Méi zhàn wūlóng · new.thetea.app

Mei Zhan («Plum Occupying First Place») — one of the most versatile and distinctive Fujian cultivars: from the same raw material, masters create oolongs (from light Anxi-style to deeply roasted cliff teas), red teas and even white teas. As an oolong, Méi Zhān is valued for its characteristic notes of blooming plum méihuā (梅花, méihuā), fruity-honey sweetness and ability to vividly express terroir — whether the mineral rocks of Wuyishan or the red hills of Anxi. This is a «chameleon cultivar» with an unchanging voice: it changes style but never loses itself.

1. Classification and Origin:

Type: Oolong (semi-oxidized tea). Oxidation degree varies in a wide range — from 15% (light Anxi style) to 60–70% (dark Wuyishan yancha), making Mei Zhan one of the most «adaptable» oolongs in China.
Category: Fujian oolongs. Two main styles:
- Wǔyíshān Méi Zhàn (武夷梅占, Wǔyí Méi Zhàn) — cliff oolong (岩茶, Yán Chá), Northern Fujian style. Included among the «famous cultivars» (名枞, Míngcōng) of Wuyishan.
- Ānxī Méi Zhàn (安溪梅占, Ānxī Méi Zhàn) — Southern Fujian oolong, birthplace of the cultivar.
Origin: China, Fújiàn Province (福建, Fújiàn).
- Cultivar birthplace — Ānxī County (安溪县, Ānxī Xiàn): Lútián Township (芦田镇, Lútián Zhèn), Sānyáng Village (三洋村, Sānyáng Cūn), Yinpingshan Mountain (银瓶山, Yínpíng Shān). ~25°05’ N, ~117°55’ E. Elevation — up to 1411 m.
- Wǔyíshān Mountains (武夷山, Wǔyí Shān): Northwest Fujian. ~27°43’ N, ~117°41’ E.
- The cultivar is also grown in Guangdong, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan and Taiwan.

