Guzhang black tea, popular brand in Xiangxi

Guzhang black tea in the mysterious land of Xiangxi Prefecture, shrouded in clouds and mist, shines at the tea market across the country and even overseas. Reporters visited the tea gardens and enterprises in Guzhang County to explore secrets. Guzhang black tea has a long history. According to historical records, as early as the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Wuling Mountain area where Guzhang is located was already listed as a famous tea producing area in China. And during the Tang Dynasty, it became a royal tribute.

According to the record in an ancient geographical book, Guzhang was rich in high-quality tea, which also proves that it has a history of producing tribute tea for thousands of years.

At the same time, the county’s superior natural environment provides an excellent ecological environment for tea tree growth, which makes Guzhang black tea have a beautiful appearance, a sweet taste, and high nutritional value, and highly favored by consumers. “Our black tea trees have a relatively old age, a well-developed root system, and rich nutrient absorption. The fried black tea has a rich tea aroma, a golden soup color, and a strong floral fragrance, which is a competitive advantage of our Guzhang black tea,” said Qu Shaobo, chairman of Guzhang Xinkang Ancient Tree Tea Industry Company, who proudly introduced the characteristics of Guzhang black tea.

The production process of Guzhang black tea has been inherited for a long time and constantly innovated. In the past, villagers picked fresh tea leaves and placed them in clothing pockets to make the tea leaves naturally wilt. The tea leaves were then repeatedly kneaded into balls, which were then lightly baked.

With the continuous development of tea making technique, it has evolved into eight processes. Thanks to tea farmers and enterprises, Guzhang black tea has been revitalized.

The Yingmeizi Black Tea launched by Yingmeizi Tea Technology Company is the most representative, which retains the original appearance of the tea balls, with the production process continuously improved. At the same time, to ensure the quality of tea, the traditional cultivation and management mode of the tea plantation base has been shifted to an ecological and organic mode, under which the tea pests are monitored in an intelligent way and pesticides are used scientifically. In 2023, the county completed on-site inspections of over 8,000 mu (533.33 hectares) of certified organic tea bases.

In recent years, the county government has increased efforts to support the tea industry, actively introduced advanced production technology and equipment, and improved the production efficiency and quality of tea.

By holding colorful activities like the tea and cultural tourism festival and the spring tea expo, the county has strengthened the promotion of Guzhang black tea, and enhanced its popularity and reputation.

In the 4th Xiangxi Famous Tea Competition and the Quality Evaluation Activity of Xiangxi Famous Tea of China Tea Science Society in 2023, Guzhang tea masters Xiang Xianxue, Peng Qin and Xiang Deyuan won the first prize in the black tea group. The quality of Guzhang black tea continues to improve. “According to the demand of our current young market, we have innovated gardenia-flavored black tea which is very popular among young people,” said Hu Weixia, chairman of Guyanghe Tea Industry Company.

In the process of industrial development, many tea companies actively seek breakthroughs in innovative development of the tea industry. For example, Zhengshantang Guzhanghong digital factory is under construction. Guyanghe Tea Industry innovates the taste of black tea. Guzhang Niujiaoshan Ecological Agriculture Technology Development Company exported 13,000 boxes of Guzhang black tea to Hong Kong under the model of Hunan-Guangdong-Hong Kong Single E-lock Scheme, making it more convenient for Guzhang tea industry to integrate into GBA and connect with the world. “In terms of promoting Guzhang black tea, we adopt a combination of ‘going global’ and ‘bringing in’. The excellent ecological environment and traditional skills strengthen our confidence in bringing Guzhang black tea to go global. This year, we actively explored overseas markets and went to France and the UK. Currently, our Niujiaoshan Guzhang black tea is sold well in the UK. In addition, through the integrated development of tea and tourism, we introduce our beautiful Miao villages and high-quality tea to customers from outside, allowing Guzhang’s good tea to be brought to all parts of the country,” said Long Lingzhi, executive chairman of Niujiaoshan Ecological Agriculture Technology Development Company in Guzhang County.

At the same time, relying on abundant tea resources, ecological resources, and tourism resources, the county has vigorously promoted the integrated development of tea and tourism. In Guzhang, tourists can not only enjoy a cup of high-quality black tea, but also personally experience tea picking and production.

At present, the total tea planting area in Guzhang County is 205,000 mu (about 13,666.67 hectares), of which 165,000 mu (11,000 hectares) is available for harvesting. The total tea production is 142,50 tons (including 8,550 tons of green tea and 5,700 tons of black tea), and the output value is 2.0121 billion yuan, injecting strong impetus into the county’s economic development.


Chinese source: hunantoday