Basic Introduction to Taihu Emerald Bamboo Tea
Taihu Emerald Bamboo Tea is mainly produced in the mountainous areas of Bashi Town, Xuelang Town's Xiaoyang Forest Farm, Outang Town's July First Forest Farm, Zhangjing Tea and Forest Farm, Chajiao Dongjiao Forest Farm, and Hu Dai Liu Tang Tea Farm in Wuxi City. This region is located in the famous Dou Mountain area, which is said to be the birthplace of Emperor Shun's advocacy for “harmony between heaven and earth, co-prosperity of all things.” It was also an ancient ecological protection area during the Qing Dynasty in the 18th century when “fishing and hunting were banned, and mountain development prohibited.” Here, Mount Dou stands majestically, extending for several miles, with a humid climate and a tranquil environment far from towns and cities. It is a natural ecological reserve in Jiangsu Province, an excellent place for tea production, and the birthplace of the famous “Taihu Emerald Bamboo” tea, possessing ecological advantages.
Product Characteristics
The unique style of this tea has a flat shape resembling bamboo leaves, with a lustrous emerald green color. Its inner quality features a fresh and mellow taste, a clear and lasting fragrance, a clear and bright infusion, and evenly tender green leaves at the bottom of the cup.
The tea has a flat shape like bamboo leaves, a lustrous emerald green color, a fresh and mellow taste, and a high, lasting aroma. The infusion is clear and bright, and the leaves at the bottom of the cup are tender and uniformly green. When brewed in a cup, the tender Green Tea shoots gradually unfurl, resembling bamboo leaves, standing gracefully upright, evoking images of bamboo forests across mountains.
History and Folklore
Taihu Emerald Bamboo Tea was created in the late 1980s, originally handcrafted, and mechanized processing using multifunctional tea machines was introduced in 1994. With adjustments in agricultural structure, the tea plantation area in the Dou Mountain region of Wuxi reached 233.42 square kilometers by 2009. As the industrialization of “Taihu Emerald Bamboo” tea developed, 17 tea farms in the Dou Mountain area established the “Xibei Town Tea Association” and the “Tea Research Institute,” standardizing the production and quality monitoring of “Taihu Emerald Bamboo” tea according to its quality standards and technical operating procedures, thus improving both yield and quality year after year.
The market price of “Taihu Emerald Bamboo” around Qingming Festival Rose from the original 600-800 yuan per 500 grams to 1000-1500 yuan per 500 grams, and it remained in short supply. The economic income of local tea farmers also increased rapidly. By 2009, the town produced more than 300 tons of tea annually, generating revenue of 50 million yuan. Income per mu of tea garden increased from 1000 yuan to around 7000 yuan and provided employment for many surplus laborers in the area.
The development of “Dou Mountain Taihu Emerald Bamboo” brand tea became a path to prosperity for tea farmers in the Dou Mountain area and a significant specialty industry in Xibei Town. Starting in 2003, the local government led the way, with tea farms providing the platform and community participation, hosting the “Wuxi Dou Mountain Taihu Emerald Bamboo Tea Festival” every spring for five consecutive years. This significantly enhanced the brand reputation of “Dou Mountain Taihu Emerald Bamboo” tea, which is exported to Japan, Western Europe, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macao, and other regions, becoming a representative of high-end agriculture in Xishan.
By 2011, the tea garden area in the Dou Mountain region had expanded to over 3500 mu, making it the main production area for Taihu Emerald Bamboo, a renowned local tea in Wuxi. Through their efforts, all local tea gardens passed certification as pollution-free agricultural product bases and were rated as “green food” by national and provincial authorities.
Production Method
Made from the initial unfolding of one bud and one leaf, the tea undergoes processes such as spreading, withering, fixation, shaping, drying, and final frying to enhance aroma, requiring over 30,000 young shoots to produce 500 grams of finished product. The product was initially named “Dou Mountain Green Peak” and “Liangxi Wave Tip,” but was finally named “Taihu Emerald Bamboo” in 1989.
Awards and Honors Received by Taihu Emerald Bamboo Tea
Taihu Emerald Bamboo Tea, a marvel among tea products, has distinguished itself among numerous famous teas.
In the 2002 Jiangsu Province Tenth “Lu Yu Cup” competition, it won first place for eight consecutive sessions.
It topped the “China Cup” competition.
In the Second International Famous Tea competition, it won the gold medal twice.
At the China Agricultural Exposition, it was recognized as a “National Brand Product” twice, becoming another distinctive feature of Wuxi following “Huishan Clay Figurines” and “Wuxi Wheat Gluten.”