Matu Lü Chá

Matu Lü Chá (马图绿茶, Mǎtú lǜchá) — “Green tea [of] Matu [village]” — high-altitude pan-fired green tea from Mǎtú Village (马图村, Mǎtú Cūn) in Lónggǎng Town (龙岗镇, Lónggǎng Zhèn), Fēngshùn County (丰顺县, Fēngshùn Xiàn), Méizhōu City (梅州市, Méizhōu Shì), Guangdong Province. This tea has a revolutionary pedigree: in January 1929, Marshal Zhū Dé (朱德, Zhū Dé), commanding the 4th Corps of the Red Army, led troops to Matu and gifted the peasants 20 jin (10 kg) of small-leaf oolong seeds (小叶乌龙, xiǎoyè wūlóng) brought from Western Fujian and originally intended for Jinggangshan. Since then, Matu Lü Cha has been known as “Hongjun Cha” (红军茶, Hóngjūn Chá, “Red Army Tea”). The village preserves over 100,000 century-old tea trees — one of the largest concentrations of ancient tea plants in Guangdong. The “double pan-firing — double rolling” technology (二炒二揉, èr chǎo èr róu) is an intangible cultural heritage of Meizhou. Polyphenols — 33.83%.

1. Classification and Origin:

• Type: Green tea (绿茶, lǜchá), non-oxidized. Pan-fired (炒青绿茶, chǎoqīng lǜchá). Shape — “eyebrow-like” (眉形, méi xíng): tight, slightly curved tea leaves of gray-green color with down.

• Category: National Geographical Indication Product of China (国家地理标志保护产品, 2014). Intangible Cultural Heritage of Méizhōu (梅州市非物质文化遗产) — “二炒二揉” technology. One of the “Eight Famous Teas of Meizhou” (嘉应八大名茶, since 1984). “Red Army Tea” (红军茶). Winner of Guangdong Famous Tea Competitions: gold medal at the 6th competition (2005), silver at the 7th (2007), quality prize at the 5th (2002). By 2023 — 12,000 mu (~800 hectares), over 100,000 century-old trees, annual production value — 200 million yuan.

• Origin: China, Guǎngdōng Province (广东省), Méizhōu City (梅州市), Fēngshùn County (丰顺县, Fēngshùn Xiàn), Lónggǎng Town (龙岗镇, Lónggǎng Zhèn), Mǎtú Village (马图村). Production also extends to neighboring villages Pingfeng (坪丰), Jiangkeng (江坑), and Songjiang (松江).

• Geographic coordinates: Approximately 24°05′ N, 116°10′ E.

2. History and Cultural Significance:

• History:

Ming Era, Dàoguāng (道光十一年, 1831). First documented records of tea cultivation in the village: peasants of Xià Zhāng Datanghu village (下嶂大塘湖) planted 3 mu (~0.2 hectares) of tea garden with small-leaf variety. Some sources date the beginning of tea cultivation to the 16th century, indicating over 500 years of history. Some of those trees have survived to this day.

1929 — Zhu De and “Red Army Tea.” In January 1929, Marshal Zhú Dé (朱德, 1886–1976) led the 4th Corps of the Red Army to Matu — a mountain village at the junction of Fengshun, Wuhua, and Jiexi. Here took place two “Matu Meetings” (马图会议), which left their mark in Red Army history (along with Zhu De, the village was visited by Zhú Yunqing (朱云卿), Luó Ronghuan (罗荣桓), Nie Rongzhen (聂荣臻)). Zhu De, seeing the poverty of the mountain village inhabitants, gifted them a sack (20 jin, ~10 kg) of small-leaf oolong seeds (小叶乌龙茶种) brought from Western Fujian and originally intended for Jinggangshan. At a general meeting, he called upon the peasants: “Plant tea — strengthen the village” (种茶兴农). The tea grown from these seeds came to be called “Hongjun Cha” (红军茶, “Red Army Tea”) or “Red Army variety” (红茶种, hóngchá zhǒng) — one of the few tea names in China directly connected to Red Army history. The song “Raise a Cup of Matu Tea” (《敬你一杯马图茶》) was repeatedly broadcast by Central People’s Radio.

1954 — “Highest Price.” The Guangdong Tea Association awarded Matu Lü Cha the status of “green tea with the highest price in Guangdong” (广东省绿茶类最高价格) — recognition of exceptional quality.

