We know that China has a long history of tea culture. At the same time, there are many tea production areas across the country, with different tea varieties and processing techniques. The following is an introduction to the regions in China that are major tea producers.
Jiangbei Tea Region
The Jiangbei tea region is located north of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, including Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Shandong provinces and areas of northern Anhui, northern Jiangsu, and northern Hubei. The Jiangbei tea region mainly produces green tea.
The average annual temperature in this tea region is 15°C to 16°C. The absolute minimum temperature in winter is generally around -10°C. Annual precipitation is relatively low, at 700 mm to 1000 mm, and unevenly distributed, often causing drought stress to tea plants. However, in a few mountainous areas with favorable microclimates, the quality of tea is not inferior to that of other tea regions.
Jiangnan Tea Region
The Jiangnan tea region is located in the southern part of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China, including Zhejiang, Hunan, Jiangxi provinces and areas of southern Anhui, southern Jiangsu, and southern Hubei. It is the main tea production area in China, with an annual output accounting for about two-thirds of the national total. The main tea categories produced here are green tea, black tea, dark tea, scented tea, and various special famous teas with distinct qualities, such as West Lake Longjing, Huangshan Maofeng, Dongting Biluochun, Junshan Yinzhen, and Lushan Yunwu.
Tea gardens are mainly distributed in hilly areas, with a few in higher altitude mountainous regions. These areas have distinct four seasons, with an average annual temperature of 15°C to 18°C. Winter temperatures are generally around -8°C. Annual precipitation is 1400 mm to 1600 mm, with the most rain in spring and summer, accounting for 60% to 80% of the annual precipitation, while autumn is dry.
Southwest Tea Region
The Southwest tea region is located in southwestern China, including Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan provinces and the southeastern part of Tibet. It is the oldest tea region in China. Tea plant variety resources are abundant, producing black tea, green tea, Tuocha, compressed tea (brick tea), and Pu'er tea, etc.
The Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau is the origin center of the tea plant. The terrain is complex, with significant altitude variations in some areas at the same latitude, leading to large climate differences. Most areas belong to the subtropical monsoon climate, with mild winters and cool summers. Soil conditions are also relatively suitable for tea plant growth.
South China Tea Region
The South China tea region is located in southern China, including Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, Hainan provinces (regions). It is the most suitable area for tea plant growth in China. There are various types of tea plant varieties such as arbor, small arbor, and shrub. Tea resources are extremely rich, producing black tea, oolong tea, scented tea, white tea, and Liubao tea, etc.
Except for a few areas like northern Fujian, northern Guangdong, and northern Guangxi, the average annual temperature is 19°C to 22°C. The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is 7°C to 14°C. The annual growth period of tea plants exceeds 10 months. Annual precipitation is the highest among Chinese tea regions, generally 1200 mm to 2000 mm. Taiwan Province has particularly abundant rainfall, often exceeding 2000 mm annually.
The above is an introduction to the regions in China that are major tea producers. We hope this information is helpful for understanding this topic.