Bǎojìng Huáng Jīn Hóng Chá

Baojing Huang Jin Hong Cha is a red tea (black tea) made from the raw material of the legendary cultivar Bǎojìng Huangjincha (保靖黄金茶, Bǎojìng Huángjīn Chá), an ancient and genetically unique variety from the depths of the mountainous region of Xiāngxī (湘西) in western Hunan Province. Traditionally, this raw material was used for producing green tea, however its exceptionally high amino acid content (up to 7.47%, twice the average) and polyphenols make it an excellent base for red tea (black tea) as well, in which the natural sweetness of the cultivar is revealed particularly brilliantly.

1. Classification and Origin:

Type: Red tea (black tea) (红茶, hóngchá) — fully oxidized.
Category: Regional Chinese red teas (black teas), gongfu red tea (工夫红茶, gōngfu hóngchá). Part of the “Hunan Hong Cha” (湖南红茶, “Hunan Red Teas”) line, for which a separate technical regulation has been developed — “Baojing Huangjincha Gongfu Hongcha Technical Regulations” (《保靖黄金茶工夫红茶技术规程》, “Technical Regulations for Gongfu Red Tea Production from Baojing Huangjincha”).
Origin: China, Húnán Province (湖南省, Húnán Shěng), Xiāngxī Tujia and Miáo Autonomous Prefecture (湘西土家族苗族自治州, Xiāngxī Tǔjiāzú Miáozú Zìzhìzhōu), Bǎojìng County (保靖县, Bǎojìng Xiàn). Core production area — townships of Húlu (葫芦镇, Húlu Zhèn), Hāngshā (夯沙乡, Hāngshā Xiāng) and Shuitianhé (水田河镇, Shuǐtiánhé Zhèn). Historical “ground zero” — Huángjīn Village (黄金村, Huángjīn Cūn), located at the foot of Mount Lüdongshan (吕洞山, Lǚdòng Shān).
Geographic coordinates: 109°12′–109°33′ E, 28°24′–28°36′ N (according to geographical indication registry data).

2. History and Cultural Significance:

History: Baojing’s tea tradition reaches back to deep antiquity. In the early historical treatise “Jingzhou Tudiji” (《荆州土地记》) it is noted: “All seven counties of Wuling produce tea, of the finest quality” (武陵七县通出茶，最好). Tāng scholar Dù Yóu (杜佑) in his encyclopedic work “Tongdian” (《通典》, 801 CE) recorded that Xizhou (溪州, roughly corresponding to the territory of modern Baojing) supplied tea buds as tribute. Even earlier evidence — finds from Liye (里耶), where among 36,000 Qin bamboo slips (秦简, 3rd century BCE) records of economic shipments from Qianling (迁陵, now Baojing) were discovered, presumably including tea raw materials.

Key legend: in 1539 (18th year of Jiajing reign, 明嘉靖十八年) General Inspector Lù Jié (陆杰, Lù Jié), while touring border garrisons in the Xiangxi mountains, and his retinue contracted marsh fever (瘴气, zhàngqì) in a remote gorge near Luqi (鲁旗, now Hulu). The ailing soldiers were saved by an elderly Miáo woman from the Xiāng clan (向): she brewed leaves from a century-old tea tree growing by her house and gave the sick men to drink. Within half an hour the fever subsided. Lù Jié in gratitude presented the old woman with one liàng (两) of gold and included this tea in the list of imperial tributes. Since then the folk saying became established: “一两黄金一两茶” — “A liang of gold for a liang of tea.” The village received the name Huangjinzhai (黄金寨, “Golden Fortress”), and the tea came to be called Huangjincha (黄金茶, “Golden Tea”).