1980s — decline and revival. Volume decreased: after reforms, each household engaged in tea independently, without coordination. Recovery occurred through the “company + base + peasant household” model (公司+基地+农户): companies “Mashan Chaye” (马山茶业) and “Matu Chaye” (马图茶业) consolidated resources, standardized processing, and brought the product to external markets.

2002–2023. Victories at Guangdong Famous Tea Competitions (2002, 2005, 2007). In 2014 — geographical indication and inclusion of “二炒二揉” technology in the Meizhou intangible heritage registry. By 2023: 12,000 mu, annual value — 200 million yuan. Tea is exported to Southeast Asia, where it enjoys steady demand among the Hakka diaspora.

• Name:

  • “Matu” (马图, Mǎtú) — “Picture of Horses” (or “Map of Horses”). The village was originally called “Matou” (马头, “Horse Head”): the surrounding mountains resemble the silhouette of a horse with a raised head. Over time, the name transformed to “Matu” — “picture of galloping horses,” reflecting the power of the mountain landscape.
  • “Lü Cha” (绿茶, Lǜchá) — “Green Tea” — direct indication of the category.

• Cultural significance: Mǎtú is a Hakka village (客家, Kèjiā), and the tea is inseparably connected to Hakka identity. Hakka are a Han subgroup known for industriousness, clan solidarity, and preservation of traditions; Meizhou is the “Hakka capital” (客都, Kèdū). Matu Lü Cha is one of the tea symbols of this status. “Red Army Tea” symbolizes not only revolutionary heritage but also peasant industriousness: the seeds gifted by the marshal were accepted, preserved, and passed down through generations. The village is also an “old Soviet area” (老苏区, lǎo sūqū) — territory where Soviet power was established in the 1920s–30s. Today, a “Central Soviet Area Memorial Complex” is being built in Matu — a museum, marshal’s square, revolutionary memorials, combined with tea tourism.

3. Botanical Description and Raw Material:

• Variety / Cultivar: Primary — Small-leaf oolong (小叶乌龙群体种, xiǎoyè wūlóng qúntǐ zhǒng), Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, population variety, bush type, medium-leaf. Descendants of seeds gifted by Zhu De in 1929 and earlier plantings (16th–19th centuries). Weight of 100 shoots (one bud + three leaves) — ~70 g. Polyphenols — 33.83% — one of the highest indicators among Guangdong green teas. Additionally — introduced cultivars: Jinmudan (金牡丹, Jīnmǔdān, “Golden Peony”) and Meijian (梅尖, Méijiān, “Plum Point”) — for innovative lines.

• Harvest: Spring — from Spring Equinox (春分, Chūnfēn) to Qīngmíng (清明, Qīngmíng). Standard — one bud + one leaf in initial opening stage (一芽一叶初展). Autumn tea is produced in limited volume.

• Century-old trees: Over 100,000 century-old tea trees (of which ~2,800 mu are traditional small-leaf groves) — genetic reserve and source of raw material for the highest grade. One of the largest concentrations of ancient tea plants in Guangdong.

• Grades (by growing altitude):

  • High-altitude “cloud” (高山云雾茶, gāoshān yúnwù chá, 900+ m): Chestnut aroma, persistent, with “mountain melody.” From 120 yuan/500 g (up to 3,000 yuan/jin for premium batches from century-old trees).
  • Mid-altitude (中山茶, zhōngshān chá, 700–900 m): Dense, less aromatic. 80–120 yuan/500 g.
  • Low-altitude (低山茶, dīshān chá, <700 m): Mass market, everyday. 40–80 yuan/500 g.

• Lines: Traditional (条索紧结, chestnut-rice aroma) + innovative “Golden Needle / Silver Needle” (金针/银针 — from single buds, abundant down, fresh “green” profile).

4. Terroir and Cultivation:

• Climate: Subtropical with pronounced mountain characteristics. Average annual temperature — 21°C (significantly lower at peaks). Average annual precipitation — 2,300 mm — one of the highest indicators among Chinese tea regions. Annual sunshine — 1,860 hours. Fog — over 200 days per year. From the 4th to 9th lunar months (approximately May–October), clouds cover the sun, leaving only 4–5 hours of sunshine per day — extreme “寡日照” (guǎ rìzhào, “low sunshine”) even for cloudy Guangdong. Diurnal temperature variation is significant. Winter frosts come early, summer heat late, creating an extended vegetative period of moderate intensity.

