Qīngliángshān Chá · new.thetea.app

Qīngliángshān Chá (清凉山茶, Qīngliángshān chá) — Chinese green tea (绿茶) of the hongqing (烘青, hōngqīng, hot air drying) category, produced in the Qingliangshan mountain range within Meijiang District of Meizhou City, Guangdong Province. This tea ranks first among the nine historical famous teas of Méizhōu (梅州九大历史名茶) and has been protected as a product with geographical indication (农产品地理标志) by the Ministry of Agriculture of the PRC since 2018.

1. Classification and Origin:

Type: Green tea (绿茶, lǜchá), non-oxidized. By fixation method, belongs to hongqing lucha (烘青绿茶, hōngqīng lǜchá) — green tea dried with hot air, with elements of pan-firing in the kill-green (杀青) process.
Category: Historical famous teas of the Meizhou region; Chinese regional green teas with geographical indication. Part of the tradition of “Hakka pan-fired green teas” (客家炒绿, Kèjiā chǎolǜ).
Origin: China, Guǎngdōng Province (广东省, Guǎngdōng Shěng), Méizhōu City (梅州市, Méizhōu Shì), Méijiāng District (梅江区, Méijiāng Qū). Main production territories — Xīyáng Township (西阳镇, Xīyáng Zhèn) and Chángshā Township (长沙镇, Chángshā Zhèn), covering 33 administrative villages.
Geographic coordinates: 24°06′40″–24°21′29″ N, 116°04′12″–116°20′11″ E.

2. History and Cultural Significance:

History: Tea cultivation in the Qīngliángshān mountains traces its history to the Míng dynasty (明朝, Míng Cháo), spanning more than 400–500 years. Classical evidence is contained in the “Jiayingzhou County Records” (《嘉应州志》, Jiāyìng Zhōu Zhì) from the Guāngxù (光绪, Guāngxù) period of the Qing dynasty, which states: “The mountains of the prefecture are high and rocks exposed, therefore excellent tea is born here; the best comes from Qingliang, Yinna and Santai mountains — its taste is pure and fresh, similar to Longjing.” A tea poem from the Qing era has also been preserved: “In Jiaying the third month is the time of spring tea; pity that the harvest season finds one far from home; but mentally now in palace chambers — a bowl of fresh water absorbs the cloud color.” In 1860, after the opening of Shàntóu port (汕头开埠, Shàntóu kāibù), Qingliangshan tea began to be exported to Southeast Asia. In 1925, the tea shop “Suxinji” (苏信记) was the first to begin branded commercial trade of this tea. In 1973, the state-owned Qīngliángshān Tea Farm (国营清凉山茶场) was established, providing impetus for large-scale production. In 2014, the traditional technology for making Qīngliángshān tea was included in the registry of intangible cultural heritage of Méizhōu City (梅州市非物质文化遗产). In 2018, the tea received geographical indication product status (certificate number AGI02339). In 2020, it entered the first national catalog of famous, special, excellent and new agricultural products (全国名特优新农产品名录).
Name: Qīngliángshān (清凉山) — literally “Cool Mountain” (清 qīng — pure, cool; 凉 liáng — cool; 山 shān — mountain). The name reflects the characteristic mountain microclimate with year-round mists and cool mountain air. Chá (茶, chá) — tea. Thus, the full name means “tea from Qingliang Mountain.”
Cultural significance: Qīngliángshān Chá is inseparably linked with Hakka culture (客家, Kèjiā) — a sub-ethnic group of Chinese people who constitute the main population of Meizhou. Meizhou bears the honorary title “Thousand-year Tea Homeland” (千年茶乡) and is considered one of the largest centers of green tea production in Guangdong — by 2017, the city’s tea plantation area exceeded 200,000 mu (more than 13,300 hectares), comprising a quarter of all tea gardens in the province. Tea is the calling card of Qingliangcun village (清凉村), where more than 90% of families are engaged in tea production. The Qingliangshan area has consecutively received the titles “One of Guangdong’s Ten Tea Villages” (广东十大茶乡) and “One of Meizhou’s Ten Tea Mountains” (梅州十大茶山). Tea traditionally plays an important role in Hakka hospitality culture and community unity rituals. In 2017, the tea garden area in the geographical indication zone comprised about 1,200 hectares with annual production of about 1,106 tons, and by 2018, plantations in Qingliangcun village alone reached 6,000 mu (400 hectares) with output of about 100,000 jin (50 tons) of finished tea.

