On November 29, 2025, China's application for the project “Traditional Chinese Tea Processing Skills and Related Customs” was reviewed and approved by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage under UNESCO, and it was included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO.

To enhance public awareness of traditional Tea processing skills and related customs, to raise consciousness about the importance of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage related to tea, and to foster national pride and cultural confidence, we will share with you 44 items of intangible cultural heritage (including 39 traditional tea processing skills and 5 folk categories) in a series of articles.

Today, we continue to introduce the processing skills for Biluochun, Xinyang Maojian, and Wuyuan green teas.

Green Tea Chapter 4

Biluochun, Xinyang Maojian, and Wuyuan Green Tea

Biluochun

In 2011, the skill of making green tea (Biluochun processing skill) was listed in the third batch of representative projects of national intangible cultural heritage.

Biluochun tea is produced in the Dongting Mountain area near Lake Taihu, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. According to the classic “Tea Classic” by Lu Yu of the Tang Dynasty, there is a record that tea originated from “Dongting Mountain in Changzhou County” (now Suzhou). During the Northern Song Dynasty, there are records stating, “Beautiful tea comes from Dongting, previously presented as tribute…” In the early Qing Dynasty, Dongting tea was commonly known as “Scaringly Fragrant.” In the thirty-eighth year of Emperor Kangxi's reign, when he toured Lake Taihu, he named the tea “Biluochun” due to its green color, spiral shape resembling snail, and early spring harvest.

The processing skills for Biluochun include seven steps: picking, sorting, spreading out, high-temperature fixation, rolling and shaping, forming and revealing downy hair, and low-temperature drying. Rolling and shaping, which is carried out in a wok at around 65°C-75°C, is an important step in forming the distinctive spiral shape. The process involves starting lightly before increasing pressure, while continuously tossing and rolling the tea leaves.

Forming and revealing downy hair involves rolling the tea in the hands until the downy hairs appear. This step requires unclumping the tea after every four to five turns, and simultaneously rolling, unclumping, and drying. The key requirements during production are “pick early, pick tender, sort clean,” “hands not leaving the tea, tea not leaving the wok, rolling combined with fixing, continuous operation, and ready upon removal from the wok.”

The Biluochun processing skill is an outstanding representative of traditional handcrafted techniques for curled green tea. The finished Biluochun has slender, curled leaves covered with downy hair, a Silver-green color, and a bright green infusion with a high aroma, a sweet taste, and a lasting aftertaste. It is renowned worldwide for its beautiful appearance, vibrant color, rich fragrance, and mellow flavor.

Xinyang Maojian

In 2014, the skill of making green tea (Xinyang Maojian processing skill) was listed in the fourth batch of representative projects of national intangible cultural heritage.

Xinyang Maojian tea is mainly produced in Xinyang City, Henan Province. During the Tang Dynasty, Xinyang tea was already a tribute to the imperial court; in the Song Dynasty, the total volume of tea transactions in Xinyang accounted for one-fifth of the nation, making it a key tea-producing area at the time; by the end of the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, eight major tea societies such as Longtan and Yuanzhen were established in Xinyang, leading to a thriving tea market. In 1926, Xinyang tea farmers improved the method of shaping the tea in the “cooked wok” and the technique of stir-frying large batches of tea in the “cooked wok,” further maturing the processing skill for Xinyang Maojian.

The processing skill for Xinyang Maojian primarily includes steps like picking, cooling, and stir-frying, with the latter including sub-steps of fixation in the raw wok, rolling, shaping in the cooked wok, initial drying, cooling, secondary drying, sorting, and final drying. Picking fresh tea leaves is best done before the Qingming Festival and preferably in the morning before 10 am. The unique feature of this skill is the use of the “cooked wok” technique for shaping the tea, where the tea is grabbed and flicked towards the upper edge of the wok to form strands as it falls. The standard for Xinyang Maojian is fine, round, and straight with even downy hair and a green and lustrous appearance, while the infusion should be clear and green, with a high aroma, strong and lasting flavor, and a fresh and smooth taste.

Wuyuan Green Tea

In 2014, the skill of making green tea (Wuyuan green tea processing skill) was listed in the fourth batch of representative projects of national intangible cultural heritage.

Thousand-acre tea plantation base in Wuyuan (Source: China News Service)

Wuyuan green tea is produced in Wuyuan County, Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province. Wuyuan is at the core of the Golden Triangle for Chinese green tea production, giving the Wuyuan green tea its unique quality.

According to the “Tea Classic” by the Tang Dynasty tea sage Lu Yu, “Shexian tea grows in the valleys of Wuyuan,” indicating that Wuyuan was already a tea-producing region at that time. During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, Wuyuan green tea became a tribute item, with approximately 2,500 pounds offered each year. By the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, Wuyuan tea had become one of the main commodities exported from China.

The current processing skill for Wuyuan green tea is mainly inherited from the post-Qing period, developed based on the method used for Songluo tea. Its primary characteristics include fixation in a small pot, rolling in a small barrel, and low-temperature long-term drying. The processing steps today include picking, spreading out, fixation, rolling (unclumping), shaping (initial drying), and drying (aroma enhancement). When rolling, the “double-hand rolling” method