Shiting Green Tea is produced in the town of Fengzhou, Nanshi City, Fujian Province, at Lotus Peak on Jiuri Mountain.
The tea at Lotus Peak is not only a beverage but also a scenic feature. On the rocks of Lotus Peak are inscribed the words “Lotus Tea (i.e., tea) bosom,” which means: standing on Lotus Peak and looking down, one sees an expanse of green tea fields. The inscription of “Lotus Tea Bosom” dates to Taiyuan Bingzi (376 AD). This is the earliest known record of tea in Fujian Province, predating Lu Yu's Tcha: A Treatise on Tea by more than 300 years. This suggests that tea production at Lotus Peak dates back to the Jin Dynasty, attesting to the long history of Shiting Green Tea.
From the Jin Dynasty through the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the development of Lotus Peak tea was rapid. In a poem by the Tang Dynasty poet Han Wu, he writes: “Seeking the old man among the cliffs for immortality herbs, the local custom is to gather tea songs,” indicating that tea picking was already a common practice. By the Northern Song Dynasty, the development of Lotus tea reached unprecedented heights, with scholars visiting the famous mountain engaging in tea appreciation and competitions atop Lotus Peak. In his poem Recollections of Ancient Times While Touring Lotus Peak, Fu Jiaojiao wrote: “The sky is clear, the breeze gentle, men and women carrying baskets, picking fresh tea.” (inscribed on the right side of the rear face of the Lotus Rock). On Lotus Peak, there are also inscriptions such as “Tea Fragrance from the Rock Crevices” (on the front face of the Lotus Rock, inscribed by Gao Huilian, governor of Quanzhou, in 1011 AD) and “Returning After a Tea Competition” (on the east face of the Lotus Rock, inscribed by Zhao Shigeng in 1247 AD).
A successful tea competition requires both good tea and good water to fully bring out the tea's color, aroma, and taste. On the north side of Lotus Peak, a well called Avalokitesvara Well (still extant) was dug, “where water flows from rock fissures, clear and cool, excellent for brewing tea.” During the Southern Song Dynasty, the abbot of Lotus Temple, Jingye, discovered new tea plants between the rocks of Lotus Peak. Picking the buds and leaves, he processed them into tea that had a fragrant, refreshing flavor, highly invigorating. He then vigorously cultivated and expanded planting, dedicating himself to improving tea processing techniques, ushering in a new period of development for Lotus tea.
In the Zhengde era of the Ming dynasty, a stone pavilion (still extant) was built on Lotus Peak called the Pavilion of Eternal Youth. Due to its name being commonplace, the tea came to be known as Shiting tea, and because it was green tea, it was called Shiting Green. From then on, Lotus Peak tea became known as Shiting Green Tea.
In the Qing Dynasty, with the development of foreign trade, Shiting Green tea became popular in Southeast Asian countries and even sold as far as Britain. Tea gardens developed significantly, centered around Lotus Peak and extending to Jiuri Mountain, Shimashan, Fahua Mountain, and other areas, with significant improvements in tea processing techniques.
In modern times, Fengzhou Shiting Green in Nanshi City has maintained traditional processing techniques and quality characteristics.
(1) Shiting Green Processing Procedure: Fresh leaves – cooling – pan-firing – initial rolling – breaking up clumps – re-frying – re-rolling – rough sorting – final frying – sifting – finished product. The processing technique for Shiting Green tea is exquisite.
Picking: The tender shoots are picked when they are about to form a terminal bud, typically one bud with two leaves. The requirement is for young, uniform shoots with white down.
Cooling plays a role in light withering, enhancing the tea's mellow and refreshing taste; pan-firing is primarily by tossing, preserving the green leaf and clear infusion; re-frying and re-rolling make the tea compact and heavy; final frying ensures the tea is sufficiently dried and retains a silver-green color.
(2) Characteristics of Shiting Green Tea: Shiting Green Tea is renowned for its “three greens” and “three aromas.”
Its quality characteristics include: tight and compact shape, heavy body, silver-gray with green color; clear green infusion; rich aroma with notes of Orchid, mung bean, and apricot kernel; mellow and refreshing taste; bright green leaf base.