3. Botanical Description and Raw Material:

Variety / Cultivar: The main cultivar is the local small-leaf population variety (本地小叶群体种, běndì xiǎoyè qúntǐ zhǒng), colloquially known as “bird’s tongue” (鸟舌茶, niǎoshé chá). Represents a bush type (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis), small-leaf class, with high frost resistance. Additionally, improved varieties Huángdān (黄旦, Huángdān), Shuǐxiān (水仙, Shuǐxiān), Jīnxuān (金萱, Jīnxuān), Qílán (奇兰, Qílán) and Méizhàn (梅占, Méizhàn) are cultivated, used primarily for producing green tea with floral aroma.
Harvest: Main harvest falls in spring. By harvest time, four seasons are distinguished:
- Touchuancha (头春茶) — early spring tea, picked before Gǔyǔ (谷雨, April 20), picking standard: single bud or bud with one leaf, yields highest grade tea;
- Erchuancha (二春茶) — second spring harvest before Lìxià (立夏), bud with two leaves, basis for first-grade tea;
- Hehuacha (禾花茶) — summer harvest, thicker leaf, suitable for mass tea;
- Xuepiancha (雪片茶) — late autumn harvest, with natural floral aroma, distinguished by high price-quality ratio.
Raw material requirements: Young uniform material without coarse leaves, with clean aroma, without foreign odors.

4. Terroir and Cultivation Features:

Climate and topography: The area is located deep in the Lianhuashan mountain system (莲花山系), characterized by complex topography — three sides surrounded by mountains, one facing the river. Average annual temperature is 21.2°C, annual precipitation — 1,479.9 mm. Daily temperature variation exceeds 10°C, and foggy days per year — more than 180. Diffused light comprises about 70% of total light flow, which suppresses catechin accumulation and promotes amino acid synthesis, forming the characteristic sweetness and mildness of the tea.
Growing altitude: 800–898 m above sea level. The main peak Yangshanji (扬扇岌) reaches 898.2 m, and the famous tea zone Zǐshùào (梓树坳, Zǐshùào) is located at 860 m altitude.
Soils: Formed as a result of weathering of granites and quartzites from the Yanshan period. Yellow-red soils (黄红壤, huánghóng rǎng) predominate, pH 4.5–6.5, with high organic matter content. An important feature — elevated selenium content (0.018–0.066 mg/kg), which is three times higher than indicators of ordinary green teas. Industrial pollution is absent.
Cultivation features: Tea gardens are located in the cloud belt (云雾带, yúnwù dài) at altitudes above 800 m. Mountain diffused light promotes accumulation of amino acids and aromatic substances. The area is recognized as an ecologically clean zone without industrial pollution.

5. Production Technology:

The production technology of Qingliangshan Cha combines elements of pan-firing (炒青, chǎoqīng) and hot air drying (烘青, hōngqīng), which is characteristic of the “Hakka pan-fired green tea” tradition of the Meizhou region. A distinctive feature is the technique of “heavy kill-green” (重杀青, zhòng shāqīng) — high-temperature rapid fixation.

Picking (采摘, cǎizhāi): Hand selective picking, standard — bud with two leaves (一芽二叶, yī yá èr yè).
Withering (摊晾, tānliàng): Indoor spreading for 7–8 hours or brief sun withering (日光晒, rìguāng shài) for 20 minutes to lose initial moisture.
Fixation “kill-green” (杀青, shāqīng): Key stage. In hand processing, wok temperature reaches 260°C, in machine processing — 220°C. The technique of “heavy kill-green” is applied — rapid and intensive heating for complete enzyme inactivation and preservation of bright green leaf color.
Rolling (揉捻, róuniǎn): Hand shaping of leaf into characteristic tightly twisted strips (条索, tiáosuǒ).
Primary drying (初烘, chū hōng): At 110°C with hot air.
Secondary drying (复烘, fù hōng): At 60°C to stabilize moisture content.
Sorting (筛选, shāixuǎn): Mechanical or hand selection by fractions.
Final firing (复火, fùhuǒ): At 30°C until achieving stable final moisture.

Modern production implements optical sorting technologies (色选机, sèxuǎn jī), allowing processing up to 2,000 jin (1,000 kg) per hour and increasing high-grade tea yield by 30%.

