Oolong tea, also known as green tea or semi-fermented tea, is named after its founder. It is a category of tea leaves with distinct characteristics among China's major tea types. The creation of Oolong tea carries a legendary tale. According to "Tea in Fujian" and "Folk Legends of Fujian Tea," during the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty, there was a tea farmer and skilled hunter named Su Long in Nan'an Village, Xiping Township, Anxi County, Fujian Province. Because of his dark and sturdy appearance, villagers called him "Oolong." One spring, Oolong went up the mountain to pick tea with a tea basket on his waist and a hunting gun on his back. At noon, a wild river deer suddenly dashed past him. Oolong shot at it, but the injured deer fled into the forest. Oolong chased after it and finally caught the prey. By the time he carried the deer home, it was already nightfall. Oolong and his family were busy slaughtering and tasting the game, completely forgetting about processing the tea leaves they had picked. The next morning, the whole family hurriedly began stir-frying the "fresh tea leaves" from the previous day. Unexpectedly, the leaves left overnight had developed red edges and emitted a rich fragrance. When the tea was finished, it tasted exceptionally aromatic and robust, without any of the usual bitterness. Through careful experimentation and repeated trials involving withering, shaking, semi-fermentation, and roasting, a new category of tea with excellent quality—Oolong tea—was finally created. Anxi thus became a famous hometown for Oolong tea.

Oolong tea combines the processing methods of green tea and black tea. Its quality lies between green tea and black tea, offering the strong, rich flavor of black tea and the fresh, fragrant aroma of green tea. It is often praised as "green leaves with red edges." After tasting, it leaves a lingering fragrance in the mouth with a sweet and refreshing aftertaste. The pharmacological effects of Oolong tea are particularly notable in breaking down fat, promoting weight loss, and enhancing physical fitness. In Japan, it is known as "Beauty Tea" or "Fitness Tea."

The exceptional quality of Oolong tea is first attributed to selecting fresh leaves from superior tea plant varieties and strictly adhering to picking standards. Second, it involves extremely meticulous processing techniques. Based on the method of "making green," Oolong tea is divided into three subcategories: "jumping green making," "shaking green making," and "hand-rolling green making." Commercially, it is often classified by production region into subcategories such as Northern Fujian Oolong, Southern Fujian Oolong, Guangdong Oolong, and Taiwan Oolong. Oolong tea is a unique tea category in China, primarily produced in Northern Fujian, Southern Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan. In recent years, small quantities have also been produced in Sichuan, Hunan, and other provinces.

Oolong tea evolved from the tribute teas "Dragon Ball" and "Phoenix Cake" of the Song Dynasty and was created around 1725 (during the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty). According to the "Anxi County Annals" of Fujian, "Anxi people first invented the method of making Oolong tea in the third year of the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty, which later spread to Northern Fujian and Taiwan." Historical records also indicate that tea shops dealing in Oolong tea were established in Fuzhou in 1862, and Taiwan Oolong tea began to be exported in 1866. Currently, besides domestic sales in Guangdong, Fujian, and other provinces, Oolong tea is mainly exported to Japan, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Macau.

Various Oolong tea names: Wuyi Rock Tea; Wuyi Rougui; Northern Fujian Shuixian; Tieguanyin; White Monkey; Bajiaoting Dragon Whisker Tea; Golden Osmanthus; Yongchun Buddha Hand; Anxi Se Zhong; Phoenix Shuixian; Taiwan Oolong; Taiwan Baozhong; Dahongpao; Iron Arhat; White Crown Chicken; Golden Water Turtle.