In modern history: in 1993–1994 agronomist Zhāng Xiāngshēng (张湘生, Zhāng Xiāngshēng) achieved a breakthrough — for the first time successfully propagated Huangjincha by vegetative cutting (扦插, qiānchā), overcoming the long-standing “bottleneck” of propagation. This opened the path to mass distribution of the cultivar. In 2009 during cultural heritage inventory, 2,057 ancient tea trees were discovered (trunk circumference over 30 cm), of which 718 date to the Ming era and 1,339 to the Qing era. The oldest — the “Baojing Huangjincha Tree King” (保靖黄金茶树王) — is over 400 years old. In 2010 the tea received geographical indication protection (农产品地理标志) from China’s Ministry of Agriculture. In 2020 the Huangjin tea gardens were included in the fifth batch of China’s National Registry of Important Agricultural Heritage (中国重要农业文化遗产). In the same year the brand entered the “China-EU Geographical Indications Agreement” (中欧地理标志协定), ensuring international legal protection in 27 countries. In 2025 the cultivar Baojing Huangjincha No. 1 (保靖黄金茶1号) was included in the list of national backbone tea plant varieties (国家骨干型茶树品种).

The red version — Huang Jin Hong Cha — began active development parallel to the green version in the 2010s, when gongfu red tea technology was formalized in provincial standards.

Name: 保靖 (Bǎojìng) — name of the county, literally “protected tranquility”; 黄金 (Huáng Jīn) — “gold,” reference to the legend of the liang of gold given by Lu Jie for the miraculous tea; 红茶 (Hóngchá) — red tea (black tea), indication of processing method.
Cultural significance: Baojing Huangjincha is not merely an agricultural crop, but living heritage of the Miao and Tujia cultures of Xiangxi. The ancient tea gardens of Huangjin Village are declared protected cultural heritage sites at the provincial level, and the “Tree King” itself is Hunan’s only living intangible cultural heritage object (活体非物质文化遗产). Local Miao revere the “tea flower fairy” (茶花仙子) as a protective deity, and tea themes permeate traditional Miáo drum rhythms (苗鼓) and song traditions (苗歌). For Baojing County, tea is the leading economic sector: by 2023 the plantation area reached 15.5 万亩 (≈ 10,300 hectares), total tea production value — 23.16 billion yuan, and the brand is valued at 40.93 billion yuan.

3. Botanical Description and Raw Material:

Variety / Cultivar: Bǎojìng Huangjincha (保靖黄金茶) — a unique local cultivar formed through prolonged natural selection in the isolated mountain conditions of Xiangxi. Belongs to the population group (群体种) with high genetic diversity. According to research by Professor Hé Shìhuā (何士华), the ancient Huangjincha trees belong to the large-leaf arboreal type (乔木型大叶类品种) and demonstrate certain genetic kinship with the fossil Jǐnggǔ Kuanye Mulan (景谷宽叶木兰, Magnolia latifolia), dated to 35 million years ago. Medium to large bushes, elliptical or lanceolate leaves, tender shoots with high bud density and pronounced resistance to adverse conditions. Key botanical feature — exceptionally high amino acid content in young shoots.
Harvest: Spring — main season: early spring harvest (明前, míngqián) is especially valued. Huangjincha is distinguished by early awakening (发芽早) and dense, synchronized shoot formation. For red tea (black tea), summer raw material is also used, possessing higher polyphenol content.
Harvest standard: Bud and one to two leaves (一芽一叶 — 一芽二叶). For premium batches — single buds (单芽): producing one jin (500 g) requires 32,000–35,000 hand pickings.
Raw material requirements: Whole, tender, fresh leaf without damage. Hand picking following the “ten don’ts” rule (十不采), including rejection of insect-damaged, overripe, dew-wet and other substandard shoots.