6. Organoleptic Characteristics:

Dry leaf appearance: Tightly twisted curved strips (条索紧结弯曲, tiáosuǒ jǐnjié wānqū), gray-green color with characteristic whitish bloom (灰绿起霜, huīlǜ qǐshuāng), uniform in size.
Dry leaf aroma: Bright and persistent roasted rice aroma (炒米香, chǎomǐ xiāng) — the calling card of this tea, formed during high-temperature fixation. Base — clean grassy freshness.
Liquor aroma: Rich rice aroma with clean green notes, unfolding in several waves: first intense and sharp, then soft and sweetish.
Taste: Sweet and mellow (甘醇, gānchún), simultaneously fresh and smooth (爽滑, shuǎnghuá). Amino acid sweetness harmoniously complements moderate polyphenol content, creating balanced taste without pronounced astringency. Pronounced and prolonged “returning sweetness” (回甘, huígān) with characteristic high-mountain coolness (高山韵清凉感).
Liquor color: Yellow-green, clear and bright (黄绿清澈, huánglǜ qīngchè).
Spent leaves (wet leaves): Yellow-green soft leaves with whole buds, covered with silvery down.

7. Chemical Composition:

Polyphenols (茶多酚, chá duōfēn): Content in spring material ≥ 18.3%. The base consists of catechins — epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and others, providing the antioxidant potential of the tea.
Amino acids (氨基酸, ānjīsuān): ≥ 3.3% (up to 3.9% in the best spring samples), including L-theanine — the key amino acid responsible for taste sweetness and calming effect. High content is due to mountain diffused lighting.
Water extract (水浸出物, shuǐ jìnchū wù): 38–42%, which indicates a rich flavor profile.
Alkaloids: Caffeine (咖啡碱, kāfēi jiǎn) — 3.3–3.5%, theobromine, theophylline. Caffeine content is somewhat higher than average green tea.
Selenium (硒, xī): 0.018–0.066 mg/kg — a unique feature related to soil geochemistry. Organic selenium increases the antioxidant activity of tea.
Vitamins: C (in fresh material), B group, K.
Minerals: Potassium, manganese, zinc and other trace elements.
Essential oils: Form the characteristic rice-nutty aromatic profile; their composition is determined by terroir and fixation regime.

8. Health Properties:

Enhanced antioxidant protection: The combination of catechins with organic selenium provides increased efficiency in neutralizing free radicals — according to available data, 40% higher than standard green teas.
Tonic effect: Elevated caffeine content (3.5%) combined with L-theanine provides mild but pronounced central nervous system stimulation, improves concentration and mental clarity.
Cardiovascular system support: Tea polyphenols help reduce blood lipid levels by suppressing fat synthesis enzyme activity.
Digestive improvement: Moderate tannin content stimulates gastrointestinal tract function when consumed after meals.
Immune strengthening: The complex of vitamins, minerals and polyphenols supports the body’s protective functions. Vitamin C, preserved in green tea through gentle processing, promotes collagen synthesis and strengthens blood vessel walls.
Metabolic support: Caffeine combined with catechins helps activate metabolic processes, may contribute to body weight control with regular consumption.
Beneficial effect on skin condition: The antioxidant complex, enhanced by organic selenium, helps slow cellular oxidation processes and maintains healthy skin tone.

9. Brewing:

Water temperature: 80–85°C (for particularly delicate highest grade material — 75°C). It is recommended to boil water and let it cool for about 3 minutes.
Tea quantity: 3 g per 150 ml water (1:50 ratio).
Teaware: Glass tumbler (玻璃杯, bōli bēi) allows observing the “dance of tea leaves” and leaf opening; white porcelain gaiwan (白瓷盖碗, báicí gàiwǎn) — for aroma concentration.
Process:
1. Warm the teaware with hot water.
2. Add tea.
3. Perform quick rinse (温润泡, wēnrùn pào) — pour small amount of water and immediately drain to “awaken” the leaf.
4. First infusion: pour water, steep for 30 seconds.
5. Pour liquor into cups.
6. Subsequent infusions: increase steeping time by 10 seconds with each infusion.
7. Tea withstands 3–4 full infusions.

10. Storage:

Airtight packaging with complete protection from foreign odors, light and moisture.
Optimal storage temperature: 0–5°C (refrigerator) for long-term freshness preservation. Before opening the package, it is necessary to let the tea warm to room temperature in closed form — this prevents moisture condensation.
After opening, it is recommended to consume tea within 3 months, as polyphenols gradually oxidize and aroma loses brightness.
Tea enemies: moisture, direct sunlight, foreign odors, high temperature.

