Basic Introduction to Chenglouzhai Tea

Chenglouzhai Tea is a specialty of Chenglouzhai in Jiujie, Xinzhou District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province. The tea has a tight and neat shape with abundant downy tips, revealing a tender green color. Its taste is rich and mellow, quenching thirst and leaving a fragrant aftertaste that refreshes the palate and lingers in the mouth. The President of the Buddhist Association of China and renowned poet Zhao Puchu said: “Seven bowls bring out the ultimate flavor; one pot reveals true pleasure. Holding sutras for a hundred years is not as good as going for tea.”

The tea is characterized by its flat and upright shape, smooth and even appearance, and a yellowish-green hue, commonly referred to as “rough rice color.” When brewed, it emits a persistent chestnut aroma, with a bright green infusion and a sweet, fresh taste. The leaves at the bottom of the cup are uniform. It is known for “remaining unchanged in color when steeped for a long time, and not deteriorating over time,” with a rich and mellow taste that quenches thirst and leaves a refreshing aftertaste.

Stepping into Chenglouzhai, you are greeted by lush Green Tea bushes nestled among the trees. Here, the tea bushes grow amidst a forest, surrounded by greenery, with tea growing within the woods and trees standing among the tea plants. On clear days, purple mist rises from the hills, and on rainy days, fog envelops the area. The tea plants here have deep roots and lush foliage, maintaining a year-round verdant appearance. With many shoots throughout the year, the tea gardens receive ample organic fertilizers, making the buds tender and robust, rich in Caffeine, theophylline, tannins, and volatile oils.

Chenglouzhai is located southeast of Jiujie, at an elevation of 345 meters, making it the highest point in the entire town. Surrounded by mountains, reservoirs, and rivers, the scenery is picturesque and the climate pleasant, providing a long history of tea cultivation. Due to the stone fort built during the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom period, resembling a city wall, tea enthusiasts named this tea after Chenglouzhai.

Product Features

Chenglouzhai Tea is characterized by its flat and straight shape, yellowish-green color, high content of organic matter, and a rich and mellow taste that remains unchanged when steeped for a long time and does not deteriorate over time.

Historical Folklore

“Chenglouzhai Tea” originated in the Qing Dynasty. To resist the Taiping Army, Hu Baizhuan, an enlightened gentry figure from the Huxiandawan area of Jiujie, Xinzhou District, organized a peasant self-defense force that relied on Chenglouzhai for protection while cultivating crops for sustenance. This is when tea cultivation and processing began.

Awards and Honors

In 1993, it won first prize in the selection of famous and quality teas in Hubei Province.

In 2010, at the Seventh China (Shanghai) International Tea Expo, the tea delegation representing Wuhan, which included teas from Jiujie, Xinzhou District, won one gold and three Silver awards. Among them, Chenglouzhai Biluofeng produced in Jiujie, Xinzhou District, won the Gold Award for Famous Chinese Teas.

On July 1, 2013, the Wuhan Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce learned that “Chenglouzhai Tea” had been granted a geographical indication certification trademark by the state.

In August 2015, the tea-making skills of Chenglouzhai were named to the fifth batch of municipal intangible cultural heritage protection lists by the Wuhan Municipal People's Government.