To discuss the 'difference between Oolong and Fujian Tieguanyin,' one must first understand what 'Oolong' and 'Tieguanyin' are.

Oolong tea is also called green tea (referring to its semi-oxidized category, 'Qing Cha'), a semi-fermented tea product that combines the production methods of green tea and black tea, with its quality lying between green tea and black tea. Oolong tea is divided into: 1. Northern Fujian Oolong 2. Southern Fujian Oolong 3. Guangdong Oolong 4. Taiwanese Oolong.

Tieguanyin originally comes from Anxi County, Fujian Province. It was originally the name of a tea plant variety. Because it is suitable for making oolong tea, the finished oolong tea product is named Tieguanyin.

Dongding Oolong is not actually named due to freezing cold climates. The origin of 'Dongding' is said to be because this mountain range is foggy and rainy, with steep, treacherous, and rugged paths. People going up the mountain had to tense their toes, which in Taiwanese slang is called 'freezing the toes,' hence the mountain is called Dongding (Frozen Summit) Mountain.

The differences between Tieguanyin and Dongding Oolong are roughly as follows:

1. Both belong to the oolong tea category.

2. The tea plant varieties are different.

3. Dongding Oolong belongs to 'Northern Fujian Oolong,' while Fujian Tieguanyin belongs to 'Southern Fujian Oolong.'

4. The fermentation degree differs: Fujian Tieguanyin fermentation is 8-18%, while Taiwanese Oolong is 50-60%.

5. The processing differs; the main distinction is that Fujian Tieguanyin production does not include a 'softening' process.

Anxi Tieguanyin: Considered the finest of oolong teas, produced in Yaoyang Township, Anxi County, Fujian Province. Picking and processing: Harvested four times a year. Spring tea is around Beginning of Summer, summer tea after Summer Solstice, late-summer tea after Great Heat, and autumn tea before White Dew. Spring tea is the best. The finished tea has tightly rolled, plump, round, heavy, and even strips; the color is glossy, the taste mellow, sweet, and fresh, long renowned as the king of teas. Drinking it is said to have benefits such as clearing the mind and improving eyesight, preventing arteriosclerosis, and lowering lipids for weight loss.

Dongding Oolong Tea: Produced in the Dongding Mountain area, a branch of Phoenix Mountain in Nantou County, Taiwan. The finished product has a hemispherical, curved shape, dark green color, a natural fresh aroma, an orange-yellow liquor, and a rich, mellow, sweet, and smooth taste. Its quality is best in spring tea.

Oolong tea is one of the six major categories of tea classified by processing method (oxidation level), while Tieguanyin and Dongding Oolong are both individual varieties within the oolong tea category.

Oolong tea, also known as green tea (Qing Cha) or semi-fermented tea, is named after its legendary founder. It is a tea category with distinct characteristics among China's major tea classes. The creation of oolong tea has a somewhat legendary tale. According to 'Tea of Fujian' and 'Folk Legends of Fujian Tea,' during the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty, in Nanyan Village, Xiping Township, Anxi County, Fujian Province, there was a tea farmer and skilled hunter named Su Long. Because he was dark and robust, fellow villagers called him 'Oolong' (Black Dragon). One spring, Oolong went up the mountain to pick tea with a tea basket on his waist and a hunting rifle on his back. Around noon, a muntyac suddenly slipped by. Oolong shot but the wounded animal fled desperately into the forest. Oolong chased closely and finally caught the prey. By the time he carried the muntyac home, it was already lamp-lighting time. Oolong and his whole family were busy slaughtering and tasting the game, completely forgetting about processing the tea leaves picked that day. The next morning, the whole family hurriedly started stir-frying the 'fresh tea leaves' picked the day before. Unexpectedly, the leaves left overnight had developed red edges and emitted a阵阵清香 (wave of fresh fragrance). When the tea was finished, its flavor was exceptionally fragrant and rich, without the usual bitterness. Through careful contemplation and repeated experiments involving withering, shaking/tumbling, semi-fermentation, and roasting, he finally created a new, excellent tea category — Oolong tea. Anxi thus became the famous hometown of oolong tea.

Oolong tea combines the production methods of green tea and black tea. Its quality is between green tea and black tea, possessing both the strong, fresh taste of black tea and the clear, fragrant aroma of green tea, with the reputation of having 'green leaves with red edges.' After tasting, it leaves a lingering fragrance in the mouth and a sweet, fresh aftertaste. The pharmacological effects of oolong tea are突出表现在 (prominently reflected in) breaking down fat, weight loss, and body shaping. In Japan, it is called the 'Beauty Tea' or '健美茶 (Fitness Tea).'

Forming the excellent quality of oolong tea first requires selecting fresh leaves from fine tea plant varieties as raw materials and strictly controlling picking standards; secondly, it involves extremely meticulous processing techniques. Based on different methods of 'making green' (oxidation promotion), oolong tea is divided into three subcategories: 'jumping green-making,' 'shaking green-making,' and 'hand-rolling green-making.' Commercially, it is习惯根据 (customarily classified) by production region into: Northern Fujian Oolong, Southern Fujian Oolong, Guangdong Oolong, Taiwanese Oolong, and other subcategories. Oolong tea is a tea category unique to China, mainly produced in Northern Fujian, Southern Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan provinces. In recent years, small quantities have also been produced in Sichuan, Hunan, and other provinces.

Oolong tea evolved from the tribute tea 'Dragon Ball' and 'Phoenix Cake' of the Song Dynasty, created around 1725 (during the Qing Yongzheng period). According to the 'Anxi County Annals' of Fujian: 'People of Anxi first invented the method of making oolong tea in the third year of Yongzheng (1725), later spreading to Northern Fujian and Taiwan.' Other historical records indicate that in 1862, Fuzhou already had tea firms dealing in oolong tea. In 1866, Taiwanese oolong tea began to be exported. Currently, besides domestic sales in Guangdong, Fujian, and other provinces, oolong tea is mainly exported to Japan, Southeast Asia, and Hong Kong-Macau regions.

Names of various oolong teas: Wuyi Rock Tea; Wuyi Rougui; Northern Fujian Shuixian; Tieguanyin; White Hair Monkey; Bajiaoting Dragon Whisker Tea; Golden Osmanthus; Yongchun Buddha's Hand; Anxi Se Zhong; Phoenix Shuixian; Taiwanese Oolong; Taiwanese Baozhong; Da Hong Pao; Iron Arhat; White Cockscomb; Golden Water Turtle.