Yingde Tea World in Qingyuan City, Guangdong

Yingde Tea Garden (广东清远市英德茶园) is located in Yingde, Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, China. It is renowned as the birthplace of Chinese black tea and is a significant center for tea cultivation and tourism in southern China.ese black tea production.

Overview of the Tea Region

Situated in Makou, in the western suburbs of Yingde City, the Yingde Tea Plant Demonstration Farm spans over a thousand acres. Funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and designated by the Guangdong Provincial Agricultural Department, it is a high-fragrance tea tree nursery base. The farm boasts lush green hills, fresh and humid air, and scenic views with clouds and mist. It has been developed into a tourist tea garden where visitors can enjoy the experience of hand-making tea. Yingde black tea is globally recognized for its heat-clearing and skin-nourishing properties, with the “Yinghong No. 9” variety even served by the Queen of England to her guests.

Concept of the Tea Region

The term “Yingde Tea Region” broadly refers to all entities within Yingde City involved in tea production, education, research, and trade. This includes state-owned, collective, and individual tea-related activities. The Yingde Tea Region encompasses one provincial tea research institute (Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences Tea Research Institute), five state-owned tea farms (Yinghong Overseas Chinese Tea Farm, Yingde Overseas Chinese Tea Farm, Huangbo Overseas Chinese Tea Farm, Hongxing Tea Farm, and Guangzhou Military Region Horse Farm Tea Factory), three local state-owned tea farms (Yingde Tea Plant Demonstration Farm, Shakou Farm, and City Tea and Fruit Farm), 26 town-run tea farms, 115 district-run tea farms, and over 1,100 key tea households.

Characteristics of the Tea Region

Yingde Tea World, nestled along the beautiful Beijiang River and surrounded by picturesque mountains akin to Guilin, features vast, lush tea gardens that appear as a green ocean from afar. Here, visitors can engage in tea planting, picking, frying, tasting, and appreciating, immersing themselves in the simple life of ancient tea farmers while escaping the hustle and bustle of urban life. Barefoot walks through the “Resource Library Maze,” leisurely strolls in the “Green Corridor,” climbing the “Tea Viewing Pavilion,” and relaxing in the “Tea Tasting Gallery” allow visitors to enjoy famous teas from around the world. The “Tea Culture Exhibition Hall” showcases the profound Chinese tea culture, making it a must-visit. Developed by the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences Tea Research Institute, Yingde Tea World is a new tea eco-tourism attraction offering sightseeing, leisure, and educational experiences.

Environment of the Tea Region

The Yingde Tea Region is located at the northern edge of the Tropic of Cancer, transitioning from a South Asian tropical climate to a Central Asian tropical climate. Due to the South Asian monsoon climate, the region is warm and rainy, without severe cold or extreme heat. The average annual temperature is 20.7°C, with July being the hottest month (average temperature 28.8°C, extreme high of 38.9°C) and January the coldest (average temperature 10.7°C, extreme low of -3.6°C). The annual accumulated temperature ≥10°C is 7576°C, with an average annual rainfall of 1876.8mm, 162 rainy days, an evaporation rate of 1619.8mm, an average humidity of 79%, 43.3 frost days, 9 frost days, and 316.7 frost-free days annually.

The soil conditions are also favorable. The red and yellow soils on the gentle slopes and terraces between the hills and mountains are deep and fertile, with good natural soil fertility, organic matter, and nitrogen content. Most soils are acidic with a pH between 4.5 and 5.5, making them ideal for tea tree growth.

Tea Culture

Yingde has a long history of tea cultivation, with tea culture dating back over 1,200 years to the Tang Dynasty. According to the Tang Dynasty’s Lu Yu in “The Classic of Tea” (764 AD), “tea grows in Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Shaozhou, and Xiangzhou in Lingnan, and its taste is excellent.” Shaozhou’s tea cultivation included Yingde and Qujiang. According to the “100 Years of World Tea Industry” edited by Cheng Qikun and Zhuang Xuelan from the Chinese Tea Research Institute, “by the Tang and Five Dynasties, counties such as Qujiang, Renhua, and Yingde in Shaozhou were already producing tea.” Before the Ming Dynasty, Yingde was one of the 11 tea-producing counties in Guangdong Province; during the Ming Dynasty, it was one of 70; and after the Opium War, one of 84. Thus, Yingde has a long history of tea cultivation and production.

The flourishing tea production in Yingde has promoted the formation of tea-drinking culture. Historical records indicate that during the Tang Dynasty, Yingde (then Zhenyang County) had a “Tea Brewing Platform” in the Nanshan Scenic Area. The Song Dynasty inscription on Nanshan’s “Zhongle Pavilion” cliff reads, “amidst the cliffs are the relics of Tang people: Hui Valley, Lingshan, Feixia Ridge, Xiyang Island, Tea Brewing Platform, and Hancui Pavilion.” In the Southern Song Dynasty, Yingzhou County magistrate Wang Ren praised the “Tea Brewing Platform” with poems such as “climbing a thousand stone steps with a cane, pausing at mid-mountain; fetching spiritual spring water to brew fine tea, quenching thirst and relieving fatigue” and “brewing tea in the courtyard for conversation and laughter, bright garden shades.” These show that tea drinking was very popular in Yingde during the Tang Dynasty. Due to the rise of tea cultivation, high-quality tea was often listed as a tribute to the court. During the Ming Dynasty, Yingde’s tribute tea was a court offering. According to the “Revised Yingde County Chronicles” by Chen Zhiquan during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, “seventy jin and seven liang of leaf tea, fourteen jin and five liang of bud tea were tributed to the court.” The “Yingde County Chronicles” from the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty records various high-quality teas produced in Yingde’s hills and mountains, indicating widespread tea cultivation during the Qing Dynasty.

