Fēngkāi hóngchá · new.thetea.app

Fengkai Hong Cha — red tea (black tea) from Fēngkāi County (封開縣), Zhàoqìng City (肇慶市), Guǎngdōng Province (廣東省). The foundation of the product line is the famous “Xinghua Baima Cha” (杏花白馬茶, “White Horse Tea from Xinghua”) — a historical tea produced on the slopes of Báimǎ Mountain (白馬山, 944 m) in Xinghua Town (杏花鎮). According to the “Fengchuan County Chronicle” (《封川縣志》), tea from Baima Mountain was supplied to the imperial court during the Qing dynasty, and in 1908 (光緒三十四年, 34th year of Guangxu) was sent to the Panama Exhibition, where it received the title of “second-class famous product” (二等名產). Modern Fengkai Hong Cha is a product of this tradition’s revival: since 2015, entrepreneur Xiè Hanzhao (謝漢釗) has been developing the “Xinghua Baima” (杏花白馬®) brand, creating the region’s first automated production line for red, green, and white tea from Baima raw materials.

1. Classification and Origin:

Type: Red tea (black tea) (紅茶, hóngchá), fully oxidized. By technology — gongfu hongcha with elements of unique local processing (specially adapted automated line combining traditional manual techniques with mechanization).
Category: Regional Guangdong red tea (black tea). Belongs to the family of western Guǎngdōng teas from the Xījiāng River (西江) basin.
Origin: China, Guǎngdōng Province (廣東省), Zhàoqìng City (肇慶市), Fēngkāi County (封開縣). Production core — Xinghua Town (杏花鎮): Báimǎ Mountain (白馬山, highest point 944 m), Yǒnghé Village (永和村) and Fenglou Village (鳳樓村). Also — He’erkou (河兒口鎮), Baigou (白垢鎮), Dázhōu (大洲鎮), Duping (都平鎮), Chang’an (長安鎮).
Geographic coordinates: approximately 23°26′ N, 111°31′ E.
Alternative names: Xinghua Báimǎ Hóngchá (杏花白馬紅茶); Fēngkāi Báimǎ Chá (封開白馬茶 — general name covering green, red, and white tea from Baima Mountain).

2. History and Cultural Significance:

The tea history of Baima Mountain reaches deep into the centuries. The county chronicle “Fengchuan Xian Zhi” (《封川縣志》) from the Qing era (Daoguang period, 道光, 1821–1850) records: “Baima Mountain produces tea; color red, taste fragrant” (白馬山產茶，色紅味香). The same source mentions “wencha” (文茶) — tea from Wende Village (文德) on the Xiaojiang River (小江), which testifies to the diversity of local teas already in the first half of the 19th century. According to legend, during the Qing era, Báimǎ tea was supplied to the imperial court as tribute tea (貢品).

A key historical date — 1908 (34th year of Guangxu reign): a batch of tea from Xinghua Town, Baima Mountain, was sent by decision of the Qing court to an international exhibition (often identified as the Panama Exhibition), where it received the title of “second-class famous product” (二等名產之稱).

In 1968–1969, the state tea plantation Zhàoqìng Fēngkāi Báimǎ Tea Farm (肇慶封開白馬茶場) was established on Baima Mountain (altitude ~900 m). The trees planted then now have an age of over 50 years, which gives the raw material additional depth and value. These “veteran” bushes are among the oldest cultivated tea plants in western Guangdong; their root system penetrates deep into the granite rock, extracting microelements unavailable to young plantings. Raw material from these trees noticeably differs from young plantations: the liquor is denser, more “mineral,” and the aftertaste is longer and deeper.

For decades after the establishment of the state plantation, Baima tea was produced primarily as green tea and sold on the local market without packaging or branding. In the words of “Xinghua Baima” founder Xie Hanzhao: “The tea had a name but no face” (有品名而無品牌). The situation began to change only in the 2010s.

