What kind of tea is Tieguanyin?
Anxi Tieguanyin: It belongs to the category of green tea and is one of China's famous Oolong teas. Anxi Tieguanyin tea is produced in Anxi County, Fujian Province. Anxi Tieguanyin tea has a long history and is known as the "King of Teas." According to records, Anxi Tieguanyin tea originated during the Qing Dynasty's Yongzheng period (1725-1735). Anxi County has many mountains, a warm climate, and abundant rainfall, which allows tea plants to grow luxuriantly. There are numerous varieties of tea trees, each with its own charm, surpassing all others nationwide. Anxi Tieguanyin tea can be harvested four times a year, divided into spring tea, summer tea, summer heat tea, and autumn tea. Among these, the quality of spring tea is considered the best. The production process of Tieguanyin is basically the same as that of general Oolong tea, but it involves more shaking sessions and shorter cooling periods. Typically, the tea leaves are exposed to sunlight before evening, shaken and cooled throughout the night, and fermentation is completed by the next morning. This is followed by stir-frying, kneading, and baking, taking about a day and night. The production process includes nine steps: exposure to sunlight, shaking, cooling, fixing, cutting and kneading, preliminary drying, wrapping and kneading, re-drying, and final drying. High-quality Anxi Tieguanyin tea has thick and tightly twisted strands, heavy like iron, with obvious sand-green color, green stems, bright red spots, high sweet floral fragrance, sweet, rich, fresh, and smooth taste, possessing a unique flavor and lingering sweetness aftertaste. Even after seven infusions, it still retains its aroma. The tea liquor is golden yellow, the leaf base is thick, soft, bright, and uniform, with red edges on the leaves and green hearts bordered in red.