Dahongpao is a type of Wuyi Rock Tea, named after many legends.

Production Environment

The mother plant of Dahongpao on Wuyi Mountain

The ‘Dahongpao’ tea tree grows on the high rocky cliffs of Jiulongke in Wuyi Mountain, where the stone inscription ‘Dahongpao’ made by the monk of Tianxin Temple in 1927 is still preserved.

The growing environment of the mother plant of ‘Big Red Robe’ is unique, with water flowing down from the top of the rock all year round, bringing with it the nutrients accumulated on the top of the rock, forming the right irrigation. In addition, because the mother plant is located in a rocky location, the sunshine time is short, can block the fierce sunlight at noon, but will reflect the sun's rays to the mother plant, so the mother plant's growing environment is other neighboring rock tea tea trees lack. Because of this special growing environment and plant, the Dahongpao mother plant is extremely valuable. The Wuyi City government has taken out an insurance policy with the People's Insurance Company of China (PIC) to insure the existing six Dahongpao mother plants with a product liability insurance of 100 million RMB [1].

The number of ‘Dahongpao’ mother trees is very small, there are six existing trees, all of which are shrubs with thick leaves. The leaves are thick. Each year, the tea is harvested in limited quantities, depending on rainfall, production, and other factors. Even in the best years, the tea production is only a few hundred grams. After Wuyishan City Tea Research Institute of tea cultivation experts for many years of cultivation, in 1982 there is cuttings propagation success of the Dahongpao varieties launched in 1988, according to the tea review experts identified the quality of the flavor has reached the original mother tree flavor, to achieve the cuttings of the mass production of strains. 2006, Wuyishan Municipal Government began to carry out the mother tree of the Dahongpao ‘stopping picking to stay in foster’. ‘The origin of Dahongpao

Origin of Dahongpao

The Yuan Dynasty Imperial Tea Plantation in Wuyishan

There are two theories about the origin of the name Dahongpao:

The name ‘Dahongpao’ comes from the purplish-red color of the tree's buds during the Qingming Festival. As monkeys are more interested in the red buds than the green leaves, they were able to collect the leaves of the Dahongpao appropriately.

Another story originates from a folk tale. Legend has it that in ancient times, a poor scholar went to the capital to take the examination, and when he passed by Wuyi Mountain, he fell sick on the road, fortunately, the old abbot of Tianxin Temple saw him and brewed a bowl of tea for him to drink, and he recovered from his illness. Xiucai farewell, the old abbot presented a small packet of tea and told Xiucai to keep it well, there would be a use for it in the future. Later on, Xiu Cai won the gold medal and was recruited as the emperor's son-in-law. One day, the Empress got a strange disease of abdominal pain, Xiu Cai remembered the tea given by the old abbot. The Empress quickly recovered after taking the soup made from the tea leaves. The emperor was delighted and ordered the scholar to go to Wuyi Mountain to thank him for his kindness. Accompanied by the old abbot, the front and back, to the nine dragons areole, but see the cliffs growing three tall tea trees, branches and leaves, spitting a cluster of shoots, in the sunlight flashing purplish-red luster, is very lovely. The old abbot said, last year you committed bulging disease, to use this tea leaves tea cure. Scholar ordered a woodcutter to climb halfway up the mountainside, the Emperor's gift of the Big Red Robe draped over the tea tree, as a sign of imperial favor. Waiting to lift the big red robe, three tea tree buds and leaves in the sunlight flashed red, the people said this is the big red robe dyed red. Later, people called these three tea trees ‘Big Red Robe’.

In the 1930s, Chong'an County Commissioner Wu Shixian in the Big Red Robe mother plant was born on the stone wall engraved with ‘Big Red Robe’ three big words. Since then, Dahongpao has become the best quality of Wuyi Rock Tea. Wuyi Rock Tea is produced in Wuyi Mountain, Fujian Province. Wuyi Mountain is located in the southeast of Fujian Chong'an, 60 kilometers in circumference, there are 36 peaks, 99 rock, rock, rock tea, tea to rock name, rock to tea show, so the name rock tea. Wuyi tea production has a long history, the Tang Dynasty has been planted tea, the Song Dynasty as a royal tribute, the Yuan Dynasty in Wuyi Mountain Nine Curved Stream of the four curved banks set up the Royal Tea Garden and Tong Xian wells dedicated to the collection of tribute tea, the late Ming and early Qing Dynasty created the oolong tea; Wuyi Mountain planted tea, a wide range of varieties of tea, there is the Big Red Robe, Tie Luohan, White Cockleshell, water and the Golden Turtle and so on the ‘four fir,’ in addition to In addition, there are also tea trees named after the growing environment, such as not see the sky, golden spoon, etc.; named after the shape of the tea tree, such as drunken begonias, drunken Dongbin, fishing turtle, phoenix-tailed grass, jade unicorn, a branch of incense, etc.; named after the shape of the tea tree, such as melaleuca gold, money, bamboo, golden willow, inverted leaf willow, etc.; named after the germination of the tea tree early or late, such as the spring willow, spring, etc.; to become a tea named after the type of incense, such as cinnamon, stone milk, white musk and so on.

Harvesting Technology

Wuyi Rock Tea (Dahongpao) Production Technology

The picking technique of ‘Dahongpao’ tea is similar to that of other rock teas, only more delicate. Every spring, 3-4 leaves are picked, and the tea is made through sun-drying, drying, greening, stir-frying, initial kneading, re-stir-frying, re-stir-frying, water-roasting, picking, cooling, picking, re-stir-frying, re-stir-frying, and fire-fixing.

Quality Characteristics

‘Dahongpao’ is tightly knotted in shape, greenish-brown in color, and bright orange-yellow soup after brewing, with red and green leaves, typical leaves have the beauty of green leaves with red edges. The most outstanding quality of Dahongpao is the aroma of rich orchid fragrance, high and persistent fragrance, and ‘rock rhyme’. Dahongpao is very resistant to brewing, brewing seven or eight times still has a fragrance. To drink ‘Dahongpao’ tea, you must follow the program of ‘Gongfu Tea’, which is to sip the tea in small pots and cups, to really taste the top of the rock tea.