4. Terroir and Cultivation:

Growing altitude: 280–1,500 m above sea level. Main high-quality raw material zone — 500–800 m. Huangjin Village is located at approximately 635 m elevation.
Climate: Subtropical monsoon mountain climate. Average annual temperature 15–17 °C, mild summers without extreme heat, winters without severe frosts. Clouds and mists are an almost constant companion: the region is located at the junction of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and Wudangshan. Precipitation 1,200–1,500 mm/year. Significant diurnal temperature variation stimulates accumulation of aromatic compounds and amino acids.
Soils: Formed on parent rocks — shales and sandstones (板页岩和砂岩). Slightly acidic (pH 4.5–5.5), well-drained, deep, with high organic content. Mineral composition — result of hundreds of millions of years of geological processes in Wulingshan (武陵山) — contributes to the characteristic “depth” of flavor.
Ecology: The Xiangxi region is distinguished by exceptional ecological purity: remoteness from industrial centers, dense forest cover, clean mountain rivers. Baojing’s tea gardens have passed organic certification on an area exceeding 4,200 mu. Many plantations are located adjacent to relict forests, forming natural agroforestry systems.

5. Production Technology:

Production follows gongfu red tea standards with adaptations accounting for the high amino acid content in Huangjincha raw material:

Picking (采摘, cǎizhāi): Hand selection of tender shoots. Picking time — morning hours after dew has lifted.
Withering (萎凋, wěidiāo): Natural or combined. Duration 12–20 hours, moisture loss 35–40%. Goal — prepare leaf for rolling, initiate primary aromatic transformations. For Huangjincha with its high amino acid content, withering is conducted gently at moderate temperature to preserve the sweet foundation.
Rolling (揉捻, róuniǎn): Formation of tight, dense twist and destruction of cellular membranes for juice release to leaf surface. Rolling can be either manual (手工揉捻) or mechanical.
Oxidation (发酵, fājiào): Key stage. Temperature 26–30 °C, humidity 90–95%, duration 3–5 hours. Thanks to high polyphenol content (up to 25%) and amino acids (up to 7.47%), Huangjincha raw material creates ideal balance: theaflavins provide brightness and liveliness, thearubigins — depth and “body,” while unoxidized amino acids — pronounced natural sweetness.
Drying (烘干, hōnggān / 干燥, gānzào): Primary drying at 100–120 °C to stop oxidation, then — final drying at gentler temperature (60–80 °C) to stabilize aromatic profile.
Sorting (分级, fēnjí): Classification by leaf standard, tip proportion, fraction size.

6. Organoleptic Characteristics:

Dry leaf appearance: Tight twist, neat stringy tea particles (条索紧细), dark brown or black color with abundant golden tips (金毫). Leaf even, well-sorted.
Dry leaf aroma: Sweet, honeyed, with notes of ripe southern fruits and light floral background. Pronounced characteristic “golden” aroma (黄金香) — complex sweet-honey bouquet that is the “calling card” of the cultivar.
Liquor aroma: Multi-layered and persistent: top notes — honey and dried fruits (apricot, date); middle — caramel, biscuit, malt; base — delicate woody-spicy undertones. With each subsequent infusion the aroma evolves, revealing new facets.
Taste: Dense, full-bodied and simultaneously surprisingly soft. Clean, deep sweetness (回甘) dominates, due to record amino acid content in source material. Astringency minimal, quickly dissolving into long warming aftertaste. Taste body “oily” (油润), enveloping.
Liquor color: Red-amber, bright and clear, with pronounced golden “ring” (金圈, jīn quān) — sign of high theaflavin content.
Spent leaves (wet leaves): Leaf unfolds elastically and evenly; color — copper-brown to reddish-chestnut. Structure whole, buds and leaves well distinguishable.

7. Chemical Composition:

Amino acids: Main “superpower” of Huangjincha. Free amino acid content in fresh spring raw material reaches 7.47% (according to some data — up to 7.76%), which is twice the indicators of ordinary green teas. L-theanine dominates. After full oxidation, a significant portion of amino acids is preserved, ensuring exceptional sweetness and “umami” of the red tea (black tea).
Polyphenols: Content in fresh raw material — about 20–25%. In red tea (black tea), oxidized forms predominate: theaflavins (TF) and thearubigins (TR), forming color and “body” of the liquor. TF/TR balance determines characteristic “lively” brightness with simultaneous depth of flavor.
Water-extractable substances: Up to 50% — exceptionally high indicator explaining richness and persistence of liquor during multiple brewings.
Alkaloids: Caffeine — 4.3% (according to data for native raw material). Theobromine and theophylline — in trace amounts.
Chlorophyll: Content 50% higher than control varieties, which contributes to increased photosynthetic activity and, indirectly, accumulation of secondary metabolites.
Volatile aromatic compounds: Rich complex of terpenes, aldehydes and Maillard reaction products. Characteristic “golden aroma” is formed by combination of linalool, geraniol, β-ionone and specific amino acid derivatives.
Vitamins and minerals: B-group vitamins, ascorbic acid (partially), potassium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, selenium.