2. History and Cultural Significance:

History: The Méi Zhǎn cultivar originates from Sānyáng Village (三洋村) in Lútián Township (芦田镇) of Anxi County — a mountainous area with cloudy, misty climate, spring waters and fertile soil, ideally suited for tea cultivation. Two classical legends exist about the origin of Mei Zhan. The first dates to around 1810 (15th year of Emperor Jiaqing’s reign, 嘉庆, Qing dynasty): peasant Yáng Yìtáng (杨奕糖, Yáng Yìtáng) from Sanyang Village was working in a field near Yinpingshan Mountain when an exhausted traveler passed by, carrying tea saplings on a shoulder pole. Yang fed him porridge, and the grateful traveler gave him three sprouts of an unknown tea tree in return. Yáng planted them in the courtyard of the ancestral mansion Yushucuo (玉树厝). After several years the trees flourished, and tea made from their leaves amazed everyone with its extraordinary aroma. Local juren (举人, degree holder) Yáng Huīwén (杨辉文, Yáng Huīwén), examining the tea tree flowers and finding them similar to winter plum meihua (Prunus mume) blossoms, named the cultivar «Mei Zhan» — after the poetic line «梅占百花魁» (Méi zhàn bǎihuā kuí — «Plum takes first place among a hundred flowers»). The second version relates to 1821 (1st year of Emperor Daoguang’s reign, 道光): a representative of the Wáng clan (王氏) from Xīpíng (西坪) came to Lutian to pay respects to ancestors. Local residents showed him an unnamed tea tree and asked its name. Wang didn’t know the answer, but looking up, he saw a couplet on the doors: «梅占百花魁» — and immediately named the tree «Mei Zhan». Regardless of the legends’ authenticity, the Mei Zhan cultivar has over 200 years of documented history. In 1985, the State Committee of the PRC for Agricultural Crop Variety Testing officially approved Méi Zhǎn as a national variety (编号 GS13004-1985). During the Republic era (民国, early 20th century) the cultivar was introduced to the Wuyishan Mountains, where local masters appreciated its ability to «absorb» the character of cliff terroir. In the 1970s Mei Zhan spread to Sichuan and Yunnan, and is now grown in more than ten provinces of China. Notable historical detail: in 1923, Yáng Hànliè (杨汉烈, Yáng Hànliè), a military figure from Sanyang, presented five boxes of Mei Zhan tea to Sun Yat-sen (孙中山, Sūn Zhōngshān). The Father of the Republic of China responded with a letter of gratitude, which is still kept in the Yang family home in Sanyang Village. Late Qīng poet Lín Hènián (林鹤年, Lín Hènián) from Lutian — one of the «eight great poets of Fujian» — wrote: «种梅三万株，终老吾何悔» («Planted thirty thousand plums and have no regrets — until the end of days»), testifying to the scale and significance of the cultivar in his native places.
Name:
- «Mei» (梅) — plum meihua (Prunus mume), one of the main symbols of Chinese culture: resilience, nobility, beauty. Meihua blooms in late winter when other trees are still sleeping — embodiment of courage in the face of adversity.
- «Zhan» (占) — to occupy, take first place, capture (first position).
- Full meaning: «Plum that took first place» — the tea’s aroma resembles plum blossoms, and its quality «takes first place» among others.
- Alternative names of the cultivar: Dàyè Méi Zhǎn (大叶梅占, «Large-leaf Mei Zhan»), Gaojiao Oolong (高脚乌龙, «High-legged Oolong» — for its characteristic upright growth with long internodes).
Cultural significance: Mei Zhan — one of the six classical Anxi oolong varieties, though less famous than Tiěguānyīn (铁观音). This is «tea for connoisseurs»: less promoted, but highly valued among those seeking pronounced varietal character. In the 1990s, when fashion for Tieguanyin led to mass replanting of tea gardens, Mei Zhan areas in Anxi sharply decreased. Old trees (老枞, lǎocōng) remaining on mountain slopes are now especially highly valued. Wuyishan Mei Zhan — a «quiet favorite» among yancha connoisseurs: its bright varietal character stands out even against the backdrop of powerful Róu Guì (肉桂) and Shuǐ Xiàn (水仙).

3. Botanical Description and Raw Material:

Cultivar: Méi Zhǎn (梅占) — Camellia sinensis var. sinensis. Asexual (无性系, wúxìngxì) variety, small tree (小乔木, xiǎo qiáomù) with upright trunk. Medium-leaf (中叶类), medium-early (中芽种).
Morphology: High-growing plant — old trees reach 1.6 m height with crown up to 1.1 m. Pronounced trunk, medium-density branching, long internodes (hence the nickname «High-legged Oolong»). Leaves long-elliptical, dark green, glossy, with flat surface and slightly inward-curved edge. Leaf blade thickness above average, texture — dense, brittle. Edge serration — shallow and sparse.
Key cultivar properties:
- High yield: 200–300 kg dry tea per mu (亩, ~667 m²).
- Strong adaptability — excellently acclimates in various climatic zones and different soil types.
- Exceptional versatility (适制性, shìzhìxìng) — suitable for oolongs, red, green and white teas. Rare quality among Fujian varieties.
- Pronounced varietal aroma: plum-floral, with honey and spicy notes, due to high essential oil content.
- Shoots possess strong growth energy but quickly coarsen (持嫩性较差, chí nèn xìng jiào chà) — requires timely picking.
Picking standard: Bud + 2–3 upper leaves. For oolongs, tender picking with light withering is recommended (嫩采, 重晒, 轻摇, nèn cǎi, zhòng shài, qīng yáo). Spring picking — most valuable.
Seasons: Peak spring picking — mid-April (一芽三叶盛期, period of mass appearance of third leaf). Mei Zhan — late-maturing variety: in Anxi it’s picked 7–10 days later than Tieguanyin, giving farmers opportunity to process the main TGY harvest before Mei Zhan season begins. Also picked in summer and autumn.

