Good Teas from Great Mountains --- Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe) Tea from Mt.WuYi

Mt. WuYi stands in the territory of wuyishan City of FuJian Province. With beautiful landscape, it is a famous tourist resort. The well-known WuYi JiuQu stream flows through the mountain. In fact, the WuYi Rock Tea has played an important role in putting Mt.WuYi on the map.

Mt.WuYi has precipitous cliffs, deep pits, and huge valleys. The ancient people planted tea trees in the rock pits, crevices, and cracks by building embankment with rocks. Year in year out, Mt.Wuyi has ended up with rocks in every corner and tea trees amidst all rocks. People call the oolong tea produced in Mt.Wuyi the WuYi Rock Tea. According to the place of origin,variey of the tea tree, the WuYi Rock Tea can be divided into four kinds: QiZhong (rare strain), DanCong QiZhong(single-clump rare strain), MingCong QiZhong (Famous Clump Rare Strain), and MingZhong(Famous Strain). QiZhong is none but the Vegetable Tea as called by the locals, because it is as plain as the ordinary vegetable. DanCong QiZhong is developed from the Vegetable Tea and then given various names. Mingcong QiZhong is the best of Dancong QiZhong. There are top four famous MingCongs: DaHongPao (Big Red Robe),ShuiJinGui (Water Golden Turtle), BaiJiGuan (White Comb), and TieLuoHan (Iron Arhat).The WuYi Rock Tea is well-known at home and abroad, which has much to do with large number of MingCongs, the kinds of rock tea. Among the top 4 MingCongs, DaHongPao is the best and it is called the king of kings of the WuYi Rock Teas.

There are only 6 dahongpao tea trees. They grow on the rock wall of JiuLongKe (Nine-dragon Den), TianXin (Sky Heart) Rock, Mt.WuYi. The site enjoys little sunshine and is subject to large temperature difference each day. A small spring flows through the rock wall all the year round and provides water to the tea trees, offering rich nutrition to them. Such ideal natural conditions contribute to the high quality of the dahongpao tea. Dahongpao has been made for 300 years. It was so highly valued in the ancient times that only the master tea makers were chosen to pick and make the tea. In the process, the master tea makers burnt incense, set up an altar to offer sacrifice and chant classics, and only used the utensils dedicated to the making of the DahongPao Tea.

DaHongPao has a unique quality. The finished tea is seen as tight and greenish brown strips. The orange tea soup sends forth strong aroma, like the lasting fragrance of sweet-scented osmanthus. Such taste is speculiar to DaHongpao. The oolong tea can last 3 to 4 rounds of brewing. The MingCong can lost 5 to 6 rounds. The high-quality one still has aroma even after 7 rounds of brewing. DaHongPao, however, can last 8 to 9 rounds of brewing and still keep its frangrance. It is indeed the King of Teas.