China
12:39, 04-Sep-2017
The Big Picture: Tea time in Wuyi
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Tea has held an important role in China for thousands of years, and remains an essential part of the country’s cultural identity.
Wuyi Rock Tea grows in Mount Wuyi in south China’s Fujian Province. It’s cultivated from proper tea trees and made with traditional technology.
CGTN met with tea master Huang Shengliang to find out how this tradition is kept alive in modern day China.
Wuyi Rock Tea
Wuyi Rock Tea is celebrated for its high quality, derived from the green mountains and clear waters where its middle-sized or small-sized leaves grow. Its unique production technique was listed as China's national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.
Huang Shengliang, the 12th generation of Wuyi Rock Tea master, says that temperature, humidity and the freshness of the leaves are all factors that influence production.
It all depends on the master’s experience. Great effort is made to preserve these teas, and the traditional process in which they are produced by hand.
Manufacturing process
Tea making is complicated and often based on the skills of tea masters. Machines have replaced most tea production, but the art of hand-making tea guarantees the unique flavor of Wuyi Rock Tea. The key procedures include leaf selection, withering, bruising, fixation, rolling, and baking.
CGTN Photo
CGTN Photo
“Wuyi Rock Tea's production process is one of the world’s most advanced. It’s been achieved by the people in Wuxi through hundreds of years of hard work and experience. As a craftsman, the only way to produce good quality tea is to resist the temptation of commercialization,” said Huang Shengliang, a Wuyi Rock Tea master.
He dreams that Wuyi Rock Tea will one day be available on the world stage, so that more people can learn about its culture and appreciate its charm.
Keeping traditions alive
Huang is also trying different ways to bring Wuyi Rock Tea to the outside world. His biggest worry is the environment. He hopes greater efforts will be taken to protect the natural environment of Wuyi Mountains, so as to keep the genuine fragrance of the tea.
Huang Shengliang built a tea cellar. The production date, weather conditions, and master’s names are all written on each box. /CGTN Photo
Huang Shengliang built a tea cellar. The production date, weather conditions, and master’s names are all written on each box. /CGTN Photo
Tea time in Wuyi
Tea time in Wuyi has provided us with an inside look at this unique tangible culture, which faces challenges from modernization and environmental problems. Only by preserving the landscape of Wuyi Mountains can the tea keep its inner quality.
CGTN Photo
CGTN Photo
CGTN Photo
CGTN Photo
Huang hopes that long after he passes away, people will still drink this tea – not only because the masters have passed on the methods of processing, but also because they have worked hard to preserve the trees.
To Huang Shengliang, the whole process of tea-making is like placing a hand on history. The more he is with tea, the more he loves it and the natural environment that nurtures it.
1375km