16th Hunan Tea Industry Expo 2024

Publicity Column

Guzhang Maojian

The melodious basket song echoes through the stilted houses, while ancient city walls stand quietly by the You River, and yellowed collections of Shen Congwen's works wander the ancient town… This is Guzhang, Xiangxi, a charming miniature city with spectacular mountains and waters. Amidst a unique cultural backdrop formed by abundant biological resources, splendid historical culture, and rich local customs, Guzhang is renowned for producing “Guzhang Maojian.”

Guzhang tea production dates back to the Eastern Han Dynasty, and it was presented as tribute during the Tang and Qing dynasties, with a history spanning over 2,000 years. Today, this tea with a thousand-year legacy carries the important mission of industrial development for the county and prosperity for its people. Nestled deep within the Wuling Mountains, Guzhang enjoys a unique mountain forest microclimate, selenium-rich and phosphorus-rich soil, and a long-standing Tea culture and tea-making techniques. These factors contribute to the Guzhang Maojian's distinctive qualities of being tightly rolled, bright green in color, fragrant and tender, with a refreshing taste and a lingering aftertaste, making it a superior green tea, hailed as a “rare gem among green teas.”

GU.ZHANG.MAO.JIAN

Guzhang Maojian

“Spring tea buds are green and fresh, their verdancy sprouting in the hearts of men. Guests from all corners of the world praise the Guzhang tea.” The song “Guzhang Tea Song” by Guzhang native Song Zuying brought the Guzhang Maojian brand to the world stage. According to Lu Yu in his classic work “The Classic of Tea,” “Tea is a fine tree of the southern lands.” Since ancient times, high mountains and misty clouds have been known to produce good tea. Guzhang's unique natural environment provides unparalleled conditions for the development of its tea industry. Guzhang County is one of China's key tea-producing counties and the hometown of organic tea in China.

Production Process: Eight Steps

Making a Cup of Guzhang Maojian Tea

Guzhang is located in the heart of the Wuling Mountains, where forests are dense, mist hangs low, streams crisscross, rainfall is plentiful, and the climate is mild. With a forest coverage rate of 80.46%, the soil is rich in organic matter and free from pollution. This unique ecological environment nurtures high-quality Guzhang tea and has honed a distinctive tea-making process. “Spreading, withering, initial kneading, stir-frying second green, re-kneading, stir-frying third green, shaping, and final processing… Fresh leaves plucked from the tea tree undergo these steps to become the renowned ‘Guzhang Maojian.'”

“It takes eight processes, each requiring meticulous attention. One must be particularly skilled in the withering and dehydration stages, which greatly affect the taste. The withered tea should be fragrant and sweet, leading to an especially pleasant mouthfeel.” Tea farmer Zhang Xinfeng, who has worked with tea for decades, is familiar with every step of the process. She said that the better the quality of the tea produced, the higher the income, typically around 5,000 to 6,000 yuan per mu.

Millennia of Fragrance:

Customs of Tea Production and Consumption in Guzhang During the Warring States Period

The history of tea cultivation in Guzhang can be traced back over 2,000 years to the Warring States period. It has experienced the baptism of war and enjoyed the glory of being a tribute item. Historical records show that during the Warring States period, the Southern State of Chu expanded westward and engaged in conflict with the State of Ba. Following the You River downstream, the Ba army passed through Guzhang County and experienced fierce battles. After suffering defeat, they retreated to the western bank of the river at Baihe Bay in Guzhang County. For many years, the two sides faced off along the You River, and the Ba soldiers, skilled in tea cultivation, brought tea to this area.

In 1984, archaeologists excavated hundreds of tombs from the Warring States period in Baihe Bay on the western bank of Guzhang, uncovering thousands of precious historical artifacts, including teapots, cups, stoves, and wells among the burial items. This archaeological discovery indicates that during the Warring States period, there were already customs of tea production and consumption in Guzhang County. Experts pointed out that “Guzhang County, located in the heart of the Jingchu and Wuling Mountains, was precisely on the initial radiation transition zone in the history of Chinese Tea development.”

The Xizhou Tu Si (local chieftain) in Yongshun governed an area that included Guzhang. In the later period of the Tu Si regime, the required tributes to the imperial court were paid without fail, and local specialties like “spotted cloth, tiger skins, tea buds, cinnabar, bronze drums, musk pods, horses, etc.” gained fame in the capital. It is believed that “tea buds” referred primarily to Guzhang tea.

Chairman Mao Praises Guzhang Maojian as “Good Tea”

It is well-known that Chairman Mao loved tea. During the era of the People's Communes, his home province of Hunan actively responded to his instructions on tea production, vigorously developing the tea industry. As a result, the scale of tea gardens in Guzhang expanded rapidly, and production increased significantly. The locals often sent tea to Chairman Mao from afar, which he always accepted with pleasure.

In the spring of 1955, the tea farmers of the Siyuan Bridge Tea Cooperative in Guyang Town, Guzhang County, began to plan the collection of tea to present to Chairman Mao Zedong. They agreed to start early, and about half a month before the Qingming Festival, 66 tea farmers went to the Wenmiao Slope tea garden with great joy. Following the previously agreed-upon standards for picking one bud and one leaf, specifically the “sparrow tongue” type, they carefully picked the tenderest shoots.

Each farmer picked approximately 100 grams of fresh leaves by the end of the day, totaling 8 kilograms. Back at the cooperative, they selected the best leaves again. Tea-making experts Luo Shiyin and Xiang Yueying were chosen to process the leaves, eventually producing 1.5 kilograms of Guzhang Maojian. Seeing the finished product with visible Silver down, tightly rolled, and bright green, the tea farmers breathed a sigh of relief. They then boiled water from the Northern Spring to Brew the tea. As they observed the clear broth and the slowly unfurling tea buds, resembling fairies ascending through clouds or sparrows dancing gracefully, the tea's aroma filled the air. Taking a sip, they were captivated by its flavor and the refreshing sensation. Their hard work had paid off, and they forgot their fatigue, reveling in their success.

The cooperative hired a carpenter to make a small wooden box and carefully packed the tea in bags that had been disinfected. They placed the packaged tea in the box and wrote “To Chairman Mao, Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, State Council, Beijing” on the lid. They then sent the package via post to Beijing, anxiously awaiting a response.

A month later, they received a reply from the Central Committee Office: “Chairman Mao received your Guzhang Maojian. After tasting it, he praised it repeatedly as ‘good tea! good tea,' and hopes that the people of Guzhang will develop their tea industry further…” Upon receiving the letter, the entire village and county were elated, as if injected with a powerful stimulant, providing a strong impetus for the development of the tea industry in Guzhang.

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