• Altitude: Production core — 915–956 m. Surroundings — thousand-meter peaks: Jiulongzhang (九龙嶂, Jiǔlóng Zhàng, “Nine Dragons Ridge”), Wanshizhang (万狮嶂, Wànshī Zhàng, “Ten Thousand Lions Ridge”), Beishanzhang (北山嶂, Běishān Zhàng, “North Mountain Ridge”). The peaks create a natural “amphitheater” that retains moisture and fog.

• Soils: Yellow-red sandy loams (黄红砂壤土, huánghóng shā rǎng tǔ) on weathered granites and quartzites of the Yánshān period (燕山期花岗岩、石英岩风化). pH 5.5–6.5 — optimal acidity. Parent rock also includes purple sandstones (紫色砂岩). Organic matter is abundant, vegetation cover — predominantly ferns (蕨草).

• Ecology: Core — water resource protection zone. Within a radius of several dozen kilometers — not a single source of pollution. Rivers originate at altitudes of 1,050 m (九龙嶂, 北山嶂). Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are prohibited.

5. Production Technology:

Proprietary Hakka technology “二炒二揉” (èr chǎo èr róu, “double pan-firing — double rolling”) — intangible cultural heritage of Meizhou (since 2014). The doubled cycle of pan-firing and rolling ensures depth of flavor and formation of “mountain melody” (山韵, shānyùn). The entire process is performed with bamboo and wooden tools (竹制器具, zhúzhì qìjù) — contact of leaves with metal is excluded throughout processing, preventing catalytic oxidation of polyphenols and preserving flavor purity.

• Spreading (摊晾, tān liáng): Freshly picked shoots are spread in a thin layer on bamboo trays. Time — 2–4 hours depending on humidity. Initial reduction of turgor and initiation of aroma formation.

• First pan-firing — “kill-green” (杀青, shāqīng): Cast iron wok (铁锅, tiě guō), temperature ~200°C. Method of “tossing + steaming” (扬焖结合, yáng mèn jiéhé): alternating high tossing of leaves (for rapid evaporation) and pressing against wok walls (for gentle heating). Enzyme inactivation. Time — 5–8 minutes.

• First rolling (初揉, chū róu): Leaves are rolled in a bamboo container. Goal — destruction of cell membranes, beginning formation of “eyebrow-like” shape. Pressure — moderate.

• Second pan-firing (初炒, chū chǎo): Repeated high-temperature treatment in the wok. Goal — additional fixation, enhancement of chestnut aroma and “rice” note. Temperature — 160–180°C.

• Second rolling (复揉, fù róu): Repeated shaping. More intensive pressure — compacting the tea leaf, final formation of “eyebrow-like” silhouette.

• Final pan-firing with aroma enhancement (复炒提香定型, fù chǎo tíxiāng dìngxíng): Temperature — 120–140°C. Shape fixation and “lifting” (提香, tíxiāng) of aroma: Maillard reaction between amino acids and sugars forms chestnut and “roasted rice” notes.

• Drying (烘干, hōnggān): Final reduction to moisture content ≤5%.

6. Organoleptic Characteristics:

• Dry leaf appearance: “Eyebrow-like” tea leaves (眉形): tight, slightly curved, gray-green with down (灰绿显毫, huī lǜ xiǎn háo). Size — medium, uniform. In the highest grade (century-old trees) — smaller leaves, abundant down.

• Dry leaf aroma: Chestnut (板栗香, bǎnlì xiāng) — primary, warm and rounded. “Roasted rice aroma” (炒米香, chǎomǐ xiāng) — from traditional “fire work” (火工, huǒgōng) of double pan-firing. Light “mountain” note.

• Liquor aroma: Chestnut-rice complex unfolds brightly, with addition of “mountain melody” (山韵, shānyùn) — high-altitude terroir tone, perceived as a cool mineral “shadow” behind the warm chestnut “body.” Persistence — 5–7 infusions for high-altitude tea.

• Taste: Sweet-mellow (甘醇, gān chún) — sweetness is noticeable from the first infusion. Fresh (鲜爽, xiān shuǎng). Dense and strong (浓强, nóng qiáng) — high content of soluble substances and polyphenols (33.83%) gives perceptible “body.” Returning sweetness — persistent, with extended “throat melody” (喉韵绵长, hóuyùn miáncháng) — aftertaste is felt deep in the throat, not just on the tongue.

• Liquor color: Blue-green, transparent, with light yellow tone in light (青绿透亮略带微黄, qīnglǜ tòuliàng lüè dài wēi huáng). Clear, without turbidity.

