“This is the largest cultivated ancient Tea tree in Lianfu. It has large buds and a good shape, with purple-red tips, which is why we locally call it the Purple Dragon variety. Drinking it yields a high level of sweetness, a strong aftertaste, and a strong salivation effect.” Looking at the ancient tea tree filled with tender shoots in the courtyard of Xiong Julan, a villager from Xiaocun Village in Zijia Slope, Wang Huipeng, the Party Secretary of the Lianfu Village Committee in Mangshui Town, said.
Mangshui Town's Lianfu Village borders Lianjiang Village to the north and Mangshui Community to the south, but compared to places like Chaishan River, Yangquan Slope, Huangjiazhai, and Dazhulin in Mangshui, it lacks a significant “presence,” with many people unaware that there is tea here. Only in recent years have some people discovered by chance that this place also has a lot of very good tea.
“The tea industry has always been our village's pillar industry,” Wang Huipeng explained. Lianfu Village has abundant ancient tea resources and high-quality tea. The village has over 7,300 ancient tea trees, with an annual output value of more than 5 million yuan; the tea industry has a solid foundation, with a total of over 5,200 mu of tea, yielding an annual output value of more than 4 million yuan.
Wang Huipeng said, “This tree in Zijia Slope is the largest cultivated ancient tea tree we've found in our village so far, with an annual output value of more than 30,000 yuan. Other ancient tea trees are distributed across various villagers' groups. In addition to wild-type Dali tea and cultivated large-leaf tea, there are also what we locally call “vine tea” small-leaf teas and other types. Each type of tea has its own unique characteristics, making them worth seeking out for tea lovers looking for their perfect cup.”
Xiong Julan, the owner of the tea tree, has a deep affection for this ancient tea tree locally known as the “Purple Dragon.” As she picked the green and purple tender buds, she shared the story of this tea with her neighbors who were helping her pick. Xiong Julan said, “I can't be sure how old this tea tree is. I've been married and living here for over 30 years, and it was already this big back then. I remember asking my mother-in-law about it, and she said it was already this size when she married into the family. In recent years, many people have come to know about this tea tree and are vying to buy its leaves. Now, a tea business owner has reserved it, and we can sell the fresh leaves for over 30,000 yuan every year.”
Walking along the village roads, ancient tea trees would occasionally stretch out their hands covered with budding greenery to greet passersby, explaining why Wang Huipeng said that Lianfu has abundant ancient tea tree resources. Standing on the roadside near the village committee in Daliutree Villagers Group, one could see ancient tea trees in front of and behind villagers' houses, beside fields and along the edges of land plots, forming part of the green barrier of the village together with peach, plum, fruit trees, and other trees.
The head of a tea enterprise, Dong Binggui, and his wife established a tea factory in Lianfu Village, mainly purchasing and processing ancient tree tea. Speaking about the tea in Lianfu, Dong Binggui could list them off like household items: “Lianfu Village has relatively rich natural resources and a large number of ancient tea trees. We mainly focus on ancient tree tea, but we also produce some ecological tea according to market demand. Our products are sold all over the country. The ancient tree tea here has distinct characteristics. The wild tea is primarily made into Black Tea, with an amber-gold liquor color and a fragrance of flowers and fruits, and a rather sweet taste. The large-leaf tea is mainly processed into raw Pu'er tea, with the main characteristics being a strong endurance in brewing, a floral and fruity aroma, and a good aftertaste.”
Regarding future development, Dong Binggui is equally confident: “In recent years, the brand of Changning, the thousand-year-old tea town, and Changning black tea have been recognized by more and more people. I believe our path will become wider. In the future, we will strive to make every leaf of tea to the best of our ability and sell our local products throughout the country, increasing the reputation of our tea and improving the lives of our fellow villagers.”
“I was also surprised to discover such excellent resources and industrial foundations in Lianfu for the first time.” After thoroughly examining the situation of the tea industry in Lianfu, Lu Shaorong, the Director of the Changning County Tea Industry Development Center, said, “Changning is truly a thousand-year-old tea town, with 49,000 mu of ancient tea trees in the county, totaling over 200,000 individual trees. We will adhere to the principle of balancing protection and development, striving to build the brands of the thousand-year-old tea town and Changning black tea, aiming to make our brands shine even brighter.”
“In Lianfu, many people process tea. Currently, there are five tea enterprises and over 200 small workshops in the entire village. Whether it's from large or small trees, every leaf picked by our villagers has a place to be sold,” Wang Huipeng said. Lianfu Village will rely on its resources, guiding enterprises and tea farmers to improve every link in the process, driving the comprehensive benefits of the industry to continuously increase. This will attract more people to Lianfu to search for, produce, taste, and purchase tea, transforming resource advantages into economic advantages and ensuring that the lives of all villagers are vibrant and prosperous.
