The development of ancient Chinese tea-making techniques can be roughly traced through the evolution from sun-dried and steamed loose leaf and powdered teas, to pressed cakes and bricks, then to steamed green teas and pan-fired greens, finally culminating in oolong and black teas. The technique for making oolong tea was likely first formed in the Wuyi Mountains during the late Ming Dynasty.
Wuyi rock tea (Wuyi Rock Tea), a type of oolong tea (Oolong Tea), is now commonly referred to as “Da Hong Pao.” According to records in literary notes, it was around the late Ming and early Qing dynasties that County Magistrate Yin Yingyin of Chongan invited monks from Mount Huang to teach the Songluo tea production method. Based on this, they created the “qingzuo” process, leading to the invention of a new variety of tea. For this reason, the Wuyi Mountains are considered the birthplace of oolong tea. Zhou Lianggong wrote in “Fujian Xiaojì: Fujian Tea Ode,” “The county magistrate of Chongan invited monks from Mount Huang to make Jian tea using the Songluo method, which proved comparable. This year, I received several taels of it and have been very precious with it, often referred to as ‘Wuyi Songluo'… Recently, some have tried the Songluo method, and the color and aroma were also present; after a month, it turned purple-red as usual.” The Songluo method was meticulous and detailed. Wen Long, a native of Siming (now Ningbo), Zhejiang, recorded in “Tea Notes” in 1630:
When tea leaves are first picked, the branches, old leaves must be picked out, only taking the tender leaves, and the tips and stems must also be removed, to prevent them from scorching – this is the Songluo method. When stir-frying, one person must fan it continuously to dispel the heat; otherwise, it will turn yellow, and both the aroma and flavor will be reduced. From my personal experience, fanning keeps it emerald green, while not fanning results in yellowing. After stir-frying, place it in a large ceramic bowl and continue fanning until the heat dissipates slightly. Then, knead it vigorously with your hands before spreading it back into the wok to be stir-fried dry over low heat and dried in an oven. Kneading causes the juices to rise to the surface, making the aroma and flavor more pronounced when steeped.
According to this method, Songluo tea is a finely made pan-fired Green Tea. However, because each stir-frying requires someone to constantly fan it, it is extremely labor-intensive and could not possibly produce the “several hundred thousand catties” described by Xu Huobo in the late Ming Dynasty. Therefore, this method was unlikely to be widely adopted and was more like an elegant way for literati to “play with tea.” Zhou Lianggong describes in “Fujian Tea Ode” that when using the Songluo method to make Wuyi tea, “after a month, it turns purple-red as usual,” which may have been due to using a large pot and piling the tea too thickly after stir-frying, preventing the heat from being dissipated. The core “qingzuo” process of oolong tea is not mentioned here.
The most distinctive feature of oolong tea is its “qingzuo” process, which includes sunning, shaking, stir-frying, and baking, among other steps. Local tea farmers believe that the Wuyi Mountains are located in a hilly region, with high peaks and deep valleys. Thirty-six peaks and ninety-nine cliffs are interspersed throughout, and tea mountains are scattered amidst them, making travel difficult. Furthermore, tea factories are mostly set up at the foot of the mountains, far from the tea mountains. When picking tea, workers must traverse mountain paths, causing the fresh leaves to wilt in the baskets and carrying baskets exposed to sunlight – this is the “dǎoqīng” (withering) phenomenon. As people walk, the tea leaves shake in the baskets, creating the “yáoqīng” (shaking) phenomenon. This removes some of the water content, turning the edges red, rendering these leaves unsuitable for making green tea. However, after stir-frying, kneading, and baking, the tea has a blend of red and green colors and a rich taste, making it popular among drinkers. Upon discovering this market preference, locals began intentionally withering, air-Drying, performing qingzuo, stir-frying, kneading, and baking, gradually forming the oolong tea production process.
In local Wuyi Mountain folklore, the production process of oolong tea is described as an “invention” of the local tea deity, Yang Taibo, with the discovery of the qingzuo process being similar to the content deduced by local tea farmers. Legend has it that Yang Taibo unintentionally caused the “yáoqīng” and “dǎoqīng” phenomena while carrying tea along mountain roads. Through practice and exploration, he invented a series of processes including drying, shaking, stir-frying, baking, and sorting.
The earliest written record of the production process of Wuyi rock tea appears in Qing dynasty Wang Fuli's “Tea Talk,” describing “simultaneous stir-frying and baking, when brewed, half green and half red” and “after picking tea, spread it out, shake it, once the aroma develops, stir-fry it… immediately bake after stir-frying, then pick out the old leaves and stems, ensuring uniformity.” These descriptions align closely with the current rock tea production process.
Based on the records of the invention of the rock tea production technique, the narrators can be roughly divided into two groups: one group consists of officials, monks, and literati, who are named and appear specifically in historical documents about tea production, such as County Magistrate Yin Yingyin of Chongan, the monks from Mount Huang, Zhou Lianggong, and Wen Long. The other group comprises anonymous “tea farmers” from the lower strata of society, who share the collective identity of “local tea farmers.” The former represents a small elite, while the latter is an anonymous mass. The former held cultural and writing power in traditional society, with their knowledge passed down through texts. In contrast, the latter was illiterate, with their “skills” typically passed down orally and through demonstration. Regarding the impact on tea-making techniques, although the literati also personally “made tea,” the quantities were very small, and they meticulously documented and summarized the process, similar to scientific experiments and theoretical summaries in the Western process of “technological” invention. Additionally, the involvement of literati in “making tea” was based on “tasting tea” and “playing with tea.” Chinese Tea culture, at least since the Tang Dynasty, had formed a complete system for picking, making, brewing, and Drinking Tea, with strict rules. Taking brewing as an example, a specialized set of tools was required, including stoves, kettles, grinders, cups, and bowls. This complex tea-drinking ritual could only be promoted among the upper classes of society. For example, during the Song Dynasty, the trend of “tea fighting” became popular among literati. To achieve better taste when drinking tea, the educated elite would try to improve tea-making techniques, so their improvements usually had clear intentions and purposefulness. Conversely, the majority of tea farmers viewed “making tea” as a livelihood, and the process was arduous, with little opportunity to drink good tea. Before the Republic of China period, the “tea water” consumed by tea workers in Wuyi Mountain was mostly made from twigs and broken leaves sorted from raw tea. However, as the actual operators in the Tea processing process, tea workers often inadvertently and accidentally “invented” new processing methods, thus contributing to the improvement of technology, as explained in the previous passage regarding the invention of the qingzuo technique by locals in Wuyi Mountain.
From the perspective of the invention of the rock tea production technique, technical dissemination between elites and the masses was not isolated. Visits to mountain tea farmers are frequently mentioned in literary notes. Once written down, knowledge often gains a sense of sanctity, and the “techniques” recorded by literati are often regarded as references and standards by tea farmers when processing tea. Thus, written texts (writing text) and oral knowledge (oral knowledge) influence each other. As Francesca Bray points out, officially supported agricultural science combines with local farmer knowledge. Landlords and literati obtain special local knowledge from elderly farmers and transform and create agricultural works for local use. When considering “traditional handicrafts” within intangible cultural heritage,