• Spent leaves (wet leaves): Soft, tender, uniform, “lively” (柔软幼嫩、匀整鲜活, róuruǎn yòunèn, yúnzhěng xiānhuó). Leaves open completely, maintaining integrity — sign of careful hand rolling.

7. Chemical Composition:

• Polyphenols (茶多酚): 33.83% — high indicator, significantly above average for green tea (~18–25%). Explained by combination of small-leaf oolong cultivar (genetically predisposed to high catechin content) and subtropical climate with abundant precipitation. Main catechins: EGCG, ECG, EGC.

• Amino acids (氨基酸): ≥3.10%. L-theanine — main component. Content lower than “northern” teas (Yimeng Yu Ya, Rizhao), but sufficient for forming pronounced “fresh” profile. Polyphenol/amino acid ratio (~10:1) shifted toward polyphenols — hence more “strong” and “dense” taste character.

• Caffeine (咖啡碱): Approximately 3.5–4.5% — elevated, typical for small-leaf oolong raw material.

• Fluoride (氟): Elevated content — tooth enamel protection. Tea bushes on acidic granitic soils accumulate fluoride from groundwater.

• Vitamins: C, B₁, B₂, E, K, β-carotene.

• Mineral substances: K, Mg, Mn, Zn, Fe, F.

• Aromatic compounds: Chestnut and “rice” aroma are formed by pyrazines (2-ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine and others) and furan derivatives — result of double pan-firing and Maillard reaction. “Mountain melody” (山韵) — complex of terpenoids accumulated under extremely low sunshine (4–5 hours/day).

8. Health Properties:

• Powerful antioxidant action: Polyphenols 33.83% — one of the highest indicators among green teas. EGCG neutralizes free radicals, reduces oxidative stress, protects DNA from damage.

• Tonic effect: Elevated caffeine (~3.5–4.5%) provides pronounced tone; L-theanine softens the “nervous” peak, forming “clean alertness.”

• Tooth enamel protection: Elevated fluoride content prevents enamel demineralization and suppresses growth of cariogenic bacteria.

• Cardiovascular system support: Catechins improve endothelial function, promote normalization of blood pressure.

• Lipid metabolism support: EGCG stimulates fatty acid oxidation, reduces LDL levels.

• Anti-inflammatory action: Polyphenols suppress expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

• Cognitive functions: L-theanine stimulates brain α-waves, improving attention and working memory.

9. Brewing:

• Water temperature: 80–85°C.

• Tea amount: 3 g per 100 ml (gaiwan) or 3 g per 200 ml (glass cup).

• Teaware:

  • Gàiwǎn (盖碗): Optimal for extraction control and observing “mountain melody” in successive infusions.
  • Glass cup (玻璃杯): For observing “standing buds” (芽叶竖立, yá yè shù lì) and enjoying liquor color.

• Process (gaiwan):

  1. Warm gaiwan and fairness cup with boiling water.
  2. Add 3 g tea. Rinse — 5 seconds, discard.
  3. First infusion — 20 seconds.
  4. Each subsequent — +5 seconds.
  5. Withstands 6–8 infusions. “Mountain melody” most pronounced in 3–5 infusions.

• Process (glass cup):

  1. Warm cup.
  2. Add 3 g tea, pour water (80°C).
  3. Steep 3 minutes. Observe “standing buds” — vertical position of leaves indicates quality raw material.
  4. Withstands 3–4 refills.

10. Storage:

• Conditions: Airtight packaging, refrigerator 0–5°C.
• Fresh tea: “Rest” 7 days after production.
• After opening: Consume within 10 days — chestnut-rice aroma formed by double pan-firing is more stable than many green teas but still subject to oxidation.
• Tea enemies: Moisture, light, heat, foreign odors.
• Shelf life: In sealed packaging at 0–5°C — up to 18 months.

11. Price and Counterfeits:

• Price guidelines:

  • High-altitude “cloud” (900+ m, century-old trees) — from 120 yuan/500 g; premium batches — up to 3,000 yuan/jin (6,000 yuan/kg).
  • Mid-altitude (700–900 m) — 80–120 yuan/500 g.
  • Low-altitude (<700 m) — 40–80 yuan/500 g.