4. Terroir and Cultivation:

Anxi — cultivar birthplace (Southern Fujian Mei Zhan)

Terrain: Hilly area of southeastern Fujian. Sanyang Village is located at the foot of Yinpingshan Mountain (1411 m) — one of the highest points in the county.
Elevation: 500–1200 m. Best raw material — from high-altitude gardens on Yinpingshan slopes.
Soils: Red and yellow lateritic soils, fertile, with good drainage. Acidic reaction (pH ~4.5–5.5).
Climate: Subtropical monsoon, average annual ~18–20°C, precipitation ~1700 mm/year. Frequent fogs, cloudiness, abundant spring water.
Result: Fresher, purely floral character; medium body; plum note — cleaner and lighter, without mineral heaviness.

Wuyishan — cliff Mei Zhan (Northern Fujian style)

Terrain: Red quartz sandstone Dānxiá (丹霞, Dānxiá), inter-rock valleys and gorges (坑涧, kēngjiàn). Bushes grow in rock crevices and narrow mountain ravines.
Elevation: 300–700 m.
Soils: Products of volcanic rock weathering — rich in iron, manganese, zinc. pH 4.5–5.5.
Climate: Average annual ~18°C, relative humidity >80%, frequent fogs, diffused light.
Result: Mineral «rock rhyme» (岩韵, Yán Yùn) — dense body, long aftertaste. Plum-floral aroma acquires «stone» depth with notes of dried fruits and spices.

5. Production Technology:

Technology differs significantly depending on regional style.

Wuyishan Mei Zhan (yancha style)

Picking (采摘, cǎi zhāi): Hand-picked, tender shoots.
Sūn withering (日光萎凋, rìguāng wěidiāo): 30–60 minutes. Key feature of Mei Zhan — enhanced withering is recommended (重晒, zhòng shài) to develop aroma and remove grassiness.
Tossing / shaking (做青, zuò qīng): 4–5 cycles with rest intervals, total duration 8–14 hours. Oxidation 40–70%. Shaking — light (轻摇, qīng yáo), to ensure complete oxidation without damaging fragile leaves.
Fixation (杀青, shā qīng): High-temperature pan-firing in drum or wok.
Rolling (揉捻, róuniǎn): Longitudinal rolling — characteristic yancha «strips» (条索, tiáosuǒ).
Charcoal roasting (焙火, bèi huǒ): Medium–strong, over longan charcoal (龙眼, lóngyǎn). 1–3 cycles with intervals for «moisture return» (回润, huí rùn). Stage adds caramel, nutty and chocolate notes.
Rest / aging (陈化 / 退火, tuì huǒ): 1–3 months for «fire calming» — hot, harsh character of freshly roasted tea softens, taste becomes rounded.

Anxi Mei Zhan (Southern Fujian style)

Stages 1–4 similar, but with differences:

Oxidation — 15–35% (significantly lighter).
Withering may be shade withering (阴干萎凋).

Rolling: Cloth wrapping (包揉, bāoróu) — semi-spheres (pellets), like Tieguanyin.
Drying: Light air drying or without roasting — for maximum freshness.

6. Organoleptic Characteristics:

Wuyishan Mei Zhan

Dry leaf appearance: Longitudinally twisted «strips» (条索), large, with long stems and pronounced internodes — cultivar’s calling card. Color — dark brown with reddish tint.
Dry leaf aroma: Plum meihua against backdrop of minerality, caramel, dried fruits and light smoky roasting notes. Spicy notes — cinnamon, clove, star anise.
Liquor aroma: Intense and multi-layered: first plane — blooming plum; second — mineral, roasted nut, dark honey; third — residual warmth of roasting. Each infusion reveals new facets.
Taste: Dense, oily, with pronounced minerality (岩韵). Notes of plum, dark chocolate, walnut, chestnut honey. Aftertaste — long, warm, with characteristic returning sweetness (回甘, huígān). Body — full, «viscous».
Liquor color: Dark amber, red-brown, deep and clear.
Spent leaves: Large leaves with red-brown edges and greenish center — classic «green center, red rim» (绿底红边, lǜ dǐ hóng biān) of yancha.

