Bearing the essence of mountains and rivers, containing the vital energy of heaven and earth.

Masterfully passed down through generations, Tea for all.

A single leaf falls into water, changing its taste, and thus tea was born.

China is the birthplace of tea and the origin of the world's tea culture. Chinese people were the first to discover and utilize tea in ancient times, and the history of tea drinking exceeds two thousand years. The development and evolution of Chinese tea have witnessed the progress of Chinese civilization, leaving behind many precious tea-making techniques and rich tea-drinking customs. Tea culture has become a fragrant and enduring chapter in traditional Chinese culture.

With “Traditional Chinese Tea Processing Techniques and Associated Social Practices” inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Chinese tea once again stands at the pinnacle of world culture.

The third season of Lively Crafts, exclusively sponsored by Gujing Gong Liquor Age Original Brew Gu 20, focuses its first episode on traditional Chinese tea-making techniques.

Anhui Province has long been a major producer of high-quality teas. In 1955, the China Tea Corporation selected the top ten famous teas in the country, with Huangshan Maofeng, Taiping Houque, Lu'an Guapian, and Qimen Black Tea making the list. In 2025, the crafting techniques for these four Anhui teas were included on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Host Ma Ying follows tea culture expert Professor Ding Yishou, president of the Anhui Tea Culture Research Association and a professor at Anhui Agricultural University, first to the China National Tea Museum. There, Deputy Director Lin Chen introduces the history of Chinese tea.

Ma Ying then travels to Monkey Pit Village in Huangshan City to meet Fang Jifan, a national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor and representative inheritor of the Green Tea-making technique (Taiping Houque). She learns about the unique environment of the Taiping Houque production area and studies the technique for making Taiping Houque.

Taiping Houque is characterized by two leaves embracing a bud, flat and straight, naturally spread out, with hidden white down. Its leaves are dark green and evenly colored, robust and plump, evenly distributed, and it is known for its distinctive feature: “Taiping Houque has pointed ends that neither separate nor curl nor roll at the edges.” When brewed, the tea has a high and refreshing orchid fragrance, a mellow and sweet aftertaste, and a unique “monkey charm.” The tea soup is clear and bright green, and the robust leaves form whole buds. When tasting, one can appreciate: the first infusion has a high aroma, the second is rich in flavor, and the orchid fragrance remains even after the third and fourth infusions.

Taiping Houque was created in 1900 by Wang Kuicheng, a tea farmer from Monkey Pit in Taiping. Inspired by the then-popular “Kuijian Tea,” he carefully selected robust and tender one-bud-two-leaf raw materials, producing “Wang Lao Er Kuijian.” Because of its excellent appearance and high quality, it was considered the leader among peak teas, and was named Houque, with “Hou” from Monkey Pit. It became known as Taiping Houque due to its production in Taiping County.

The fresh leaves used for Taiping Houque come from the Dabai Cha variety, grown around Taiping Lake in the Huangshan District of Anhui Province. The area features deep valleys shrouded in mist, and this unique mountainous environment nurtures the special qualities of Houque tea.

Taiping Houque gardens typically open before the Grain Rain period and close before the Start of Summer, with a harvesting period of only about 15 to 20 days each year. The standard for picking is one bud with three or four leaves, while the selection process involves choosing one bud and two leaves, commonly referred to as “peak heads,” which are the best raw materials for making Taiping Houque. Tea is picked in the morning and selected in the afternoon, then goes through the processes of spreading out, pan-firing, shaping, final shaping, baking, and sorting, all completed on the same day.

Green mountains and clear waters are gold and Silver mountains. A single leaf enriches the people. Thanks to the tea industry, tea farmers in Monkey Pit Village and the surrounding core production areas of Taiping Houque live prosperous and happy lives.

Amidst the beautiful mountains and waters of Taiping Lake, a tea table is set up beside the water. Tea art technician Fang Liyan demonstrates the tea art of brewing Taiping Houque in a bowl for everyone. Wang Chuanyou, president of the Anhui Tea Industry Association, master tea maker Fang Jifan, and the host together savor the beauty of the tea aroma and discuss the path of innovation and preservation for Taiping Houque and other famous Anhui teas.

Generations of tea makers have blended the spirit of plants with tea-making techniques, bringing the freshness of clouds and mists and the enduring charm of mountains and rivers into every cup. This miraculous Eastern leaf tells the story of Chinese tea culture through its fragrant aroma and mellow taste.

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