Jiǔhuá Fú Chá · new.thetea.app

Jiǔhuá Fù Chá (九华佛茶, Jiǔhuá fúchá — “Buddhist tea from the Mountain of Nine Flowers”) — a historical green tea from the sacred Mount Jiǔhuá (九华山) — one of the four great Buddhist mountains of China, abode of Bodhisattva Dìzàng (地藏菩萨, Dìzàng Púsà, Sanskrit: Ksitigarbha). The tea traces its history to the Korean monk Jindizang (金地藏, Jīn Dìzàng) — also known as Kim Kyogak (金乔觉, Jīn Qiáojué), prince of Silla — who during the Kaiyuan period (开元, 713–741) of the Tang era brought tea seeds from Korea and planted them on the slopes of Mount Jiuhua. The original name of the tea was “Jindicha” (金地茶, “Golden Earth Tea”). During the Southern Song period, the outstanding scholar Zhōu Bìdà (周必大, Zhōu Bìdà) in his “Records of the Mountain of Nine Flowers” (九华山录, Jiǔhuáshān Lù) gave the local tea the highest evaluation: “In taste it rivals Beiyuan” (味敌北苑) — placing it on par with the imperial tribute tea of the Song era.

1. Classification and Origin:

Type: Green tea (non-oxidized). Produced in two forms: flat (扁直形, biǎnzhí xíng — “flat-straight, like Buddha’s hand”) and spiral (卷曲形, juǎnqū xíng). By technology — pan-fired and heated.
Category: Historical famous tea of Ānhuī (安徽历史名茶). Registered certification trademark (证明商标, 2003). The variety “Huangshixi Mao Feng” (黄石溪毛峰) received a gold medal at the Panama-Pacific Exhibition of 1915.
Origin: China, Ānhuī Province (安徽, Ānhuī), Chízhōu City (池州市, Chízhōu Shì), Qīngyáng County (青阳县, Qīngyáng Xiàn). Production zone — Mount Jiuhua and the Jiuhua mountain range as a whole, including adjacent areas of Qīngyáng County and Shítái County (石台县). Core terroir: Xiaminyuan (下闵园), Daguling (大古岭), Huangshixi (黄石溪) and Miaoqian (庙前). Two stylistic schools are particularly distinguished: Huangshixi Máo Fēng (黄石溪毛峰) — “栗香型” (chestnut type) and Minyuan Máo Fēng (闵园毛峰) — “兰花香型” (orchid type).
Geographic coordinates: Approximately 30°29′ North latitude, 117°48′ East longitude.

2. History and Cultural Significance:

History: The beginning of tea cultivation on Mount Jiuhua is connected with the legendary figure — Jindizang (金地藏), also known as Prince Kim Kyogak (金乔觉, 696–794) of the state of Silla (新罗, modern Korea). According to legend, during the Kaiyuan period (开元, 713–741) of the Tang era, young Kim Kyogak came to China to study Buddhism, settled on Mount Jiuhua and planted tea seeds he had brought with him. The tea, named “Jindicha” (金地茶, “Golden Earth Tea”), became an integral part of monastic life.

In the Song era, tea from Mount Jiuhua gained literary fame: scholar and statesman Zhōu Bìdà (周必大, 1126–1204) in “Records of the Mountain of Nine Flowers” (九华山录) recorded that the local tea “in taste rivals Beiyuan” (味敌北苑, wèi dí Běiyuàn). “Beiyuan” (北苑) — this is the legendary imperial tea garden of the Song era in Fujian, producing the finest “gongcha” (贡茶) for the court. Such a comparison — the highest compliment, implying that Jiuhua mountain tea stands in the same rank as imperial tea.

In the Ming and Qing eras, the tea became famous throughout the country. The great pharmacologist Lì Shízhēn (李时珍, Lǐ Shízhēn, 1518–1593) in “Bencao gangmu” (本草纲目, “Compendium of Materia Medica”) recorded: “Chizhou’s Mount Jiuhua — a famous tea-producing region” (池州之九华产茶有名).

In the 20th century: in 1915, the variety Huangshixi Máo Fēng (黄石溪毛峰) received a gold medal at the Panama Exhibition. In 1983–1986, the historical names “Dongyai Queshe” (东崖雀舌, “Sparrow’s Tongue of the Eastern Cliff”) and “Jindicha” (金地茶) were revived. In 2003, the certification trademark “九华佛茶” was registered, uniting all teas of the mountain under a single brand.
Name:
- “Jiuhua” (九华) — “Nine Flowers” (or “Nine Magnificences”): poetic name of the mountain, given by the great Tāng poet Lǐ Bái (李白, Lǐ Bái), inspired by the sight of nine mountain peaks resembling lotus flowers.
- “Fu” (佛) — “Buddha”: indicates Buddhist origin and connection with monastic culture.
- “Cha” (茶) — “tea”.
Cultural significance: Jiuhua Fu Cha — tea inextricably linked with one of the four great Buddhist mountains of China (四大佛教名山) — a place of pilgrimage for millions of believers. Bodhisattva Dizang (Ksitigarbha) — patron of the underworld and intercessor for the dead — is the “master” of Mount Jiuhua, and tea from this mountain possesses special spiritual status. The connection of Korean prince-monk Kim Kyogak with the founding of tea cultivation on Mount Jiuhua — a unique example of Korean-Chinese Buddhist cultural exchange.