The modern stage began in 2014–2016, when Xiè Hanzhao (謝漢釗) — a native of Fengkai and tea enthusiast — invested more than 7 million yuan in creating a 350-mu (≈23 ha) model plantation in Yǒnghé Village (永和村) and a 10-mu nursery for growing quality seedlings. In 2016, he registered the “Xinghua Baima” (杏花白馬®) brand, developed his own enterprise standard, and commissioned a unique automated line capable of processing 300 kg of fresh leaves per day — for red, green, and white tea. The line combines traditional manual techniques of Baima tea with mechanization, which became a technological breakthrough for the region.

By 2020, the total area of tea gardens in the county reached ~4,100 mu, of which ~1,950 mu were in Xinghua Town (48% of all areas). Annual maocha volume — ~225 tons, product value — ~67.5 million yuan. The brand attracted investments from two more companies: “Senchong Tea Industry” (森沖茶業) invested 6 million yuan in 350 mu of plantations in Fenglou Village (鳳樓村); “Chunyu Tea Industry” (春葉茶業) and “Xiongfeng Tea Industry” (雄豐茶業) jointly invested 18 million yuan in 900 mu of plantations in Shuanglian (雙聯村) and Fuliu (扶六村, Baigou Town). The “company + base + farmer” model (公司+基地+農戶) ensures the purchase of fresh leaves from small farms, removing sales risks for them.

Cultural significance: Baima tea is the “green business card” of Fengkai, alongside the famous Xinghua chicken (杏花雞, national GI product) and the Great Spotted Stone (大斑石, China’s largest granite monolith). The revival of tea tradition is viewed as a model of “intangible heritage + rural renewal” (非遺 + 鄉村振興). Fengkai is also the birthplace of “Guangxin” (廣信), an ancient city that, according to one version, gave its name to the entire Guǎngdōng Province (廣東 — “east of Guangxin”). This two-thousand-year administrative history gives local tea additional cultural weight. Zhaoqing, to which Fengkai belongs, ranks first in Guangdong by the number of products with geographical indication (49 GI by 2025).

3. Botanical Description and Raw Material:

Main cultivars: Local populations of small-leaf and medium-leaf type (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis), historically cultivated on Baima Mountain. For new plantations, selected seedlings from their own nursery that have passed adaptive selection are used. Some farms also use Yunnan large-leaf and other introduced varieties.
Age of plantings: Trees from the state plantation of 1968–69 — 55+ years; new plantings 2014–2020 — 5–12 years.
Picking: Spring (March–April) — best grade. Summer and autumn — standard.
Picking standard: One bud with one-two leaves for premium batches; one bud with two-three leaves — for standard.

4. Terroir and Cultivation:

Relief: Xinghua Town is located in the central-southern part of Fengkai, in the valley of the Guangxin River (廣信河, tributary of Xijiang), surrounded by mountains. Relief — valley-like, “four sides high, middle low.” Baima Mountain — in the southeastern part of the town, highest point 944 m.
Growing altitude: 700–944 m (core); new plantations — from 300 m.
Climate: Subtropical monsoon humid. Average annual temperature ~20°C (in the valley ~21.5°C). Precipitation — 1,400–1,800 mm/year. Extreme maximum — 39°C, minimum — 2°C. On Baima Mountain at altitudes 700–900 m — frequent morning fogs, reduced insolation, significant day/night temperature differences — conditions that promote the accumulation of aromatic substances and amino acids.
Soils: Acidic (pH 5.0–6.0), red and yellow mountain soils on granite base. Baima Mountain — the largest granite deposit in the region (geological reserves ~100 million m³), whose mineral composition enriches the soil with microelements.
Ecology: The area is distinguished by high biological productivity: more than 300 species of wild animals, 700+ species of wild plants. High forest coverage. Tea gardens are located in an ecologically clean zone, remote from industrial facilities. New plantations are equipped with automatic irrigation systems, water collection basins, pest control devices, and concrete access roads — infrastructure superior to most mountain tea farms in western Guangdong.
Microclimate of Baima Mountain: At altitudes 700–944 m, a specific microclimate forms: morning fogs envelop the slopes until 10–11 o’clock, creating diffused lighting; night temperatures are 5–8°C lower than valley temperatures. These conditions slow shoot growth, increasing the proportion of amino acids (sweetness) and aromatic compounds relative to polyphenols (bitterness). The result — tea with pronounced natural sweetness and “pure mountain spirit” (山野清香), distinguishing it from flatland Guangdong red teas (black teas).
Seasonality: Spring picking (春茶) — best grade: tender, aromatic, sweet. Summer (夏茶) — denser, with noticeable astringency. Autumn (秋茶) — “honey-like,” with soft body.

