "Jucheng" tea shops. During the Qing Dynasty, private Tibetan tea trade was permitted, leading to an increase in private tea enterprises. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, there were more than 200 tea shops in Ya'an, Tianquan, Yingjing, Mingshan, and Qionglai counties. In the 32nd year of Guangxu (1907), to resist British aggression, boycott Indian tea entering Tibet, and revitalize the status of Ya'an border tea in the Tibetan region, Zhao Erfeng, the Minister of Border Affairs of Sichuan and Yunnan, and the Sichuan Provincial Bureau of Industry jointly organized tea merchants from Ya'an, Mingshan, Tianquan, Yingjing, and Qionglai counties to raise 335,000 taels of silver to establish the "Border Tea Co., Ltd." in Ya'an, a company jointly managed by the government and merchants. After the Xinhai Revolution, the company dissolved.

In the early years of the Republic of China, private tea shops recovered to more than 100.  However, due to warlord conflicts and heavy taxes, many Tibetan merchants fled with their funds, causing many tea shops to close. By 1935, only about 30 remained. In 1939, the Xikang Province was established, and the Nationalist government, in order to monopolize the border tea trade, prepared to establish the "China Tea Company Xikang Branch" in Ya'an. Subsequently, private tea shops took the lead in forming the "Kangzang Tea Co., Ltd.," which monopolized all tea permits, leading to the closure of tea shops in Mingshan and Qionglai counties, leaving only Ya'an and Tianquan tea shops to acquire raw materials and process finished tea.

In February 1950, Ya'an was liberated, and there were 48 tea shops, including 30 in Ya'an (now Yucheng), 10 in Tianquan, and 8 in Yingjing.

After the founding of PRC, bureaucratic capital was confiscated and converted into state-owned tea factories, including four state-owned tea factories: Caoba, Hebei, Wending Street, and Dabai Street. In 1953, through public-private joint ventures, the 48 original Tibetan tea processing factories were merged into three: the state-owned Ya'an Tea Factory, the state-owned Yingjing Tea Factory, and the state-owned Tianquan Tea Factory. The state-owned Mingshan Tea Factory was established in 1972, and the state-owned Ya'an City (now Yucheng District) Tea Factory was established in 1985.

In 2002, seven national ministries and commissions announced 25 designated production enterprises for border-area tea, six of which were in Ya'an, accounting for approximately one-quarter of the national total. These enterprises benefited from support policies for designated producers of special ethnic goods.

In 2005, Ya'an had 15 Tibetan tea production enterprises (including 6 state-designated enterprises). In 2006, in accordance with the State Council General Office's "Notice on Implementing the Food and Drug Safety Project" (Guo Ban Fa [2003] No. 65) and the implementation of the tea market access system, 10 enterprises had obtained QS certification.

In 2007, the city's total tea production reached 56,000 tons, of which nearly 30,000 tons were Tibetan tea, accounting for 80% of the province's border-area tea production and more than 40% of the national border-area tea production. Of this, 60% was sold to Tibet, approximately 9% to Qinghai and Gansu, approximately 20% to Ganzi and Aba, and approximately 12% for other domestic regions.

The series of new Tibetan tea products developed using traditional production principles not only inherits the unique taste, flavor, efficacy, and components of traditional Tibetan tea, but also better suits the lifestyle needs of modern urban dwellers in terms of variety, packaging, consumption methods, storage, and decoration. The production and sales strategy of "border-area tea for domestic consumption" and "Tibetan tea for shared enjoyment" has promoted the innovation of Tibetan tea products and the transformation of marketing concepts. Ya'an Tibetan tea products have been sold to domestic cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, and Chengdu, as well as to countries such as Russia, South Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and Australia, and to Southeast Asia and the Taiwan and Hong Kong regions.