A. Qimen Gongfu

Qimen Gongfu black tea is a treasure among China's traditional Gongfu black teas, with over a hundred years of production history. It is mainly produced in Qimen County, Anhui Province, with small quantities also coming from neighboring counties such as Shitai, Dongzhi, Yixian, and Guichi. The annual output is around 50,000 dan. Qimen Gongfu is famous for its slender and elegant appearance, 'precious luster' color, and rich aroma, enjoying high repute both domestically and internationally.

Qimen Gongfu tea strips are tight and elegant with good tips, exhibiting a black color with a grayish gloss, commonly known as 'precious luster.' The intrinsic quality features a rich, high, and long-lasting aroma reminiscent of honey sugar, also hinting at orchid fragrance. The liquor is bright red, the taste mellow and thick with a lingering aftertaste, and the infused leaves are tender, soft, bright red. The exceptional quality of Qimen black tea earns it the title 'the best among all fragrances,' which is inseparable from the superior natural ecological conditions of the Qimen region. About 65% of the county's tea gardens are located in areas with fertile soil, high humus content, significant daily temperature variations, frequent cloud and mist cover, and relatively short sunlight exposure, creating a natural paradise for tea tree growth and contributing to the special aromatic richness of 'Qimen Hong.'

B. Dianhong Gongfu

Dianhong Gongfu tea, belonging to the large-leaf type of Gongfu tea, is mainly produced in Lincang, Baoshan, and other areas of Yunnan. It is a rising star among China's Gongfu black teas, renowned for its unique quality characterized by plump, tight leaves with prominent golden pekoe, high aroma, and strong flavor. Dianhong Gongfu has tightly curled, robust, and bold strips, with a dark, moist dry leaf color and very apparent golden pekoe. The liquor is bright and radiant, the aroma fresh, rich, high, and long-lasting, the taste strong, fresh, and brisk with a stimulating character. The infused leaves are evenly red, tender, and bright, possessing a distinctive style within China and being a widely welcomed Gongfu black tea worldwide.

The quality of Dianhong Gongfu varies seasonally depending on the plucking period, generally with spring tea being better than summer and autumn tea. Spring tea has plump, heavy strips with good purity and tender, even infused leaves. Summer tea, during the rainy season, grows quickly with long internodes; although pekoe is apparent, purity is lower, and the infused leaves appear somewhat hard and mixed. Autumn tea, during the dry and cool season, has weaker metabolic growth in tea plants, resulting in lighter body, lower purity, and tenderness inferior to spring and summer teas. The prominent pekoe is one of the quality features of Dianhong Gongfu. Its pekoe color can be classified into light yellow, chrysanthemum yellow, golden yellow, etc. Gongfu tea from Fengqing, Yunxian, Changning, and other areas often has chrysanthemum-yellow pekoe, while that from Menghai, Shuangjiang, Lincang, Puwen, and other areas tends to have golden-yellow pekoe. From the same garden, spring tea generally has lighter pekoe, mostly light yellow; summer tea pekoe is mostly chrysanthemum yellow; only autumn tea often shows a golden yellow.

Dianhong Gongfu has an intrinsically rich aroma and strong flavor. The aroma is particularly good from tea areas in western Yunnan like Yunxian, Fengqing, and Changning, especially some Gongfu teas from Yunxian, which have a high, long aroma with floral notes. Gongfu tea from southern Yunnan tea areas has a strong, stimulating taste, while that from western Yunnan tea areas has a mellow, thick taste with slightly less stimulation but a fresh and brisk aftertaste.

C. Minhong Gongfu

Minhong Gongfu tea refers collectively to Zhenghe Gongfu, Tanyang Gongfu, and Bailin Gongfu, all specialties of Fujian. These three Gongfu teas differ in origin, variety, and quality style, but each has its own consumer enthusiasts, flourishing for a century without decline.