5. Production Technology:

Picking (采摘): Manual, one bud + one-two leaves.
Withering (萎凋): 10–16 hours, natural or indoors. Leaf softens, light fruity aroma appears.
Rolling (揉捻): On automated line — controlled intensity. Formation of dense, elastic tea particles (壯實).
Fermentation / Oxidation (發酵): 3–5 hours, at controlled temperature and humidity. Full fermentation.
Drying (烘乾): Staged — initial at elevated temperature (fixation), then final at reduced temperature (aroma stabilization).
Sorting (分級): By size, presence of tips, and quality.
Special feature: The “Xinghua Baima” line — the only one in the region specially designed to preserve all stages of traditional Baima tea processing while mechanizing; the design took six months of joint work by engineers and manual tea-making masters.

6. Organoleptic Characteristics:

Dry leaf appearance: Dense, elastic, twisted tea particles (壯實), dark brown to black, with oily luster. In higher grades — noticeable golden tips.
Dry leaf aroma: Sweet, honey-fruity, with light “forest” notes reflecting the mountain terroir of Baima.
Liquor aroma: Persistent, multi-layered. Honey, dried fruits, light florality. Characteristic “pure mountain spirit” (山野清香) — result of high-altitude growing and ecological purity.
Taste: Rich and mildly sweet (濃醇甘甜), with fresh “lively” juiciness (鮮活) and long-lasting returning sweetness (huí gān) (回甘持久). Body — medium to full. Astringency mild, quickly transitioning to sweetness.
Liquor color: Bright red, clear, with luster (紅艷透亮). In the best batches — with a “golden ring” around the edge.
Spent leaves (wet leaves): Red-copper, elastic, whole leaves.

7. Chemical Composition:

Polyphenols: 14–18% dry weight. Moderate level ensuring mildness.
Amino acids: 3–4% — elevated level forming sweetness and “umami.” Related to mountain terroir (fogs, diffused light).
Caffeine: 2.0–3.0%.
Thearubigins and theaflavins: Form the red color of the liquor and “velvet” taste.
Aromatic compounds: Characteristic terpene alcohols (linalool, geraniol) — form the floral-honey profile.

8. Health Properties:

Mild tonification: Moderate caffeine content, high L-theanine level.
Antioxidant protection: Theaflavins and thearubigins.
Warming action: “Warm” nature, comfortable in cool season.
Digestive support: Stimulates secretion, helps after fatty food.
Refreshing and thirst-quenching action (清熱解渴): Traditionally noted property of Baima tea, mentioned in historical sources.
Strengthening digestive function (健脾開胃): Traditionally believed that Baima tea “opens appetite” — a property valued in Guangdong culinary culture.

9. Brewing:

Water temperature: 90–95°C.
Tea amount: 4–5 g per 100–120 ml (gongfu); 3 g per 200–250 ml (steeping).
Teaware: Porcelain gaiwan, glass cup.
Process:
1. Warm the teaware.
2. Add tea.
3. Rinse — optional (quick pour 2–3 seconds).
4. First infusion: 10–15 seconds.
5. 5–7 infusions, increasing time by 5–10 seconds.
Note: Baima hongcha opens beautifully also in “large cup” format (large glass / European format): 3 g per 250 ml, 3–4 minutes steeping. This format is especially appropriate for daily consumption in hot Guangdong climate — the liquor at room temperature retains “lively juiciness” and refreshing character, noted in Qing chronicles as a property of Baima tea to “quench thirst and open appetite.”

10. Storage:

Container: Airtight, opaque.
Conditions: 10–25°C, humidity up to 60%.
Shelf life: 12–24 months.

11. Price and Counterfeits:

Fengkai Hong Cha — tea of medium price segment. Standard — 200–500 yuan/500 g; premium (old Baima trees, spring, handmade) — 500–1,500 yuan.

