Fujian Province has a long history of tea cultivation and production, dating back over 1,000 years. The province is known for producing a wide range of tea varieties, including white tea, black tea, oolong tea, and scented tea. Some of the most famous teas from Fujian Province include Tie Guan Yin, Da Hong Pao, Bai Hao Yin Zhen, and Lapsang Souchong.

The tea-growing regions of Fujian Province are located mainly in the southeastern part of the province, in areas with a mild climate and fertile soil. The province's mountainous terrain, combined with its subtropical climate, provides ideal growing conditions for tea plants. Tea is grown on terraced hillsides, with some tea gardens located at elevations of up to 1,000 meters above sea level.

Fujian Province's tea industry is known for its traditional processing methods, which have been handed down through generations of tea makers. These methods involve withering, rolling, fermentation, and firing, and they are used to produce teas with unique flavors, aromas, and appearances.

History

In the early years of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (AD 1796), "Bai Hao Yin Zhen" Silver Needles White Tea was successfully cultivated from (菜茶) Cai Cha variety (tea plant developed directly from seeds) in Fuding. "Bai Hao Yin Zhen" Silver Needles White Tea was exported as early as 1891, and reached its peak from 1912 and 1916.

The silver needle white tea (bai hao yin zhen) garden in fuding

Two main producing areas of "Bai Hao Yin Zhen" Silver Needles White Tea:

1.East Fujian producing area- Ningde City and Fuding City, Fujian Province

Fuding city is surrounded by mountains and seas (surrounded by mountains on three sides and the East China Sea on one side), which is influenced by the subtropical monsoon climate and has abundant rainfall. The altitude here is 500-800 meters, the annual average temperature is 18.5℃, the annual average rainfall is 1669.5 mm, and the soil is mainly red and yellow soil. These conditions are very conducive to the growth of white tea. Therefore, fuding city has the title of "Hometown of White Tea".

2.Northern Fujian producing area - Zhenghe County, Songxi County and Jianyang City, Nanping City, Fujian Province

The tea buds of "Bai Hao Yin Zhen" Silver Needles White Tea were collected from Fuding Dabai Tea and Zhenghe Dabai Tea. The tea buds of these two kinds of tea plants are fat and long, several times larger than those of Cai Cha plants. Zhenghe Dabai Cha and Fuding Dabai Cha are clonal varieties with more hairy buds and leaves (different from the varieties directly developed from seeds). They are propagated by layering or cutting, and their properties are stable. "Bai Hao Yin Zhen" silver needle white tea can be divided into two categories: Beilu Yinzhen and Nanlu Yinzhen needle based on different producing areas and tea varieties.

Tea plant

North Road Yinzhen: It is produced in Taimu Mountain, fuding city. The tea production in Taimu Mountain has a long history. The variety of tea is Fuding Dabai Tea (also known as Fuding Bai Hao).

South Road silver needle: Produced in Zhenghe County, Songxi County, Jianyang City and originated in Tieshan Gaolun mountain, Tieshan Town, Zhenghe County, was bred in the 19th century.

"Bai Hao Yin Zhen" Silver Needles White Tea is the representative of white tea. It takes about 20,000-40,000 buds to make a Jin (500g) of Bai Hao Silver Needle tea.The silvery, downy tips are the secret of "Pekoe aroma" of white tea.The tea buds for making this tea are fat and have quite a lot of downy tips.Hight quality "Bai Hao Yin Zhen" Silver Needles White Tea with significant Pekoe aroma are usually made with good fresh tea buds covered with dense white hairs. In general, the buds of "DaBai" variety such as Fuding DaBai, Fuding DaHao and Zhenghe DaBai are suitable  to make Baihao "Bai Hao Yin Zhen" Silver Needles White Tea tea.

To make "Bai Hao Yin Zhen" Silver Needles White Tea,only tender tea shoots are allowed to picked. Generally speaking, the best "Bai Hao Yin Zhen" Silver Needles White Tea is picked and made in the spring.

How to make 

Spring tea picked in the first round in spring (when the first batch of new buds "flush" in a year) has the best quality, because the terminal buds are plump, hairy and nutritious at this time. After three or four rounds, most of them were lateral buds, and the buds were relatively small. In summer and autumn, the buds are thinner and smaller, so it is not suitable for making Silver Needles White Tea. Different from green tea, the ideal time and weather for picking white tea is on a sunny morning, when the sunshine is high enough to dry the residual water on the tea sprouts.

The collected tea buds should be sent back to the factory in time for processing. "Bai Hao Yin Zhen" Silver Needle White Tea needs to be processed with a unique manufacturing method.There is no stir-frying or kneading, only withering and baking, so that the tea buds change naturally and slowly, forming a special quality profile of white tea.

Dried tea leaves of silver needle white tea (bai hao yin zhen)

The specific method is as follows: spread the picked tender tea buds thinly on the perforated bamboo sieve, spread and wither them in the weak sunlight until they are 70% or 80% dry, and then move them to the burning sun until they are dry enough.

Another simple way is to let fresh leaves directly exposed under the sun until they are 80% - 90% dry and then dry them with slow fire.

The general production process is as follows: spreading the picked tender tea buds thinly on the perforated bamboo screen, putting them in the weak sunlight until they are 70% to 80% dry, and then move them to the scorching sun to be dry enough.

Another simple method is to expose fresh leaves to the sun directly until they are 80% to 90% dry, and then dry them with slow fire.

During withering and drying, it needs to be adjusted according to the degree of water loss of tea buds. Although the process is simple, it is not easy to grasp it correctly. It takes a lot of experience and skill to make "Bai Hao Yin Zhen" Silver Needles White Tea tea.

The Core Production Areas Of White Tea In China