3. Botanical Description and Raw Material:

Variety / Cultivar: Local indigenous populations of Camellia sinensis var. sinensis — Jiǔhuáshān Yuansheng Quntichong (九华山原生群体种) — “Indigenous population of Mount Jiuhua”. Bushes adapted to high-mountain climate; buds and shoots are fleshy, with abundant down (芽叶肥厚多毫).
Picking: Early spring. For the highest grade — one bud with one leaf in initial opening stage (一芽一叶初展, ≥80%). For first grade — one bud with one leaf (60–80%). For second grade — one bud with two leaves (60–80%). For third grade — one bud with two-three leaves (40–60%).
Raw material requirements: Tender, fleshy, uniform shoots. For highest grades — without “paired leaves” (对夹叶, duìjiā yè — leaves without bud). Processing — on the day of picking.

4. Terroir and Cultivation Features:

Sacred mountain: Mount Jiuhua — a mountain massif with main peaks above 1000 m, located in southern Anhui. Mountain relief — steep, with deep gorges, numerous streams and waterfalls. Landscape — classic example of “mountain Buddhist” terroir.
Climate: Warm and humid, with abundant precipitation and frequent clouds. Daily temperature fluctuations — significant. Pests and industrial pollution — practically absent. Tea gardens — effectively “naturally organic” (天然有机).
Soils: Developed on granite and shale rocks (花岗岩或页岩风化母质). Acidic, fertile, with good aeration. Rich forest vegetation (林木葱茏, “green canopy of forests”) and mountain flowers (杂花生树) create a unique ecosystem.
Growing altitude: Tea gardens are located at various elevations — from 400 to 1000+ m. Best quality — from high-mountain plantations of Huangshixi, Daguling and Minyuan.

5. Production Technology:

The technology of Jiuhua Fu Cha includes eight stages. Key feature — double shaping on straightening machine (理条机分二次理条) with subsequent manual “flattening” (手工压扁).

Picking (鲜叶采摘 — xiānyè cǎizhāi): Manual spring picking of shoots of “one bud — one-two leaves in initial stage” standard.
Spreading (摊青 — tān qīng): Brief spreading for withering.
Fixation (杀青 — shāqīng): At 150–160°C — gentle pan-firing, preserving tenderness and down.
Cooling (摊凉 — tānliáng): Moisture redistribution.
Shaping (做形 — zuòxíng): Double straightening on machine (理条机分二次理条) + manual “flattening” (手工压扁). It is at this stage that the flat form acquires the characteristic silhouette of “Buddha’s hand” (佛手状, fóshǒu zhuàng).
Primary drying (毛火 — máohuǒ): At 120–130°C — rapid drying.
Final drying (足火 — zúhuǒ): At 100–120°C — bringing to stable condition. Aroma development (提香) — until shoots break when the stem is bent (茶条折梗即断).
Sorting and packaging (拣剔→包装 — jiǎntī → bāozhuāng): Final manual sorting.

6. Organoleptic Characteristics:

Dry leaf appearance: Flat form — straight, even tea leaves resembling “Buddha’s hand” (扁直呈佛手状). Color — emerald-green with slight yellowish tint (翠绿带黄). Spiral form — tight curls of dark green color (墨绿).
Dry leaf aroma: Orchid note (兰花香, lánhuā xiāng), fruity (果香, guǒxiāng), chestnut (栗香, lìxiāng). Two stylistic directions: Huangshixi — chestnut type (栗香型); Minyuan — orchid type (兰花香型).
Liquor aroma: High and persistent (香高味醇). Orchid-fruity in first infusions, chestnut — in subsequent ones.
Taste: Fresh and brisk (鲜爽, xiānshuǎng), mellow and rich (醇厚, chúnhòu), with pronounced returning sweetness (回甘, huígān). Aftertaste — long, clean.
Liquor color: Emerald-green, bright and clear (碧绿明亮).
Spent leaves: Tender, uniform shoots of green color.

7. Chemical Composition:

High-mountain origin, granite soils and ecological purity determine the profile:

Polyphenols (catechins): Significant content. Provides antioxidant potential.
Amino acids (including L-theanine): Elevated content — result of mountain diffused light and rich soils.
Alkaloids: Caffeine — moderate content.
Vitamins: Vitamin C, carotenoids.
Minerals: Potassium, magnesium, zinc, manganese — profile determined by granite and shale soils.

8. Health Properties:

Stimulating effect (提神): Caffeine and L-theanine.
Cooling and detoxifying action (清热解毒): Traditional properties.
Digestion improvement (消食): Enzyme stimulation.
Diuretic action (利尿): Theobromine and theophylline.
Antioxidant action: Catechins.
Important: the listed properties are based on publicly available data and are not medical recommendations.