Anxi Mei Zhan

Dry leaf appearance: Semi-spherical pellets, green with brownish inclusions. Larger and coarser than Tieguanyin, due to larger leaf and long internodes.
Dry leaf aroma: Fresh plum meihua, orchid, peach, light floral honey. Without minerality and smokiness — clean, «sunny» character.
Liquor aroma: Clear floral-fruity — peach, apricot, acacia honey. Plum note — light, not dark.
Taste: Soft, sweetish, floral-fruity. Medium body. Light piquancy. Aftertaste — fresh, floral, without mineral heaviness.
Liquor color: Light yellow, golden-green, clear.
Spent leaves: Whole green leaves with light reddish edge.

7. Chemical Composition Precise composition data for Méi Zhǎn was obtained from analysis of spring shoots (一芽二叶, one bud — two leaves):

Polyphenols (tea polyphenols): ~27.5% of dry mass — above average among Fujian oolongs. Catechin content — ~18.1%. In Wuyishan version with high oxidation, part of catechins converts to theaflavins and thearubigins, forming taste depth and amber liquor color.
Amino acids: ~3.6% of dry mass. L-theanine — main component; responsible for sweetness and relaxing effect.
Alkaloids: Caffeine — ~4.4% (above average — pronounced stimulating activity). Theobromine and theophylline — in trace amounts.
Essential oils: High content — key cultivar marker. Benzaldehyde and benzyl alcohol (plum, almond notes), linalool and geraniol (floral), methyl salicylate (freshness, «wintergreen» note). Essential oils form the characteristic «plum» profile that unmistakably distinguishes Mei Zhan from other Fujian oolongs.
Vitamins: C, B group (B₁, B₂), E, K.
Minerals: Potassium, fluorine, magnesium, manganese, zinc. In Wuyishan version — increased iron content due to red sandstone.

8. Health Properties:

Antioxidant protection: High polyphenol content (27.5%) provides pronounced antioxidant action. In Wuyishan version, theaflavins make additional contribution.
Tonic and relaxing effect: Combination of caffeine (increased content, ~4.4%) and L-theanine provides energetic but not anxious stimulation. L-theanine softens caffeine’s excitatory effect and promotes alpha brain wave production.
Digestive improvement: Wuyishan version, thanks to deeper oxidation and roasting, especially recommended after fatty and heavy food. Anxi version — suitable for daily consumption.
Warming action: Roasted Wuyishan Mei Zhan — excellent winter tea, warming and relaxing.
Cardiovascular system support: Polyphenols help reduce LDL cholesterol levels and strengthen vessel walls.
Aromatherapeutic effect: Plum meihua aroma has calming and aesthetically harmonizing effect — in Chinese tradition, plum aroma is associated with purity and nobility of spirit.
Metabolic support: Polyphenols and caffeine promote fat breakdown and metabolic process activation.

9. Brewing:

Parameter	Wuyishan (yancha)	Anxi (Southern Fujian)
Temperature	90–98°C	85–92°C
Tea amount	5–7 g / 120 ml	5–7 g / 150 ml
First infusion	10–15 seconds	30–45 seconds
Number of infusions	6–9	5–7
Teaware	Yixing teapot (clay tuned for yancha), gaiwan	Porcelain gaiwan

Process (Gongfu method):

Warm teaware with boiling water.
Add tea, inhale dry aroma through heated lid.
Rinse — pour and immediately drain.
First infusion — see table.
Subsequent infusions — increase time by 5–15 seconds.
Quality Wuyishan Mei Zhan withstands up to 8–9 infusions, revealing different facets at each stage.

10. Storage:

Wuyishan (roasted): Airtight, opaque container (tin can, foil bag), cool dark place. Duration — 12–24 months; after «fire calming» (1–3 months after roasting) tea reaches peak flavor. Re-roasting possible to extend life.
Anxi (light): In refrigerator (0–5°C), airtight vacuum packaging, separate from food products. Duration — 6–12 months.
Common enemies: Light, moisture, heat, oxygen, foreign odors.