8. Health Properties:

Gentle stimulation and cognitive support: High L-theanine content combined with caffeine provides state of “relaxed concentration” — alertness without anxiety, improved memory and attention.
Powerful antioxidant protection: Theaflavins, thearubigins and residual catechins possess pronounced ability to neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress. In antioxidant activity, red tea (black tea) from high-polyphenol Huangjincha raw material occupies a high position among Chinese red teas.
Metabolic support: Polyphenolic compounds and caffeine stimulate thermogenesis and promote fat breakdown, making the tea a good companion for those watching their weight.
Digestive comfort: Warm, mild red tea (black tea) is traditionally recommended after meals. Moderate tannins normalize gastric juice secretion.
Cardiovascular health: Theaflavins demonstrate in studies ability to support vascular elasticity and normalize lipid profile.
Immune strengthening: Polyphenols possess moderate antimicrobial and immunomodulating action.
Cellular aging delay: High antioxidant properties of tea polyphenols are linked in studies to slowing age-related cellular changes.
Warming effect: Fully oxidized tea warms in cold weather, relieves subjective feeling of fatigue.

9. Brewing:

Water temperature: 90–95 °C.
Tea amount: 4–5 g per 100–120 ml. For tippy batches — slightly less (3–4 g), as substance concentration is higher.
Teaware: Porcelain gàiwǎn (盖碗) — for most precise revelation of aromatic profile; Yíxīng clay teapot (宜兴紫砂壶) — for greater roundness and oiliness; glass teapot — for aesthetic pleasure from observing the “dance” of unfolding golden tips.
Process:

Warm teaware with boiling water and pour out.
Add tea, cover with lid and shake — inhale “golden” aroma of warmed leaf.
Rinse not necessary; if desired — short (1–2 sec) pour.
First infusion: 8–10 seconds. Already from first cup the characteristic honey-fruit sweetness is felt.
2nd–4th infusions: 10–15 seconds.
From 5th infusion: increase by 5–10 seconds.
Quality batch withstands 7–9 full infusions, distinguished by stability and “endurance” (耐冲泡) — one of recognized merits of the cultivar.

10. Storage:

Airtight opaque container — metal tin, vacuum foil bag, ceramic vessel.
Dry, dark, cool place (15–25 °C, humidity below 60%), away from foreign odors.
Optimal period — 6–18 months to preserve brightness. Well-dried batches can gently “round out” over 2–3 years.
Avoid moisture, direct light, temperature fluctuations and proximity to aromatic products.

11. Price and Counterfeits:

Price category: Baojing Huang Jin Hong Cha is a premium regional product. Cost is determined by harvest standard (tippy batches — most expensive), season (early spring raw material valued highest), source (ancient trees vs. young plantations) and presence of award certificates. The saying “一两黄金一两茶” reflects historical perception of this tea as luxury item, though modern market pricing is, of course, far from literal “liang of gold for liang of tea.”
How to avoid counterfeits:

Buy from verified sellers with traceability to specific farms in Baojing. Pay attention to presence of geographical indication mark (地理标志).
Evaluate appearance: even, tight twist, abundant golden tips, absence of dust and foreign inclusions.
Check aroma: should be clean, honey-sweet, with characteristic “golden” note. Absence of burnt, moldy, fishy notes.
Evaluate liquor: bright, red-amber, clear, with pronounced golden ring. Cloudiness — warning signal.
Test “endurance”: authentic Huangjincha is famous for endurance during multiple brewings. If after 3–4 infusions flavor sharply “drops off” — this may indicate raw material substitution.