9. Brewing:

Water temperature: 80–85°C.
Tea amount: 2 g per 100 ml of water.
Teaware: White porcelain gaiwan or glass cup.
Process:
1. Warm the teaware, drain.
2. Add tea.
3. First infusion — 15 seconds.
4. Subsequent — increase by 10 seconds. Tea withstands 4–5 brewings.
Note: tasting according to Buddhist tradition — three stages: inhale aroma (闻香 — orchid and fruits), evaluate color (观色 — emerald brightness), taste in small sips (品味 — freshness and returning sweetness).

10. Storage:

Store in airtight container, in dark and cool place.
Optimally — refrigerator at 0–5°C.
Storage period — up to 12 months.
After opening — consume within 1–2 months.

11. Price and Counterfeits:

Jiuhua Fu Cha — tea with growing popularity, connected with pilgrimage tourism to Mount Jiuhua. Price depends on grade, specific micro-region (Huangshixi, Minyuan — more expensive) and picking time.

How to avoid counterfeits:
- Buy from verified sellers with certification trademark “九华佛茶”.
- Distinguish two styles: Huangshixi (chestnut type) and Minyuan (orchid type) — both legitimate.
- Evaluate shape: flat version — “Buddha’s hand” — straight and even; spiral — tight and dark green.
- Evaluate aroma: orchid and/or chestnut — signature notes. Absence of both — suspicious.
- Pay attention to origin: authentic Jiuhua Fu Cha — only from Mount Jiuhua zone and adjacent areas.

12. Interesting Facts:

The founder of tea cultivation on Mount Jiuhua — Kim Kyogak (金乔觉), prince of the Korean state of Silla — one of the most unusual personalities in the history of Chinese tea. He arrived in China in the 8th century to study Buddhism, spent 75 years on Mount Jiuhua, was canonized after death as incarnation of Bodhisattva Dizang and transformed Mount Jiuhua into one of the four great Buddhist mountains of China. The tea he brought from Korea and planted on the mountain — living heritage of Korean-Chinese cultural exchange.
Zhou Bida’s evaluation “味敌北苑” — “in taste rivals Beiyuan” — this is the Song equivalent of the highest tea award. Běiyuàn (北苑) — imperial tea garden in Fujian, producing the finest “gongcha” for the Song court. To place mountain tea from Mount Jiuhua on par with imperial tea — means recognizing its absolute perfection.
Lì Shízhēn (李时珍, 1518–1593) — author of “Bencao gangmu”, the greatest pharmacological treatise of China — specifically highlighted Mount Jiuhua as a “famous tea-producing region”.
Two styles — Huangshixi (chestnut) and Minyuan (orchid) — are produced from the same raw material on the same mountain, but differ in microclimate of specific slope and nuances of technology. This is a rare example of “intra-mountain” stylistic diversity.
Tea gardens of Mount Jiuhua — effectively “naturally organic”: complete absence of industrial pollution, pests and need for pesticides. The Buddhist mountain created ideal ecological conditions for tea cultivation.

13. Comparison with other “Buddhist” and Anhui green teas:

Jǐng Shān Chá (径山茶): From Zhejiang. Also “Buddhist tea” from Chan monastery, also connected with tea ceremony history. Jingshan — “birthplace of Japanese tea ceremony”; Mount Jiuhua — “tea of Bodhisattva Dizang”. By style: Jingshan — more twisted and chestnut-orchid; Jiuhua — more flat, in “Buddha’s hand” shape.
Huángshān Máo Fēng (黄山毛峰): Fellow from southern Anhui. Heated “sparrow’s tongue” with orchid aroma. Mao Feng — more commercially successful and “elegant”; Jiuhua — more “spiritual”, with Buddhist aura.
Yǒngxī Huǒ Qīng (涌溪火青): From Jingxian County, also Anhui. Pearl tea with apricot liquor. Radically different style: Huo Qing — round granules, 20-hour drying; Jiuhua — flat “Buddha’s hands”, standard heated drying.
Éméishān Zhúyèqīng (峨眉竹叶青): From Mount Emei — also Buddhist shrine (Bodhisattva Puxian). Both — “Buddhist mountain teas”, but from different provinces and with different style: Zhuyeqing — flat “bamboo leaf”; Jiuhua — flat “Buddha’s hand”.

In conclusion:

Jiuhua Fu Cha — tea in which Buddhist sanctity, Korean-Chinese history and Anhui mastery united on the slopes of the Mountain of Nine Flowers. Korean prince-monk who brought tea seeds more than a thousand years ago; Song scholar who placed mountain tea on par with imperial; flat tea leaves in “Buddha’s hand” shape, revealing orchid-chestnut aroma in purest emerald liquor — all this makes Jiuhua Fu Cha one of the most spiritually saturated teas of China. This is tea for meditation and contemplation — for those who seek in the cup not only taste, but also silence.