D. Zhenghe Gongfu

Zhenghe Gongfu is divided into two types by variety: 'Da Cha' (large tea) and 'Xiao Cha' (small tea). Da Cha is made from Zhenghe Large White Tea and is the top grade among the three major Minhong Gongfu teas. Its appearance features tight, plump strips with abundant pekoe, a dark, moist color. The liquor is thick and red, the aroma high, fresh, and sweet, the taste strong and thick, and the infused leaves plump and reddish. Xiao Cha is made from small-leaf varieties; the strips are fine and tight, the aroma similar to Qihong but less persistent, the liquor slightly lighter, the taste mellow and harmonious, and the infused leaves evenly red. Zhenghe Gongfu uses Da Cha as the main body, highlighting its advantages of abundant pekoe and strong flavor, while appropriately blending with high-aroma Xiao Cha. Therefore, high-grade Zhenghe Gongfu is particularly well-proportioned, with pekoe tips apparent and excellent aroma and taste. Upon its inception over a century ago, Zhenghe Gongfu immediately gained fame. By the mid-19th century, its output reached over 10,000 dan. Later, damaged by war and neglected gardens, annual production was only 900+ dan by 1949. Subsequently, efforts to restore its traditional quality style increased both output and quality. After the 1960s, due to a shift to green tea production, only a small amount was maintained, with an annual output of about 800 dan.

E. Tanyang Gongfu

Tanyang Gongfu is widely distributed, mainly produced in Fu'an, Zherong, Shouning, Zhouning, Xiapu, and the northern part of Pingnan, etc.

Tanyang Gongfu has a slender, even appearance with white pekoe, a dark, glossy black color. The intrinsic aroma is fresh, clean, sweet, and harmonious, the liquor bright red with a golden-yellow hue, and the infused leaves smooth and evenly red.

Tanyang Gongfu originated from Tanyang Village at the foot of Baiyun Mountain in Fu'an. Legend has it that during the Xianfeng and Tongzhi reigns of the Qing Dynasty (1851-1874), a villager named Hu Fusi (also known Hu Jinsi) successfully trial-produced black tea, which was shipped to Western Europe via Guangzhou and well-received. Subsequently, tea merchants flocked to the mountains seeking supply, setting up foreign firms one after another. Tea from surrounding counties gradually gathered in Tanyang, and the fame of Tanyang Gongfu spread swiftly. For over 50 years from the 6th year of Guangxu to the 25th year of the Republic of China (1881-1936), Tanyang Gongfu exported over 10,000 dan annually, including over 30,000 dan in 1898. Tanyang Street stretched one kilometer with 36 tea firms employing over 3,000 workers and producing over 20,000 dan. The sourcing range extended from Xincun in Zhenghe County to Chiling in Xiapu County, covering hundreds of miles across seven or eight counties, making it the main black tea production area in Fu'an. It was sold to over twenty countries and regions including the Netherlands, England, Japan, and Southeast Asia, earning over a million silver dollars in foreign exchange annually. A folk rhyme at the time said: 'The nation prospers greatly, tea exchanges for gold; ships moor at Longfeng Bridge, silver measured by the dou.' In 1915, Tanyang Gongfu and the national liquor 'Moutai' jointly won the gold medal at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Later, the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan obstructed sales, and production suffered severe damage, sharply reducing Tanyang Gongfu output. In the mid-1950s, to restore and improve the output and quality of Tanyang Gongfu black tea, state-owned Tanyang and Shuimen black tea primary processing factories and Fu'an Tea Factory were established, implementing mechanized tea processing. Excellent tea tree varieties such as Fuding Large White Tea, Fu'an Large White Tea, and Fuyun were introduced and propagated. By 1960, output increased to 50,000 dan, a historical high. Later, due to changes in tea category layout, shifting from 'black' to 'green' tea, Tanyang Gongfu became scarce. In recent years, through efforts by relevant departments, Tanyang Gongfu has recovered and developed somewhat, with output reaching over 8,000 dan in 1988.

