Guiding County is known as the hometown of famous tea and a place of tribute tea production, with a long history of tea cultivation. Guiding was established as a county in 581 AD, with a history of 1423 years to date. Tracing back to ancient times and discussing the present, its ancient and long history, and its profound cultural heritage have created a treasured land of abundant resources, outstanding people, and a continuous stream of talent—the important town of central Guizhou, Guiding. In the south of Guiding, there is a Miao mountain range called Yunwu Mountain, far from pollution, in its original ecological state, famous for producing tea. It is one of the origins of tea trees in China. To this day, there are still thousand-year-old wild tea trees on the mountain with trunks requiring four people to embrace and crowns reaching over 40 meters high. The ancestors of Guiding, namely the Miao people of Yunwu Mountain, were among the world's earliest to discover tea trees, utilize tea leaves, and cultivate tea trees. As early as over 2000 years ago, the transition from native tall tree tea to artificial cultivation of tea trees had begun, creating early Yunwu series famous teas such as "Bird King Tea," "Dong Miao Tea," "Fishhook Tea," and "White Cloud Tea." The tribute tea history of Guiding Yunwu Tea is recorded in historical records from the Yuan, Ming, Qing dynasties, and the Republic of China era. As Guizhou only began its provincial administration in the 11th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1413), and because the Miao, Buyi, and other ethnic minorities in Guiding lacked ancient written scripts for record-keeping, much historical material concerning the ancient cultivation and processing of tea trees was difficult to preserve. It is said that Yunwu Tea was listed as a court tribute tea during the prosperous Tang Dynasty and was rated as one of the eight famous teas in the country during the early Qing Dynasty. Currently discovered records of it as tribute tea date back to the second year of the Tai'an era in the Yuan Dynasty (1325); it was a tribute item for the imperial palace in the fifth year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty. The "Kangxi Guizhou General Chronicle" of the Qing Dynasty records: "All regions of Guizhou produce tea, with Guiding Yunwu being the most famous." The well-preserved Yunwu Tribute Tea Stele, erected on Yunwu Mountain in Guiding in the 55th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, stands as historical witness. It is the only tea in Guizhou with documented stele inscriptions and historical records. The stele's 228-character inscription remains clear and intact, describing how the Qing government, to appease the Miao people in the Yunwu mountainous area who paid "tribute tea" in lieu of "imperial grain," lightened their burden, prohibited local officials from imposing extra demands and harassing the people, and allocated 420 taels of silver to support the Miao people in developing "tribute tea" production. This stele was announced as a provincial-level key protected cultural relic by the Guizhou Provincial People's Government in 1982. The "China Literary and Artistic Integration Chronicle" describes brewing Guiding Yunwu Tea as: "When the cup lid is lifted, a white vapor emerges from the cup, first resembling an umbrella, then a cloud, slowly rising into the sky—hence it is called Yunwu Tea (Cloud Mist Tea), also known as White Cloud Tea." The renowned Chinese scholar and tea master Professor Chen Chuan directly wrote a poem praising Guiding Yunwu Tea: "Precious indeed is Guiding's hook (tea), A pure brew offered in tribute. Sea of clouds, capital of mist, Excellent in both quality and character."

In 1997, Mr. Zhao Puchu, the President of the Chinese Buddhist Association, personally tasted Guiding Yunwu spring tea. Upon inquiring about the current state of Yangbao Mountain in Guiding, anciently known as one of the three major Buddhist mountains in southwest China, and learning that Yangbao Mountain still preserves the nation's rare, largest-scale stone pagoda forest of monk tombs and some important Buddhist cultural heritage, he was moved by the moment, filled with emotion, and gladly wielded his brush to inscribe the characters "Fo Cha" (Buddha Tea). This added a color of integration between historical tribute tea and Buddhist culture to Yunwu Tea. According to historical records, Guiding's Yangbao Mountain was built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, but folk legends claim its construction predates the Ming Dynasty. Yangbao Mountain is majestic and vast in scale. The mountain shape resembles a flying phoenix picking lotuses, and its topography is like myriad mountains paying homage, presenting a scene of "clouds linking temples before temples, dew embracing layers of mountains beyond mountains," making it a scenic wonder of the region. The tomb pagoda forest inscriptions record the earliest burial date as the 14th year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty (1641 AD), continuing until the 21st year of the Republic of China (1932). High-ranking monks such as the Senggang Si (monastic official) appointed by the imperial court during the Kangxi and Yongzheng periods of the Qing Dynasty, who managed Buddhist affairs for the entire province of Guizhou, are buried here. The famous teas produced on this famous mountain were all personally cultivated and created by generations of eminent monks, including the founding patriarch Baiyun (White Cloud), Master Baohua, Master Ranbo, Master Fashun, and Master Ruoxian.

Famous mountains and famous teas reflect each other; famous teas and famous figures shine together. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, Guiding has produced many notable figures. For example, Yao Shixi, Provincial Administration Commissioner of Zhejiang during the Ming Jiajing period; Qiu Heshi, Hanlin Academy Reviewer and Fengzheng Dafu during the Ming Wanli period; Qiu Hejia, Ming Chongzhen period Governor of Liaodong concurrently commanding Shanhaiguan and other areas; Wang Zhuyuan, who served with merit under Zuo Zongtang against Russia and became the Gansu-Liangzhou Governor with official seal in the Qing Dynasty; and Dai Kan, posthumously awarded the rank of Third-Class Merit Army General by the Nationalist Government, who served as Governor of Guizhou Province and later concurrently as Governor and Military Governor of Sichuan Province in the 6th year of the Republic of China—all had an inseparable bond with Guiding Yunwu Tea, often using it as a gift for presentation and feeling honored by it.