11. Market and Price Range:

Mei Zhan Oolong occupies medium–high price segment. Wuyishan yancha variant is more expensive — «cliff premium» and limited volumes. Anxi version — more affordable, especially from flatland gardens. Old trees (老枞) in both regions — significantly more expensive than young plantings.

How to recognize fakes:

Characteristic plum-floral aroma — cultivar’s calling card. Without it — this is not Mei Zhan, but another variety.
Whole, well-formed leaves: «strips» (Wuyishan) or semi-spheres (Anxi). Large, with long internodes — morphological marker of Mei Zhan.
Liquor — clean, clear, from light yellow (Anxi) to dark amber (Wuyishan).
Buy from specialized sellers with specific region of origin indicated.
Too low price — reason for caution: other, less valuable cultivars are often sold under Mei Zhan name.

12. Interesting Facts:

«Chameleon cultivar»: Mei Zhan is used to make oolongs, red teas (Mei Zhan Hong Cha, 梅占红茶 — including Jinjunmei style, 金骏眉), white teas (Mei Zhan Bai Cha) and green teas (Bai Mao Hou, 白毛猴, «White Monkey»). Méi Zhǎn Hóng Chá is considered one of the best raw materials for Báilín Gōngfū (白琳工夫) — classic Fujian red tea.
Plum meihua (Prunus mume) — one of the «Four Gentlemen» plants (四君子, sì jūnzǐ) along with orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum. It blooms in late winter when other trees are still sleeping — symbol of resilience and purity of spirit. Mei Zhan aroma — direct allusion to this cultural metaphor.
In 1923 Sun Yat-sen personally thanked for the gift of Mei Zhan tea — this is one of the few Chinese teas whose connection to the founder of the Republic of China is documented.
Late Qing poet Lin Henian, native of Lutian, dedicated lines to Mei Zhan, testifying that in the 19th century the cultivar was spread much wider than now — tens of thousands of trees covered mountain slopes.
Wuyishan Mei Zhan — «quiet favorite» of yancha masters: in blind tastings its bright varietal character often stands out from the general range even against the backdrop of powerful Rou Gui and deep Shui Xian.

13. Comparison with Other Fujian Oolongs:

Parameter	Méi Zhǎn (梅占)	Tiěguānyīn (铁观音)	Róu Guì (肉桂)	Shuǐ Xiàn (水仙)
Signature note	Plum meihua, honey	Orchid, cream	Cinnamon, spices	Narcissus, oiliness
Style	Anxi / yancha	Anxi (spectrum of styles)	Only yancha	Yancha / Zhangping
Versatility	Very high (oolong, red, green, white)	Medium (only oolong)	Low (only yancha)	Medium (yancha + Zhangping)
Morphology	High-growing tree, long internodes	Shrub, compact	Shrub, medium-growing	Tree, large-leaf
Late maturity	Late (+7–10 days vs TGY)	Standard	Standard	Standard
Caffeine content	~4.4% (high)	~3–3.5%	~3–3.5%	~2.5–3%

14. Possible Contraindications:

Individual intolerance.
Gastritis or peptic ulcer exacerbation — especially careful with Wuyishan version on empty stomach.
Increased caffeine sensitivity, insomnia — caffeine content above average (4.4%).
Pregnancy and lactation — moderate consumption.
Taking iron supplements — polyphenols reduce absorption.

In conclusion:

Mei Zhan — tea for those who love when a variety has a «voice». Its plum-floral aroma — not abstract florality, but concrete, recognizable note that runs as a red thread through all processing styles: light Anxi oolong, powerful Wuyishan yancha, rich red tea. This is a chameleon with character: it changes style but never loses itself. Over more than two centuries of history, Mei Zhan has traveled from nameless sapling in Sanyang mountain fields to officially approved national variety, from stranger’s gift to grateful peasant to offering to the Father of the Republic of China. For the connoisseur seeking something beyond the «big three» (Tieguanyin, Da Hong Pao, Rou Gui), Mei Zhan — perfect discovery: a variety in which winter plum aroma and two-century history are intertwined so tightly that it’s impossible to separate one from the other.