How to avoid counterfeits: Check origin (Fengkai County, Zhaoqing, Guangdong). Look for the “杏花白馬®” brand or similar certified brands. “Pure mountain spirit” and “long-lasting returning sweetness (huí gān)” — key organoleptic markers.

12. Interesting Facts:

Imperial tea and Panama (1908): Baima tea was sent to an international exhibition by order of the Qing court in the last year of Guangxu’s reign — one of the few Guangdong teas to receive international recognition in the early 20th century.
Half a century on the mountain: Trees from the state plantation of 1968–69 — among the oldest in western Guangdong; their raw material is valued for depth and “maturity” of taste.
Unique line “made by hand… by machine”: The “Xinghua Baima” automated line was designed for six months with participation of engineers and manual tea-making masters to precisely reproduce all nuances of traditional processing — including specific withering regime unavailable to standard lines for red or green tea.
Fengkai — birthplace of “Guangxin”: The county is named after the ancient city of Guangxin (廣信), which, according to one version, gave its name to the entire Guǎngdōng Province (廣東 — “east of Guangxin”). Tea from Baima Mountain — product of a region with two-thousand-year administrative history.
48% — share of one town: Xinghua Town, though small (population ~20,500 people), provides 48% of all tea areas in the county, making it the absolute center of Fengkai tea cultivation.
350 jobs: Development of the tea industry in Xinghua provided permanent and seasonal employment for ~350 local residents, and the “company + base + farmer” model attracted over 20 small partner farms.
“Name without face”: Until 2014, Baima tea existed as a nameless product of the local market: farmers sold loose tea without packaging or branding. Creation of the “Xinghua Baima®” brand and enterprise standard became a turning point, transforming a “village” product into goods with market identity.

13. Comparative Analysis:

Parameter	Fēngkāi Hóng Chá (封開紅茶)	Hèshān Hóng Chá (鶴山紅茶)	Yīngdé Hóng Chá (英德紅茶)
Prefecture	Zhaoqing	Jiangmen	Qingyuan
Production core	Baima Mountain (Xinghua)	Shuanghe, Gulao	Yingde
Altitude	700–944 m	200–800 m	100–500 m
Key aroma	”Mountain spirit,” honey, dried fruits	Honey, malt	Cocoa, malt, nuts
Special feature	Imperial tribute tea; Panama 1908	80% of Guangdong exports in 19th c.	Flagship of Guangdong red tea (black tea)
GI status	In development	Yes (2015)	Yes (2006)

14. Varieties:

Xinghua Báimǎ Hóngchá (杏花白馬紅茶): Main product — red tea (black tea) from Baima Mountain.
Xinghua Baima Lücha (杏花白馬綠茶): Green tea — historically the main Baima tea product: “pure, aromatic, with clear greenish liquor.”
Xinghua Báimǎ Báichá (杏花白馬白茶): White tea — new direction using the same automated line.
By grade: Special Grade (特級), 1st, 2nd.

15. Contraindications and Precautions:

Moderate caffeine content: Limit in the second half of the day if sensitive.
Do not drink on empty stomach.
Pregnancy and lactation: Limit to 2–3 g/day or consult a doctor.

In conclusion:

Fengkai Hong Cha — tea with an imperial past and entrepreneurial present. Baima Mountain, whose tea was valued at the Qing court and received recognition at Panama 1908, today experiences a second birth: from manual methods of peasant tea-making — to a unique automated line preserving the spirit of tradition. This tea does not yet possess the large-scale fame of its Guangdong neighbors — Yingde Hong Cha or Heshan Hong Cha — but its mountain terroir, half-century-old trees, and rapidly growing infrastructure make it one of the most promising “rising stars” of western Guangdong tea cultivation.

In every cup of Fengkai Hong Cha — the mist of Baima Mountain, the mineral strength of granite soils, and that same “pure mountain spirit” that distinguished Baima tea even in times when it was presented to the court. For those seeking Guangdong red tea (black tea) beyond the “big three” (Yingde, Heshan, Zijin), Fengkai is a discovery worth making while it is still not widely known and has not become correspondingly expensive.