Tea drinkers worldwide have a special place in their hearts for the warm, roasted notes of Wuyi Mountain tea (yancha) with its unforgettable Yan Yun. Within the vast history of tea, the Wuyi Mountains are a relatively new growing region. Nonetheless, they continue to produce mesmerizing tea, which we cannot stop talking about. This time, we will go a little more into detail about the different growing regions within Wuyi Shan (Wuyi Mountain) itself.
What Is Yancha?
Wuyi tea is a category of teas, either oolong or hong cha, that grows in Wuyi Mountain, Fujian Province, China. Wuyi Oolong, in particular, is also known as Yancha, Wuyi Rock Tea, or Cliff Tea. These teas are characterized by a "rock" or "mineral" flavor, reflecting the unique terroir of the Wuyi Mountains. The most famous Wuyi Mountain teas are Da Hong Pao and Lapsang Souchong – the forefather of all black tea. The creation legends of oolong can also be traced back to Wuyi Mountain. The Wuyi area has been an important historical center of tea production since the mid-17th century and remains so.
The Wuyi Mountain region is the place with a unique terroir. Locals call it 三坑两涧 – Three Valleys and Two Streams (San Keng Liang Jian)
Although the mountain peaks aren't incredibly high, they are constantly shrouded in fog and mist. The sun shines through the afternoon mist, casting dancing rainbows around the tea bushes. Moisture settles on the rocky sides of the mountain slopes and trickles down to the roots of the tea plants, enriching them with minerals. Thus, the unique Yan Yun ("rock rhyme") taste for which Wuyi oolong teas are famous is born.
What Makes Yancha Special?
What makes rock tea so special is the unique terroir. Steep slopes and sharp mountain peaks constitute these mountains. The result is a relatively small number of tea bushes that must struggle to survive. The mineral content of the mountains also adds a unique "rocky" taste to the teas produced there, which the tea world highly favors.
As far as production goes, Wuyi cha tends to lean on the darker side. We can see this through the dark, heavily oxidized and baked oolongs and hong cha (black tea). Wuyi oolongs are heavily roasted, with robust flavors. Tea Masters twist the tea into thin strips rather than rolling it into tight balls, as with oolongs from Taiwan and Anxi.
Yancha can be extremely expensive. Da Hong Pao made from the original ancient tea trees is worth more than gold.
However, not all yancha is ridiculously expensive; most teas from the Wuyi Mountains are incredibly delicious and memorable while remaining affordable. When trying a Wuyi Mountain tea, notice how the rocky, mineral profile is perfectly balanced with the sweet, floral notes. Now that's an ideal cup of yancha.
Wuyi Oolong Tea History
Oolong tea originated in the 17th century, at the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty. Historically, Chinese emperors drank only compressed tea for hundreds of years. These tea cakes were cultivated and produced in Fujian tea gardens. However, the production of tea cakes was becoming too expensive since it required a lot of labor. At the end of the 14th century, the Emperor requested that all his tea come in loose leaf form.
This sudden request caused significant turmoil in the well-established tea industry of Fujian Province. Consequently, smaller tea farms began popping up in the Wuyi Mountains. These were farms mostly owned and tended by Taoist and Buddhist monks. Eventually, they discovered that letting the tea partially oxidize before firing it produced a new, darker, more flavorful type of tea called Oolong.
What Is Yan Yun?
The word Yan Yun (岩韵) poetically translates to "Rock Rhyme," and tea enthusiasts use it to describe the flavor profiles of some of the most exquisite yancha.
We can describe Yan Yun by the mouthwatering sensation one gets after sipping the tea. The Rock Rhyme entrances us, invites us to drink more of the tea, to absorb all the nutrients it possesses.
Top Tea — Wuyi Rock Tea
Below, we list the most popular types of Wuyi cha, along with their taste profiles.
Wuyi Oolong:
- Da Hong Pao — sweet, mineral, roasted, thick, and smooth.
- Tie Luo Han — sweet, rich, and fragrant.
- Bei Dou – sweet, fruity, deep, and roasted
- Shui Jing Gui — sweet, fruity, floral, and roasted.
