Unique Geographic Landscape
The birthplace of Zhengshan XiaoZhong black Tea, Tongmu Village in Xingcun Town, Wuyishan City (formerly Chongan County), is located within the Fujian Wuyi Mountain National Nature Reserve. The reserve lies between 27°33'N and 27°54'N latitude and 117°27'E and 117°51'E longitude, spanning 22 kilometers from southeast to northwest and 52 kilometers from north to south, covering a total area of 565 square kilometers.
Compared with other regions at the same latitude, Wuyi Mountain is situated in a humid Forest zone, which offers unique natural environmental conditions. Its location on the edge of the world's largest continent and two major oceans means that it experiences strong northeast and east winds in winter, and warm and humid southeast and southwest winds in summer, along with frequent typhoons during summer and autumn, providing abundant rainfall. This region has the lowest temperatures, highest rainfall, highest relative humidity, and most fog days in Fujian Province. Under the climatic conditions of hot and rainy summers and wet and cold winters, a unique geographic landscape has formed around Wuyi Mountain.
A World-Renowned Treasure Trove of Biodiversity
Tongmu Village is located in the northern part of the Wuyi Mountain Range, within the Wuyi Mountain National Nature Reserve. Here, vegetation development is the best, with a forest coverage rate as high as 96.3%, and well-preserved subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests can be found.
According to surveys and statistics, there are mainly 11 types of vegetation within the reserve, including subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests, conifer-broad-leaved transitional forests, mixed evergreen-deciduous broad-leaved forests, coniferous forests, subalpine stunted forests, subalpine meadows, bamboo forests, and others. There are 1,378 species of vascular plants belonging to 687 genera across 196 families, including 26 rare, endangered, or vulnerable plant species listed in the “Red Book of Chinese Plants” with high scientific and economic value, as well as 19 species of nationally protected wild plants from 23 genera across 19 families. The reserve is home to 655 species of vertebrates from 396 genera across 143 families and 36 orders, including 430 bird species from 237 genera across 77 families and 20 orders, making it one of the richest areas in the world for avian biodiversity. There are numerous insect species, with 31 orders present out of the 33 recognized orders in China (there are 34 recognized orders worldwide), and over 4,000 named insect species. Among the more than 5,000 animal species, 57 are nationally protected rare wildlife species. This is truly a rare phenomenon.
The excellent ecological environment and unique geographical location make this area a “natural refuge” and “natural museum” for organisms during the process of geographical evolution. It is therefore hailed by Chinese and foreign biologists as a “Green Emerald,” “Kingdom of Snakes,” “Paradise of Birds,” “Insect World,” and “Source of World Biological Type Specimens.” It is a region with global significance for biodiversity conservation. In 1987, it was accepted into the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program as a “World Biosphere Reserve,” and in 1999, it was designated as a “World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site” by UNESCO, becoming an internationally renowned natural reserve for forest Ecosystems.
The excellent forest ecosystem within the reserve forms a natural protective barrier for the tea gardens, which are scattered in valleys and ravines. Due to the integrity of the ecosystem, pests in the tea gardens have natural predators, and outbreaks of pest diseases are rarely seen. In such a natural environment, there is almost no need to spray chemical pesticides, ensuring that the quality of tea leaves remains unpolluted, an advantage that many tea-growing areas cannot match.
Geographical Location and Advantages of Tongmu Village
The birthplace of Zhengshan XiaoZhong Black Tea, Tongmu Village, is located in the middle and lower parts of Huanggang Mountain, with an average elevation of 1,000 meters. The peak of Huanggang Mountain reaches 2,158 meters, the highest point in southeastern China, often referred to as the “Roof of East China.” Surrounding the peak, there are over 110 mountains exceeding 1,500 meters in elevation. The mountains are steep and have slopes generally ranging from 75 to 80 degrees. The altitude difference is extremely large, with a difference of over 1,700 meters between the highest and lowest points. River erosion can reach depths of over 500 meters. From low to high elevations, the vegetation types include subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest red soil belt, mixed conifer-broad-leaved forest yellow-red soil belt, coniferous forest mountain yellow soil belt, and summit meadow soil belt.
The natural villages of Jiang Dun, Miao Wan, Ma Su, and others in Tongmu Village are the main producing areas of Zhengshan XiaoZhong. The tea gardens are distributed at elevations of about 700 to 1,200 meters on the lower slopes of the mountains or in valley areas. These regions have cooler temperatures in summer and mild winters compared to plains. The mountains receive sunlight later in the morning and earlier in the evening, and are shrouded in mist throughout the day. The temperature differences between day and night are smaller than those in plains, allowing for a certain pattern of accumulation of internal substances in the tea leaves, which is conducive to the formation of superior quality. The high ultraviolet radiation in the mountains is beneficial for the formation of aromatic compounds. Therefore, the tea produced here is of high quality, rich in content, and highly fragrant.
Climatic Conditions in Tongmu Village
Tea plants prefer shade and can adapt to diffuse light environments in forests and fog. They require an average temperature of above 10°C, with the most suitable range being between 20°C and 30°C, and a minimum temperature of -5°C to 15°C. For water requirements, they need annual precipitation of over 1,000mm and air relative humidity of 80%. Especially from March to October, the average monthly rainfall should be 100mm to 200mm, with humidity at 80%.
The climatic