Basic Introduction to Jinsha Tribute Tea
Jinsha Tribute Tea is a specialty of Jinsha County, Bijie City, Guizhou Province. Jinsha County in Bijie City, Guizhou Province, is known as the birthplace of China's tribute tea, with its specialty, the Jinsha Tribute Tea, having a history spanning over two millennia. Growing along the banks of the Chishui River, it boasts a vibrant green color and an inviting aroma, serving as a symbol of friendship between Lady Shuxiang and Emperor Hongwu Zhu Yuanzhang, and thus was decreed as a tribute tea.
The predominant topography of Jinsha County is karst, followed by eroded landscapes. It has a subtropical monsoon climate that is humid and mild, with no severe cold in winter and no scorching heat in summer, a long frost-free period, abundant rainfall, all of which are conducive to tea production.
Jinsha County is the birthplace of Chinese tribute Tea culture in western China, tracing back to the Han Emperor Wu's envoy Tang Meng's mission to Yelang. The county preserves more than 40 ancient tea trees, cultivated by humans for over a thousand years. Jinsha County has been honored with the title “China's Tribute Tea Homeland” by the China Tea Marketing Association.
Product Characteristics
1. Sensory Features:
Resembles a fishhook, green and lustrous with fine down; possesses a strong chestnut fragrance; the infusion is bright yellow-green; the taste is full-bodied, sweet aftertaste; the infused leaves are tender and uniform in green.
2. Quality Indicators:
According to the analysis by the Guizhou Provincial Agricultural Products Quality and Safety Testing Center, Jinsha Tribute Tea is rich in nutrients, including 14-15% tea polyphenols, 2.7-3.0% caffeine, 3.4-3.8 g/100g of theanine, 0.2-0.3 g/100g of glutamic acid, 0.2-0.3 g/100g of tyrosine, and 0.1-0.2 g/100g of arginine, among others.
Historical and Folklore
In the 20th year of Yuanding during the Western Han Dynasty (135 BCE), Tang Meng, a central cavalry general of Han, was commissioned by Emperor Wu of Han to mobilize a thousand soldiers from Ba and Shu, starting from Fuguan at the mouth of the Chishui River and traveling upstream to reach Qingchi in Jinsha, near Gulin, where he stayed.
According to the records of Dading Prefecture: Tang Meng stopped in Qingchi for one day on his mission to Yelang. The local ethnic minorities offered him their freshly processed tea. After tasting the sweet aftertaste of the Qingchi tea, Tang Meng and his army remarked, “I have been traveling from the capital for nearly a year and have not tasted such good tea.” Before leaving, Tang Meng bought ten catties of this tea to present to Emperor Wu of Han. Upon tasting it, Emperor Wu praised it highly, personally naming it “Yelang Tea” and decreeing it as a tribute tea.
During the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1398), Lady Shuxiang, the consolatory chieftain, went to Nanjing to pay homage to Zhu Yuanzhang, presenting him with 23 horses and a large quantity of high-quality Qingchi tea.
During the Qing Dynasty, Jinsha Tribute Tea was sold in various regions.
In 2009, Jinsha County was officially designated as “China's Tribute Tea Homeland” by the China Tea Marketing Association.
In 2014, the regional growth area of Jinsha Tribute Tea covered 1,250 square kilometers; the tea planting area reached 150,000 mu, with a yield of over 100,000 kilograms.
In 2016, Jinsha County had cumulatively established 200,000 mu of tea gardens, achieving standards for non-polluted or organic production. Over 100,000 mu of tea gardens were certified as green or organic.
The development momentum of the Jinsha tea industry has continuously garnered attention and recognition. The “Qingchi Maojian” brand from the Jinsha County Tea Specialized Cooperative won the gold award, while “Qingchi Green Tea” took home the silver. Four brands from Guizhou Tianling Tea Co., Ltd., namely “Tianling Cuipian,” “Tianling Yupa,” “Tianling Maojian,” and “Tianling Daughter Red,” swept three golds and one silver. Jinsha County received the title “China's Tribute Tea Homeland” from the China Tea Marketing Association, the first time it had received such a prestigious honor with the “China” name. This will undoubtedly provide a powerful impetus for further developing Jinsha as a key tea-producing county in the province. Jinsha Qingchi Tribute Tea is participating in the Top Ten Famous Teas of Guizhou competition.
Jinsha County aims to develop 180,000 mu of tea gardens within three years, increasing to 250,000 mu by 2020, with a projected value of the tea industry exceeding 1.5 billion yuan.
Awards and Honors
On November 18, 2014, the former Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China formally approved the implementation of geographical indication protection for “Jinsha Tribute Tea.”