- Bai Ji Guan — sweet, mellow, and light.
- Rou Gui — fragrant with prominent cinnamon notes.
- Shui Xian — roasted, nutty, and mineral.
Hong Cha:
- Lapsang Souchong — sweet and fruity tea. Today, there are two types of this tea: one with strong campfire notes and one without.
- Jin Jun Mei – JJM is similar to Lapsang Souchong, but it is exclusively composed of fresh buds. Jin Jun Mei ("Beauty's Golden Eyebrow") is the tea responsible for the rapid rise of the popularity of hong cha in China itself.
What is Da Hong Pao Tea?
Da Hong Pao is perhaps the most marketed and, at the same time, controversial tea. The truth is, the yield from the original mother plants is so small that it is considered a national treasure and doesn't reach the market at all, being distributed among the lucky few and reserved for decades ahead. At present, the six Da Hong Pao mother trees have been declared national treasures and are no longer harvested.
99.9% of Da Hong Pao on the market today is either a blend of two cultivars – Rou Gui and Shui Xian – or a Qi Dan that grows in both Zhengyan and Wai Shan, that is, both inside and outside of the Wuyi Mountain core production area. Also, locals of Wuyi Mountain often refer to any yancha as Da Hong Pao when talking to outsiders. Therefore, Da Hong Pao is slowly becoming an umbrella name for many different teas of Wuyi Mountain.
The Areas of the Wuyi Mountains
Zheng Yan
Zheng Yan (正岩) translates as "true rock". In 1999, the Chinese government designated the Zhengyan area of the Wuyi Mountains as the Wuyi World Heritage Reserve. Indeed, this area has many original tea cultivars that farmers should strive to preserve. Zhengyan teas tend to be higher in price since all the teas there are organic — the government prohibits the use of pesticides on the grounds of the Zhengyan Reserve. Furthermore, the climate here is optimal for tea growing since there is a good amount of rainfall and fog year-round. If you wish to try premium yancha but don't know where to start, we recommend trying teas from the Zhengyan area. Retailers will often market these as Zhengyan tea, Zhengshan tea (original mountain), or Natural Reserve tea.
Shi Ru "Stone Milk" Wuyi Oolong
Within the Zheng Yan area itself, there is a place farmers call Three Pits and Two Gullies. This name refers to Huiyuan Pit, Niulan Pit, Daoshui Pit, Liuxiang Gully, and Wuyuan Gully. Many tea enthusiasts seek out tea from this area, as it is the most authentic source of yancha. Teas, however, are often mislabeled as being from this area, so you'll have to do a bit of investigating first.
The prime Wuyi Mountain tea growing area has 39 peaks, 72 caves, and 99 cliffs.
Zheng Yan, Wuyi Mountains
Ban Yan
Ban Yan (半岩) translates as "half rock". This is the area immediately surrounding the National Reserve area of Zheng Yan.
Zhou Cha
Zhou Cha (洲茶) – "Riverbank" Tea – refers to tea grown on the flat, sandy plains along riverbanks, distinct from the rocky cliff terroir of the core scenic area.
Wai Shan
Wai Shan (外山) – "outer mountain" is the outside area, which is the furthest of them all.
The further away from Zheng Yan, the less sought-after the tea is. Naturally, each area has its own microclimate, soil mineral content, and even regulations for growing tea. Most tea enthusiasts agree that tea grown outside of Zheng Yan starts to lose its iconic rock rhyme. However, this does not necessarily mean that the tea loses its edge. In fact, many Wai Shan teas have unique flavor profiles that you wouldn't find in other teas. Some of these teas are Qi Lan and Huang Mei Gui.
Lao Cong Tea
Lao Cong translates as "old bush". For example, Shui Xian oolong often comes from old tea bushes. There is no consensus on what we should consider Lao Cong – an old tea bush, so use your best judgment. Usually, it doesn't apply to tea plants younger than 30 years old. Naturally, the older the tea bush, the higher the price.
Since Shui Xian Oolong is the most widely consumed type of yancha, the tea bushes occupy the most extensive growing area of the Wuyi Mountains.