F. Bailin Gongfu

Bailin Gongfu is produced in the Bailin and Hulin areas of Taimu Mountain, Fuding County. Taimu Mountain is located in northeastern Fujian, bordering Zhejiang, with high terrain, layered green mountains, and competing rock valleys. Tea trees are often planted among cliffs and forests. The tea trees have deep roots and lush leaves, with snow-white, crystal-clear buds. In the 1850s, Fujian and Guangdong tea merchants operated and processed Gongfu tea in Fuding, extensively collecting red strip tea from Bailin, Cuijiao, Panxi, Huanggang, Hulin, and Pingyang and Taishun in Zhejiang, concentrating processing in Bailin, thus giving birth to Bailin Gongfu. In the early 20th century, the 'Hemao Zhi' tea firm in Fuding fully utilized the characteristics of Fuding Large White Tea, carefully selecting tender buds and leaves to make Gongfu tea. The appearance had tight, slender strips containing大量橙黄白毫 (a large amount of orange-yellow pekoe), with a fresh, pleasant pekoe aroma, bright red liquor and infused leaves. It was named 'Juhong' (orange red), meaning orange-red Gongfu, with a unique style that was very popular in the international market.

Bailin Gongfu tea is a small-leaf black tea. The locally planted small-leaf群体种 (population variety) has the characteristics of abundant fuzz, early budding, and high yield. General Bailin Gongfu has long, thin, curved strips, with pekoe often appearing as granular pompoms, a yellow-black color. The liquor is light and bright, the aroma fresh, pure with a pekoe scent, the taste fresh, clean, sweet, and harmonious, and the infused leaves fresh red with a yellowish tinge.

The main varieties of Chinese black tea include: Qihong—produced in Qimen, Zhide, Anhui, and Fuliang, Jiangxi, etc.; Dianhong—produced in Menghai, Shunning, Yunnan, etc.; Huohong—produced in Lu'an, Huoshan, Anhui, etc.; Suhong—produced in Yixing, Jiangsu; Yuehong—produced in Anhua, Xinhua, Taoyuan, Hunan, etc.; Chuanhong—produced in Yibin, Gaoxian, Sichuan, etc.; Wuhong—produced in Yingde, Guangdong, etc. Among these, Qimen black tea is the most famous.

There are many varieties of black tea worldwide, with extensive origins. Besides China, India and Sri Lanka also produce similar broken black tea. Gongfu black tea is a unique Chinese black tea variety and a traditional export commodity. The world's four major famous black teas are: Qimen black tea, Assam black tea, Darjeeling black tea, and Ceylon highland black tea.

Yingde black tea is produced in Yingde City, Guangdong, belonging to the small-leaf type black tea. The tea color is dark black and snow-bright, covered with golden pekoe. After brewing, the liquor is exceptionally bright red, the taste mellow, fresh, and清爽 (refreshing), with an endless aftertaste. Yingde black tea is produced in the Yingshan area of Yingde City, Guangdong, which was a black tea production area as early as the first half of the 19th century.

Ninghong Gongfu is produced in the Wuning area of Jiangxi. It is one of China's earliest Gongfu black teas. Plucked around Qingming Festival, the standard is one bud, one leaf. The tea has tight, round, straight strips, a dark, slightly reddish, glossy color. The intrinsic aroma is high and persistent, similar to Qihong, the taste mellow, thick, sweet, and harmonious, the liquor bright red. 'Ninghong Jinhao' is the best among Ninghong Gongfu teas.

Huhong Gongfu has tight, plump strips, a high, long aroma, a mellow, thick taste, and a relatively strong liquor color. Huhong Gongfu is produced in Anhua, Xinhua, Taoyuan, Hunan, etc., with Anhua Gongfu being the best.

Yuehong Gongfu tea has tight, thin, straight strips, a dark, moist color, and elegant appearance. The intrinsic aroma is high and pure, the liquor light red, the infused leaves slightly dark. After brewing, the aroma is pure, the taste strong and mellow, the liquor bright red, and the infused leaves slightly dark.