11. Market and Price Range:

Price category: Prices vary significantly depending on grade and harvest season. Highest grade tea (特级, tèjí) — entirely buds or bud with one leaf, early spring — costs over 600 yuan per jin (500 g). First grade tea (一级, yī jí) — 200–400 yuan per jin. Mass tea (大宗茶, dàzōng chá) — significantly cheaper, used for bagged tea and restaurant segment.
Price factors: Growing altitude, harvest season (early spring significantly more expensive), manual labor, material grade, presence of geographical indication certificate.
How to avoid counterfeits:
- Purchase tea from verified sellers with transparent information about origin and harvest date.
- Pay attention to appearance: genuine Qingliangshan Cha has tightly twisted curved strips of gray-green color with whitish bloom.
- Evaluate aroma: characteristic persistent roasted rice smell — the most important authenticity marker.
- Check liquor: it should be clean, clear, yellow-green color, without turbidity.
- Suspiciously low price for claimed highest grade — sign of substitution.

12. Authenticity Identification:

Purchase tea from verified sellers with transparent information about origin and harvest date.
Pay attention to appearance: genuine Qingliangshan Cha has tightly twisted curved strips of gray-green color with whitish bloom.
Evaluate aroma: characteristic persistent roasted rice smell — the most important authenticity marker.
Check liquor: it should be clean, clear, yellow-green color, without turbidity.
Suspiciously low price for claimed highest grade — sign of substitution.

13. Recommended Sources:

Qingliangcun village (清凉村) — the primary production area where more than 90% of households are engaged in tea production.
Certified producers with geographical indication certificates.
Established tea shops in Meizhou City with direct producer relationships.
Reputable online platforms with verified seller credentials and customer reviews.

Interesting Facts:

Qingliangshan Cha ranks first among the nine historical famous teas of Meizhou — a title tracing back to Qing era records, where this tea is compared to Longjing for purity and freshness of taste.
Qingliangcun village is a true “tea village”: of more than 130 households, over 90% live from tea production. Here are also concentrated the mother centennial tea bushes.
The local folk variety “bird’s tongue” (鸟舌茶) — a unique endemic population variety adapted to the mountain conditions of Qingliangshan over centuries. Preserved alongside introduced improved cultivars.
In the Zǐshùào zone (梓树坳) at 860 m altitude, special “sparrow tongue tea” (雀舌茶, quèshé chá) is produced — tea from the finest buds, considered the pinnacle of local assortment.
Selenium content in Qingliangshan tea is three times higher than indicators of ordinary green teas — a rare natural advantage related to the mineral composition of mountain soils. This characteristic increasingly attracts attention from both professional tea tasters and health-conscious consumers.
The Hakka tea tradition of “Hakka pan-fired green tea” (客家炒绿) has a history traceable to the Wei-Jin period (3rd–5th centuries CE) and flourishing in the Ming and Qing eras. Qingliangshan Cha is one of the most vivid representatives of this tradition, preserving historical continuity of the production process.

Comparison with other green teas:

Mǎtú Lucha (马图绿茶, Mǎtú Lǜchá): Another famous tea from the Meizhou region (Meixian District), also protected by geographical indication (since 2014). Made according to similar Hakka pan-firing tradition, however produced from local large-leaf and medium-leaf varieties. Aroma is less pronounced in rice notes compared to Qingliangshan Cha. Taste is denser and richer.
Xī Hú Lǒng Jìng (西湖龙井, Xīhú Lóngjǐng): Famous Zhejiang green tea of flat shape. As Qing chronicles noted, Qingliangshan Cha is “similar to Longjing in taste,” however differs in leaf shape (twisted strips vs. flat), technology (hongqing/chaoqing vs. pure chaoqing) and characteristic rice aroma, uncharacteristic for Longjing.
Jiāolǐng Lucha (蕉岭绿茶, Jiāolǐng Lǜchá): Green tea from neighboring Jiaoling County (also Meizhou), produced from Shuixian variety. Lighter, with pronounced floral notes, but without rice aroma and less rich aftertaste.
Xìnyáng Máo Jiān (信阳毛尖, Xìnyáng Máojiān): Henan famous green tea with abundant white down. Distinguished by fine needle shape, more delicate chestnut aroma and pronounced umami. Qingliangshan Cha is denser in body and has brighter roasted aroma.

In conclusion:

Qingliangshan Cha is one of those rare regional green teas in which centuries-old Hakka tea-growing tradition organically combines with unique natural terroir. Misty mountain slopes with seleniferous soils give this tea mild amino acid sweetness and unusual mineral background, while traditional “heavy fixation” technique forms its calling card — persistent, captivating roasted rice aroma. This tea is perfect for those who appreciate green teas with dense, sweet-smooth taste and expressive aroma, and are interested in little-known treasures of the Chinese tea world beyond Guangdong.