When a leaf fell into water
it changed the taste of the water
and thus Tea was born.
And so, “leaf” became “gold.”
The story of Yiwu's Tea culture begins here.
Mentioning Yiwu tea,
one cannot help but bring up
the most distinctive villages here,
the “Seven Villages and Eight Hamlets.”
Though these villages are geographically distinct,
their teas have different flavors,
yet they all boast extensive tea gardens
and are relatively prosperous in socio-economic and cultural development.
Let's explore them together.
Seven Villages
Yibi Village
Located southwest of the town government, Yibi Village once had a grand temple. The village's tea is known for its tight twists, dark luster, uniformity, clear golden-yellow infusion, authentic flavor, strong qi, sweet aftertaste, and a lingering Honey fragrance. Its aroma is long-lasting, and the leaves are very durable when steeped.
Sanhe She Village
Sanhe She is an Yi village, with well-preserved vegetation around its tea gardens and a river separating it from Mahēi's ancient tea garden. The tea produced here has broad, thick leaves of dark green color, complete twists, clear Orange-yellow infusion, high aroma, sweet aftertaste, and a lasting freshness. Its flavor is gentle.
Manxiu Village
Three kilometers away from the town government, Manxiu Village lies on the route between Mahēi Village and Guafengzhai. Once home to a temple, now replaced by a community activity center, Manxiu still practices traditional tea-making techniques. The tea here features tight twists, completeness, gray-brown color with silvery tips, slightly golden infusion, high aroma, sweet aftertaste, and lasting freshness. It is truly unforgettable.
Luoshuidong Village
Adjacent to Mahēi Village, Luoshuidong's terrain is unique, surrounded by mountains with a well at its center for drinking water. The ancient tea horse trail runs through the village, and the site where the first batch of Communist Party members in Zhenyue County took their oath is located here. The tea here is of exceptional quality, processed authentically, with tight twists, uniformity, luster, and a dark, shiny appearance. Its infusion is clear golden-yellow, with a sweet and smooth mouthfeel, prominent honey aroma, profound character, and endless aftertaste, making it hard to put down.
Mahēi Village
Mahēi Village is the most concentrated area of ancient tea trees, with the largest tea gardens and highest yield. Surrounded by tea gardens and forests, the natural scenery is superb. With 3,400 mu of ancient tea gardens and an annual production of 48 tons, the tea from Mahēi Village has broad, dark green leaves, tight twists, uniformity, and a superlative black luster. Its aroma stands out, the qi is strong, and the infusion is clear and bright, with a long-lasting durability.
Gaoshan Village
Gaoshan Village is a pure Yi village, preserving authentic language, attire, and customs. Across a ravine from Manxiu Village, Gaoshan still retains many ancient tea gardens with tall trees that require scaffolding to pick. The tea here has tight twists, good integrity, clear golden-yellow infusion, intense honey aroma, long-lasting flavor, persistent sweet aftertaste, and a lingering fragrance in the cup.
Zhangjiawan Village
Before the War of Resistance Against Japan, most merchants from the northern villages of the ancient six tea mountains traveling to Lai Zhou, Vietnam, would pass through Zhangjiawan Village. Here, the tea has twists that are moderately tight or loose, uniform with silvery tips, and a Silver-white color. Its infusion is golden, with a harmonious flavor and high aroma, and tender leaves at the bottom.
Eight Hamlets
Luo De Hamlet
A remote hamlet, Luo De boasts superior natural environment. Before the Xianfeng era, Luo De's old hamlet's tea garden extended eastward to Man Nai and westward to Mang Gong, both under the jurisdiction of the Luo De chieftain. The tea here has tight, lustrous twists, visible silvery tips, and a proper aroma. Its infusion is clear golden-yellow, with a harmonious flavor, sweet aftertaste, and lasting freshness. The bottom of the cup carries a strong honey fragrance, and the leaves are thick and soft.
Xinzhai Hamlet
One of the oldest minority hamlets in Yiwu, the inhabitants call themselves “Ben.” Tea is essential to their lives, and no feast is complete without it. Their love and passion for tea are indescribable, and they sing tea songs while picking and working. This hamlet still maintains traditional handcrafted tea-making techniques, using tea from ancient tea mountains and gardens. The tea here has uniform twists, clear orange-yellow infusion, pure aroma, strong qi, sweet aftertaste, and lasting freshness. The annual “New Rice Eating” event is also a highlight of Xinzhai.
Jiumiao Hamlet
Originally a bustling street shared by multiple ethnic groups, with a Han Guandi Temple and a Hui mosque, Jiumiao, Xinzhai, and Laojie were once united. Due to ethnic conflicts, the Han moved the Guandi Temple from Laojie to “Jiumiao,” using old materials to rebuild it, hence the name “Old Temple.” Located three kilometers from Xinzhai, Jiumiao shares the same ethnicity, neighboring tea gardens, tea culture, and processing techniques, creating a unique flavor and style. The tea here has uniform twists, clear orange-yellow infusion, harmonious flavor, pure aroma, and persistent sweetness and aftertaste.
Dazhai Hamlet
A hamlet surrounded by tea gardens, Dazhai once had a Guandi Temple built during the Daoguang period, which was rebuilt in the eleventh year of Guangxu (1885). Though the temple no longer exists, its foundation remains intact. Built tightly and solidly, the stones fit together without any lime, a rare sight. By the early Guangxu period, Dazhai had over 200 households,