Basic Introduction of Tianmu Qingding

Tianmu Qingding, also known as Tianmu Cloud and Mist Tea, is a top-quality Green Tea that has won gold awards in international commodity evaluations. It is produced in areas around the East Tianmu Mountain in Lin'an County, including locations such as Taizi Temple, Longxuan Hermitage, Xili, Xiaolingkeng, Zhujia Village, and Senluoping. The Tianmu Mountain area is one of the ancient tea-producing regions in China with a long history of tea production. In his “Tianmu Mountain Record,” Yuan Hongdao from the Ming Dynasty wrote, “Three treasures of Tianmu Mountain: tea, bamboo shoots, and small walnuts.”

The climate in the production area is warm and humid, with dense forests. Fallen leaves form a layer of gray-brown forest soil with a thickness of about 20 centimeters of humus. The soil is loose, black in color, and acidic. The area is covered by clouds and fog throughout the year, with an average of over 250 foggy days per year. Tea plants are mostly grown in mountain hollows or valleys at altitudes between 600 to 1200 meters, which are relatively sheltered from the wind.

Product Characteristics

The production process for Tianmu Qingding tea is meticulous, using premium raw materials. The tea leaves are straight and thick, with visible buds and downy hair, deep green in color. The taste is fresh, pure, and refreshing, with a lasting fragrance. The infusion is clear and bright, allowing individual buds and leaves to be easily distinguished. This makes it an excellent tea in terms of color, aroma, and flavor, and it has been exported to countries such as the Netherlands, Canada, the UK, and Japan.

Historical and Folklore

Tianmu Mountain is one of the ancient tea-producing regions in China with a long history of tea production. According to Lu Yu, the “Sage of Tea,” in his “The Classic of Tea – Chapter Eight,” tea was cultivated in Lin'an and Yuchan counties on Tianmu Mountain, similar to Shouchou. In his poem “Drinking Tianmu Mountain Tea with Lu Xun and Sending to Master Yuan Sheng,” the famous Tang Dynasty monk poet Jiaoran described the processes of picking, drying, brewing, and tasting Tianmu Mountain tea.

Awards and Honors

In 1936, it won a special gold award at the Nanyang International Conference. During the Ming Dynasty, it was listed as a tribute product. In 1986, it was named one of the ten best teas in Zhejiang Province.