Fenghuang Dancong belongs to the Oolong tea category. It is mainly produced in Fenghuang Mountain, Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province. The region borders the East China Sea, with a warm and humid climate, ample rainfall, and tea trees growing at altitudes above 1,000 meters. The area is shrouded in mist year-round, with high humidity and significant day-night temperature variations. The average annual temperature is around 20°C, with annual precipitation of approximately 1,800 mm. The soil is fertile and deep, rich in organic matter and trace elements, conducive to tea tree development and the formation of tea polyphenols and aromatic compounds. Local tea farmers have extensive experience in selecting and cultivating tea varieties. There are over 3,000 ancient tea trees, each over a century old, with unique characteristics and excellent quality. These trees are as tall as banyans, with each producing over 10 kilograms of dried tea annually.

Tea Characteristics

Dancong tea is made from select individual tea plants within the Fenghuang Shuixian group variety, cultivated, harvested, and processed separately. Due to differences in aroma and flavor, local customs classify Dancong tea into various fragrance types, including yellow branch fragrance, orchid fragrance, peach kernel fragrance, cinnamon fragrance, and sky-reaching fragrance.

Features

Dancong tea is harvested individually by plant. When new buds grow to a small open stage (i.e., with dormant buds), they are picked using a horseback plucking technique, with one bud and two or three leaves, and placed gently into tea baskets. Harvesting is avoided under strong sunlight, during rain, or when the tea is damp with dew. Harvesting typically begins in the afternoon, with processing occurring at night. The tea undergoes sun-withering, indoor withering, shaking, fixation, rolling, and baking, taking about 10 hours to complete.

The tea has thick, straight, and uniform strips with a yellowish-brown, glossy appearance and occasional red spots. When brewed, it emits a long-lasting, natural orchid fragrance with a rich, mellow, and refreshing taste, leaving a sweet aftertaste. The liquor is clear and bright yellow, with leaves featuring red edges and yellow centers, often described as "green leaves with red borders." Some teas from unique mountain fields or tree varieties, after slow charcoal roasting, develop even more distinctive flavors and aromas, with a deeper "mountain charm" and greater endurance for multiple infusions.

Varieties

Fenghuang Dancong is produced in the Chaoshan region and belongs to Guangdong Oolong.

Specific varieties include: Songzhong "Oriental Red," one of four surviving ancient tea varieties from the Song Dynasty in Fenghuang Mountain. Songzhong Orchid Fragrance, another of the four surviving Song Dynasty varieties, has a delicate orchid aroma, a rich and refreshing taste, strong sweetness, and a bright orange-yellow liquor, enduring many infusions. By year-end, the tea undergoes a "spring return" phenomenon, enhancing its flavor. Songzhong Honey Fragrance Dancong, another surviving Song Dynasty variety, is known for its distinct sweet potato "honey" flavor, hence also called "Songzhong Sweet Potato Fragrance Dancong." It has a high and lasting honey aroma with floral notes, a rich and refreshing taste, prominent "honey charm," and leaves a lingering sweetness.

Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea Dancong: Also known as "Eight Immortals Dancong," it is one of Fenghuang Dancong's top ten precious honey-fragrance varieties. Named for its eight surviving plants resembling the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, it features a distinct white magnolia floral aroma. Ginger Flower Fragrance Dancong: Also called "Sky-Reaching Fragrance Dancong," it is renowned for its prominent ginger flower aroma, which "reaches the sky." It is one of Fenghuang Dancong's top ten honey-fragrance varieties, with a lasting ginger flower aroma, rich and refreshing taste, and a distinctive ginger "charm." It leaves a sweet aftertaste and endures many infusions, with enhanced flavor by year-end. Toad Dancong, also known as "Old Toad," is one of Fenghuang Dancong's top ten high-fragrance varieties, named for its mother tree's shape. Honey Orchid Fragrance Dancong has a "rich honey and orchid" charm, lasting fragrance, rich and sweet taste, bright orange-yellow liquor, and endurance for multiple infusions.

Fenghuang Yellow Branch Fragrance Dancong is one of Fenghuang Dancong's top ten honey-fragrance varieties, named for its distinct yellow gardenia floral aroma. It includes multiple strains, such as Shiguping Tianliaopu Yellow Branch Fragrance, Fengxi Anjiao Yellow Branch Fragrance, and Wudong Shitoujiao Yellow Branch Fragrance (also known as Wenjiaxiang). Magnolia Fragrance Dancong, another top ten honey-fragrance variety, has a delicate magnolia floral aroma, rich and refreshing taste, bright liquor, and enduring fragrance. Osmanthus Fragrance Dancong, another top ten variety, features a delicate osmanthus aroma, rich and refreshing taste, lingering sweetness, bright orange-yellow liquor, and endurance for multiple infusions. Two Spears Orchid Fragrance Dancong, another top ten variety, has an elegant orchid aroma, rich and sweet taste, bright liquor, and endurance for many infusions.

Tea Production Process

The diverse and unique quality of Fenghuang Dancong tea results from traditional craftsmanship passed down through generations. Over time, tea farmers have refined their techniques, combining tradition with innovation. Fenghuang tea makers have developed a unique single-plant harvesting and processing method, distinct from other tea types. This method reflects centuries of accumulated wisdom and skill.

Fenghuang Dancong tea is harvested and processed manually or semi-mechanically. The process includes sun-withering, indoor withering, shaking, fixation, rolling, and baking—six interconnected steps. Each step requires meticulous attention; any carelessness may downgrade the tea's quality to Langcai or Shuixian level, significantly affecting its value.

Brewing Tips

Brewing Dancong tea differs from other teas, requiring more skill and precision. Improper brewing may result in bitterness, contrary to tea principles.

The key to brewing Dancong tea lies in speed: quick tea loading, quick rinsing, and quick pouring.

The tea load should be 60-70% of the pot's capacity. After boiling water, warm the pot and cups, then add tea. Avoid shaking the tea; lightly cover it. Rinse the tea quickly—"without delay."

Brewing tea is like composing prose, requiring rhythm; like painting, requiring shades; like playing music, requiring tempo; like meditation, requiring clarity. When brewing Dancong tea, loading and rinsing must be quick and gentle to release its aroma, enhance its flavor, and respect its nature.

Pouring must also be quick. The first infusion should not exceed 3 seconds, the second 5 seconds, and by the sixth infusion, no more than 30 seconds. This method ensures a smooth, non-bitter, and non-astringent brew. Due to the quick pouring, one pot of water can be used from the first to the sixth infusion without reheating or refilling, offering a seamless experience.

After the third infusion, gently flip the tea leaves. If brewed correctly, the tea leaves will clump together, releasing the purest and most elegant aroma from the pot's base.