12. Interesting Facts:

Baojing Huangjincha is called a “drinkable cultural monument” (可以拿来喝的文物, “cultural relic that can be drunk”): in Huangjin Village 2,057 ancient tea trees are preserved, the oldest of which is over 400 years old. Seven historical tea gardens — Longjing’ao (龙颈坳), Gezhemai (格者麦), Deranggong (德让拱), Kulu (库鲁), Tuantian (团田), Lengzhaihe (冷寨河) and Haonawu (夯纳乌) — are preserved as a living open-air museum.
“Mother of Huangjincha” — agronomist Zhāng Xiāngshēng (张湘生), graduate of the first post-Cultural Revolution university class. From 1993 she devoted herself to a single task — learning to propagate Huangjincha by cutting. In 1994 the experiment was crowned with success: 3.16 mu of seedlings (about 500,000 pieces) gave rise to mass distribution of the cultivar throughout Xiangxi.
Academician Liú Zhōnghuá (刘仲华, Liú Zhōnghuá), one of the world’s leading experts in tea science and laureate of China’s State Prize, openly admires Huangjincha and personally purchases over 100 kg of tea per year. According to him, he has never before encountered a tea cultivar with such high amino acid content.
Baojing is located at 28° North latitude — the so-called “golden belt of tea production.” The county borders Zhāngjiājiè (张家界, Zhāngjiājiè), the famous national park of “floating mountains,” and Fènghuáng (凤凰, Fènghuáng, “Phoenix City”), birthplace of writer Shen Congwen.
Tea from Baojing is produced not only in red and green versions: local masters experiment with dark tea (hei cha), oolong, white and yellow processing methods of the same raw material. Annual production (2020 data) comprised: green — 581 tons, red — 309 tons, dark — 270 tons, and total value of entire tea chain — 12.5 billion yuan.

13. Comparison with Other Red Teas:

Gǔzhàng Máojiān Hóng Chá (古丈毛尖红茶): Red tea (black tea) from neighboring Gǔzhàng County (古丈), also located in Xiangxi. Made from raw material of famous green Guzhang Maojian. Structurally a “related” product, but without record amino acid content of Huangjincha. Guzhang Hong Cha is typically somewhat more “dry” and less sweet in taste.
Húnán Hóng Chá (湖南红茶, general category): Umbrella brand uniting red teas (black teas) of Hunan Province, including Húhóng (湖红, Hú Hóng). Traditional Hunan red teas are made from standard cultivars and have a more even, “industrial” profile. Huang Jin Hong Cha stands out with exceptional sweetness and “oily” texture due to properties of unique cultivar.
Diān Hóng (滇红, Diān Hóng): Yunnan red tea (black tea) from large-leaf Assam type. Dian Hong — powerful, full-bodied, with pronounced notes of chocolate, pepper and musk. Huang Jin Hong Cha — softer, sweeter, with more delicate aromatic profile and significantly higher amino acid content.
Jīn Jùn Méi (金骏眉, Jīn Jùn Méi): Premium red tea (black tea) from Wuyishan (Fujian), made from buds only of wild tea bushes. Both teas — tippy, honey-sweet, with golden liquor. Differences — in terroir: Jin Jun Mei carries mineral “rock” notes of Wuyishan, Huang Jin Hong Cha — fruity depth and characteristic “golden” sweetness of Xiangxi.

In Conclusion:

Baojing Huang Jin Hong Cha is a red tea (black tea) with exceptional pedigree. Behind it stand over four centuries of life of ancient tea trees, the legend of the liang of gold, a unique cultivar with record amino acid content, the mountain country of Xiangxi with its Miao-Tujia culture and ecological pristineness. In the cup it offers what is difficult to achieve from most red teas simultaneously: deep, honey sweetness without the slightest cloying quality, full, “oily” body, persistent aroma with notes of gold and dried fruits — and that amazing “endurance” during multiple brewings for which Huangjincha earned its “golden” reputation.