• How to avoid counterfeits:

  • Buy with geographical indication marking “马图绿茶”.
  • Authentic Matu Lü Cha — “eyebrow-like” tea leaves, gray-green with down. Large, loose, or excessively dark — sign of substitution.
  • Check aroma: chestnut-rice, persistent, with “mountain” note. Absence of “rice” tone — suspicious (indicates single pan-firing).
  • Liquor — blue-green, transparent. Turbid or dark yellow — deviation.
  • Matu Lü Cha — relatively accessible tea; suspiciously high price (over 3,000 yuan/500 g) may indicate speculation, while suspiciously low (<40 yuan/500 g) — counterfeit.

12. Interesting Facts:

• Zhu De and 10 kg of seeds. In 1929, Marshal Zhu De gifted Matu village a sack of small-leaf oolong seeds brought from Western Fujian — one of the few cases in history where a tea brand is directly connected to a specific episode from a Red Army commander’s biography. The seeds were intended for Jinggangshan, but Zhu De, seeing the poverty of the mountain village, decided to leave them with Hakka peasants.

• “Red Army Tea” (红军茶). Official second name of Matu Lü Cha — tea “grown from seeds of revolution.” To this day, “Matu Chaye” company annually releases a “红军茶” series, and in the village sounds the song “Raise a Cup of Matu Tea” (《敬你一杯马图茶》), first broadcast by Central People’s Radio in the 1970s.

• 100,000+ century-old trees. One of the largest concentrations of ancient tea plants in Guangdong. Trees grow at altitudes of 700–1,000 m on slopes of “Nine Dragons Ridge” (九龙嶂). Genetic reserve of exceptional value.

• 4–5 hours of sun per day. From the 4th to 9th lunar months, clouds cover the sun, leaving only 4–5 hours of sunshine — extreme “寡日照” for subtropical Guangdong. This regime suppresses photosynthetic conversion of theanine to catechins, paradoxically increasing tea “freshness” despite its high polyphenol content.

• “Double pan-firing — double rolling” and bamboo. The “二炒二揉” technology — doubled cycle of pan-firing and rolling — ensures depth of flavor and “mountain melody.” The entire process is performed with bamboo tools — contact of leaves with metal is excluded, as in the technology of Rénhuà Yín Háo (仁化银毫) from the same Guangdong.

• “梅州高原” — “Meizhou Plateau.” Matu is called the “high-altitude plateau of Meizhou” (梅州高原) — the village’s average altitude (700 m) makes it one of the highest points in the vast Meizhou basin, while thousand-meter peaks around create a microclimate unparalleled in the region.

13. Comparison with Other Green Teas:

• Rénhuà Yìn Háo (仁化银毫, Rénhuà Yínháo): Another Guangdong green tea with geographical indication (from Shaoguan). Also produced with bamboo tools without metal contact. However, Renhua Yin Hao — from Bái Máo Chá cultivar (白毛茶), with abundant down and more “fresh” profile. Matu Lü Cha — from small-leaf oolong, with chestnut-rice aroma and “mountain melody.”

• Yánxī Shān Báimáojiān (沿溪山白毛尖, Yánxī Shān Báimáojiān): Guangdong green tea from Renhua, known for abundant white down and “jade-green” liquor. More delicate and “fresh” profile. Matu Lü Cha — more “full-bodied,” with pronounced “fire” character of double pan-firing.

• Meixian Lücha (梅县绿茶, Méixiàn Lǜchá): “Fellow townsman” from the same Meizhou (Meixian County). From small-leaf local varieties and Jinxuan cultivar. Received GI in 2020. Similar Hakka context, but without “revolutionary” history and without concentration of century-old trees.

• Laoshan Lücha (崂山绿茶, Láoshān Lǜchá): Shandong “northern” green tea for contrast. Both — high-altitude cloud teas with chestnut aroma, but Laoshan — at 35° N in temperate climate, while Matu — at 24° N in subtropics. Differences in polyphenols: Matu — 33.83% (subtropical), Laoshan — significantly lower (northern latitudes slow catechin synthesis).

In conclusion:

Matu Lü Cha — tea with dual pedigree: “red” — seeds from Marshal Zhu De, gifted to a Hakka village in 1929, — and “green” — over 100,000 century-old trees at altitude 956 m in clouds of “Nine Dragons Ridge.” “Double pan-firing — double rolling” with bamboo tools, chestnut-rice aroma with “mountain melody,” and polyphenols 33.83% — formula of tea that can not only be drunk but also “touched”: century-old trees still stand in Matu, and the song “Raise a Cup of Matu Tea” still sounds in the village where Hakka peasants continue the work begun by the marshal nearly a century ago.