Basic Introduction to Pu'an Four-ball Tea

Pu'an Four-ball Tea is a rare ancient tea tree species growing in Pu'an County, Qianxinan Prefecture, Guizhou Province.

The Pu'an Four-ball Tea trees grow in dense forests at an altitude of 1700 to 1950 meters and are small-sized woody plants. Their young branches and terminal buds are hairless; the leaves are leathery, 12-16 cm long, and 4-5 cm wide. The flowers are axillary with white petals that are hairless; the capsules are flattened or spherical, containing one seed per chamber, with the seeds being 1.4-1.7 cm in diameter and having a light brown seed coat.

Guizhou Pu'an is at the center of the tea tree origin, home to the world's largest habitat of wild four-ball ancient tea trees, with over 20,000 ancient tea trees over a thousand years old. The four-ball ancient tea trees belong to one of the 32 categories of tea plants. The “Golden Boat” Black Tea series products made from new shoots and tender leaves of the four-ball tea not only have a golden hue, rich flavor, and a fragrant, smooth taste but also possess various Health benefits.

Product Characteristics

1. Sensory Features:

The shape is solid and dark green without any downy hairs; the liquor color is pale green and bright, and it is very reinfusible; the aroma is strong and fragrant with a long-lasting high note; the taste is fresh, mellow, and refreshing with a lingering aftertaste; the infused leaves are tender and uniform, bright green, and lively.

2. Physicochemical Indicators:

Moisture content % ≤ 7.0; Infusion content % ≥ 38.0; Catechins content % ≥ 6.5.

History and Folklore

In 1980, tea seed fossils were discovered in Shunjiaqin, Yuntou Mountain, at the border between Pu'an and Qinglong counties. These fossils were identified by the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences as belonging to the four-ball tea, dating back more than one million years. According to experts, this tea variety is unique in the world and exclusive to Pu'an.

In 1985, taking advantage of the favorable opportunity provided by the national government's preferential support for impoverished counties, Pu'an County applied for the “Spark Plan and Science and Technology Poverty Alleviation” project. Relying on the Jiangxipo Tea and Fruit Farm and the Xinzhai Tea Farm, they established a ten-thousand mu tea plantation in Pu'an County, aiming to lead and develop tea brands through state-owned enterprises.

Starting in 1988, the Pu'an County government allowed officials to take on the development of tea gardens and permitted capable outsiders to lease barren mountains to establish tea gardens.

By 2004, Pu'an had successfully developed 20,450 mu (approximately 1363 hectares) of pollution-free tea gardens, producing 1,000 tons of dry tea annually.

In 2008, Pu'an County conducted a survey of ancient tea trees, identifying over 20,000 ancient tea trees throughout the county.

In 2011, Pu'an County formulated a plan to develop 150,000 mu (approximately 10,000 hectares) of tea plantations by 2025.

Awards and Honors

In 2011, Pu'an County was awarded the title of “China's Ancient Tea Tree Hometown” by the China Tea Marketing Association.

On July 4, 2016, the original General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China approved geographical indication product protection for “Pu'an Four-ball Tea.”