Guiding has over 2000 years of tea planting history and over 600 years of tribute tea history. Its brilliant and splendid tea culture has shaped the Guiding Yunwu series of famous teas, making them outstanding and renowned both domestically and internationally. In various national and provincial tea competitions, they have repeatedly earned the title of famous tea. In May 1990, with the highest total score, it won the title of Guizhou Provincial Local Famous Tea and Provincial High-Quality Product; in October of the same year, with a score of 99.85, it ranked first among national famous teas, winning four honors including the Ministry of Commerce High-Quality Product and National Famous Tea Award; in 1993, it won the Gold Cup at the China International Health Care Fine Products Expo; in 1995, it won the Gold Award at the China International Technology Products Exhibition; in 2002, it won the Gold Award at the Fourth International Famous Tea Competition. Guiding Yunwu Tea is exported to more than ten countries and regions including West Germany, Japan, and Hong Kong. In 1993, the Politburo of the Central Committee used this tea for receiving foreign guests.

History and reality have deeply integrated Yunwu Tea into all aspects of life for the various ethnic groups in Guiding, forming a rich, colorful, uniquely contentful, and diverse Guiding tea culture. Throughout the ages, many splendid poems, couplets, and brilliant writings have been left behind. Folk songs, legends, stories, folk customs, and private collections contain even more tea cultural connotations. The Guiding Miao Lusheng dance "Chang Shan Long" (Long Gown Dragon), also known as "Cha Shan Long" (Tea Mountain Dragon), was the sole representative of Guizhou Province in a large-scale exhibition at the Sixth International Tourism and Culture Festival held in Beijing on October 17, 2003. It received praise from Chinese and foreign tourism and cultural experts and was hailed as the "Eastern Tango." This is a rare ethnic, cultural, and characteristic card for promoting Guiding and raising its知名度 (fame), providing spiritual motivation for the industrial development of Guiding's tea industry. Nowadays, Guiding County, leveraging its own advantages, has identified tea as one of the four major industries for developing the rural economy, aiming to strengthen and expand it; it is also a main content for implementing the Central No. 1 Document spirit and a key industry for promoting farmers' income increase.

Guiding is also the largest distribution center for Osmunda fern in western China and a main trading market for Osmunda fern in southern China. The national production is about 800 tons. Every year from March to May, merchants from all over the country gather in Guiding to compete for purchases, with an average price per ton between 40,000 to 50,000 yuan. The transaction volume reaches over 400 tons, mainly exported to countries like Japan. Due to its high nutritional value, high medicinal value, and pure natural properties, Osmunda fern is called the "King of Mountain Wild Vegetables" by Japan and Southeast Asian countries and is currently an indispensable delicacy in state banquets.

Historically, Guiding was an important town on the main east-west post road from Huguang to Guizhou and Yunnan, a throat of central Guizhou and a必经之地 (must-pass place). Since liberation, transportation has been developed. The Qian-Gui, Xiang-Qian, and Zhu-Liu double-track railways intersect in the county town. The Guizhou southbound artery, the Gui-Xin Expressway, passes through the city. National Highways 320 and 321, as well as Provincial Highway 304, run through the county. It is 60 km from the provincial capital Guiyang, 70 km from the prefectural capital Duyun, and 90 km from Kaili. With obvious区位优势 (location advantages) and extremely convenient transportation, it is the optimal choice for a tea trading and distribution center within the Guiyang economic circle. When visiting Guiding, besides purchasing Yunwu Tea, Osmunda fern, and various local specialties, one can also go sightseeing and tourism, taste the nationally and internationally famous Panjiang dog meat, experience the provincial scenic area Luobei River rafting, known as the "Number One Drift in Central Guizhou," visit Mozhu Cave, the Panjiang Yinzhai Buyi Ethnic Customs Tourism Area, the county's largest artificial lake—Yunwu Lake, and more.

Currently, Guiding has 10,000 mu of tea gardens, producing 360,000 jin of high-grade tea annually. Guiding Yunwu Tea features large, plump, and sturdy buds and leaves, emerald green leaf color, exceptionally abundant fine hairs, beautiful bud shape, excellent quality, tender leaves, and rich nutrition. Tea with one bud and one leaf contains polyphenols 31.67 mg/g, amino acids 2.18 mg/g, caffeine 3.39 mg/g, water extract 43.28 mg/g, and catechins 114.66 mg/g. Its high, refreshing aroma, sweet and mellow taste, honey-like fragrance, and long-lasting aftertaste are becoming increasingly well-known. The functions of Guiding Yunwu Tea—such as refreshing the mind and aiding thought, clearing the heart and brightening the eyes, prolonging life, promoting salivation and quenching thirst, aiding digestion and removing greasiness, stopping diarrhea and sobering up from alcohol, preventing cancer and anti-cancer, protecting against radiation damage, and preventing cardiovascular diseases—are also being increasingly recognized by people.

Yunwu Tea is processed using traditional folk manual methods of frying and rolling. It undergoes three rounds of frying, three rounds of rolling, kneading into balls, raising the hairs, and slow drying over gentle heat. This preserves the original sharpness of the buds, their shape, and fine hairs. The craftsmanship is exquisite, skillful, and uniquely sophisticated. The finished tea has tightly rolled and curved strips, fully displaying tender green with abundant hairs. The appearance is even and beautiful, shaped like fishhooks. The tea liquor is bright green, the汤色 (liquor color) is clear, rich, and bright.