Despite periods of decline due to wars and export restrictions, Yingde remains a historic tea region with a strong tea-drinking culture. Both urban and rural residents have a deep-rooted tea-drinking tradition, contributing to a rich cultural phenomenon. The local “Lei Tea Porridge” culinary culture, unique to the region, parallels the Lei Tea culture of Hunan, Jiangxi, and Fujian provinces.

Geographic Location

Yingde City is located in the southern part of the northern Guangdong mountains, in the midstream of the Beijiang River. Its geographical coordinates are between 23°50′32″ to 24°23′7″ north latitude and 112°45′16″ to 113°55′7″ east longitude. It borders Wengyuan and Xinfeng counties to the east, Fogang County to the south, Yangshan County to the west, and Ruyuan and Qujiang counties to the north. The city spans 182.5 kilometers from east to west and 112.5 kilometers from north to south, covering a total area of 5,659.6 square kilometers, making it the largest county-level city in Guangdong.

Topography

Yingde City is located at the southern edge of the Five Ridges Mountain Range, within the Nanling Mountains’ hilly terrain. The terrain is high in the north and low in the south, divided into four types: mountainous areas (above 1000 meters), low mountainous areas (500-1000 meters), hilly areas (around 500 meters), and terraces and plains. Tea cultivation is mostly found in hilly and terrace areas. Historically known as Yingzhou, the name derives from Ying Mountain’s abundant Ying stones. The region features karst topography with numerous peaks and caves, flowing water, stone forests, and varied stone formations, creating a picturesque landscape that attracts tourists. Qing Dynasty poet Cha Shenxing praised Yingde’s beauty, comparing it to a delightful landscape surpassing Shaozhou.

Path to Revival

Reflecting on 40 years of tea cultivation in Yingde reveals the hardships and achievements of the journey, showcasing the dedication and significant contributions made. This period also accumulated rich experience and valuable practices leading to success, generating positive social effects. Since the 1960s, visitors from across the country have come to Yingde to learn about tea production, processing, education, research, and trade. Numerous foreign experts, scholars, and tea industry professionals from Western Europe, North America, Oceania, the Middle East, and Hong Kong and Macau have visited for inspections, visits, and trade discussions. This highlights the prosperity and influence of the Yingde Tea Region, encouraging further development.

Yingde Black Tea

First created in 1959, Yingde black tea was successfully developed using fresh leaves from the Yunnan large-leaf variety. By 1964, the production process was standardized and certified by four central ministries (Agriculture, Commerce, Foreign Trade, and Machinery). This established the internationally renowned “Golden Sail” brand of Yingde black tea. In the early 1990s, the “Golden Tips Tea” was developed, praised as the “Oriental Golden Beauty,” attracting global attention.

Yingde black tea’s superior quality is attributed to its favorable natural environment and the use of suitable Yunnan large-leaf varieties, combined with Phoenix Shuixian and newly promoted high-fragrance, high-quality large-leaf black tea varieties. This has led to the widespread adoption of quality tea varieties in plantations, laying a solid foundation for the high aroma and rich flavor of “Yinghong” tea. The characteristics of Yingde black tea include tightly rolled particles, oily luster, fine and uniform appearance, prominent golden tips, pure and strong aroma with floral notes, rich and sweet taste, bright red liquor, and soft, red infusion leaves. Especially notable is its red and bright tea color when mixed with milk, with a strong and refreshing taste, making it a standout among other black teas like Dianhong and Qimen.

Yingde black tea contains rich compounds, including 4.12% caffeine, 1.28% amino acids, 21% tea polyphenols, 0.8-1.2% theaflavins, 8-12% thearubigins, and 38.16% water-soluble extracts, reaching international high-quality black tea standards. The variety of Yingde black tea products and their distinguished characteristics are categorized into several grades:

  • Leaf Tea (FOP): Tight, straight strips, uniform, glossy black color, plump golden tips, no stems, bright red liquor, high and fresh aroma, rich and sweet taste, tender and bright infusion leaves.
  • Broken Tea No. 1 (FBOP): Tight, heavy particles, prominent golden tips, oily luster, bright red liquor, high and lasting aroma with floral notes, fresh and rich taste, tender and bright infusion leaves.
  • Broken Tea No. 2-5 (BOP): Tight, uniform particles, oily luster, no golden tips, bright red liquor, fresh and strong aroma, rich and refreshing taste, bright and tender infusion leaves.
  • Broken Tea No. 6 (BP): Finer stems, blackish-brown color, bright red liquor, pure aroma, mellow taste, bright infusion leaves.
  • Fannings (F): Curled leaves, uniform size, glossy color, bright red liquor, fresh aroma, mellow and thick taste, bright and tender infusion leaves.
  • Dust (D): Heavy, sand-like texture, glossy color, no powder or sand, rich red liquor, pure aroma, thick taste, bright and tender infusion leaves.
  • Golden Tips Tea: Round and tight strips, full of golden tips, golden yellow and bright color, bright red liquor, rich and lasting aroma with tip fragrance or floral notes, rich and sweet taste, intact and tender red infusion leaves, filling a gap in high-end large-leaf black tea products in China.