Songfeng Lü Chá

Songfeng Lü Chá (松峰绿茶, Sōngfēng lǜchá) is a Húběi green tea (绿茶) personally named by Zhú Yuánzhāng (朱元璋), founder of the Ming dynasty, in 1368. It was here, at the foot of Mount Songfengshan (松峰山, “Pine Peak Mountain”), in the ancient tea village of Yánglóudòng (羊楼洞, Yánglóudòng), that the famous imperial edict of 1391 “Abolish dragon cakes, offer only tea buds” (罢造龙团，唯采茶芽以进) was implemented—a decree that ended the era of compressed tea and opened the era of loose green leaf tea. Yánglóudòng later became the starting point of the Great Tea Road (万里茶道) stretching 14,000 km—from Hubei through Mongolia to Moscow and further into Europe. In 2015, the International Tea Committee awarded Yangloudong the title “World’s First Tea Town” (世界茶业第一古镇). Songfeng Lü Cha is the green “twin” of the famous Chìbì brick tea (青砖茶), born in the same mountains and from the same thousand-year tradition.

1. Classification and Origin:

• Type: Green tea (绿茶, lǜchá) with elements of yellow tea processing: the production cycle includes a stage of “初包闷黄” (chūbāo mènhuáng, “initial wrapping for yellowing,” 40–48 hours)—a borderline technology between green and yellow tea. Formally classified as green tea. Form—“pine needle” (松针形, sōngzhēn xíng), twisted.

• Category: Historic named tea, named by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (1368). Included among the “Ten Famous Teas of China” (全国十大名茶, 1958). Twice laureate of “Excellent Product at Ministerial Level” (部优产品, 1982, 1985). Laureate of Hubei’s “Golden Cup Chu Cha” (楚茶杯金奖, 2023). Exported to 10+ countries in Asia and Africa.

• Origin: China; Húběi Province (湖北, Húběi); Chìbì City (赤壁市, Chìbì Shì, ancient name—Puqi, 蒲圻), part of Xiánníng Prefecture (咸宁市, Xiánníng Shì). Core production area—Yánglóudòng Town (羊楼洞镇, Yánglóudòng Zhèn), located at the foot of Mount Songfengshan (松峰山), at the junction of Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi. Yangloudong—“World’s First Tea Town” (世界茶业第一古镇, since 2015), starting point of the Great Tea Road (万里茶道源头).

• Geographic coordinates: ~29°30′–30°00′ N, 113°30′–114°00′ E (Chibi zone, “golden parallel” 30° N).

2. History and Cultural Significance:

• History:

The history of Songfeng Cha is the history of the birth of loose green tea as a category. The tea tradition of the Chibi area (ancient Puqi) spans more than 2,000 years. Even during the Tang, the territory was designated as a “tea garden” (园户, yuánhù), and “dong tea” (洞茶, dòngchá) from Yánglóudòng became tribute tea (贡茶).

The legendary event linking Songfeng with the imperial name occurred at the end of the Yuan era: Zhú Yuánzhāng (朱元璋, 1328–1398), future founder of the Ming dynasty, stopped with his army in Puqi during a military campaign. Soldiers suffered from stomach pains after eating; local tea growers from Yangloudong offered them Puqi green tea—and the pains ceased. After establishing the Ming in 1368, grateful Zhu Yuanzhang bestowed upon the tea the name “Songfeng” (松峰, “Pine Peak”) and named the mountain where it grew Songfengshan.

But the main event occurred in 1391 (24th year of the Hongwu reign): Zhu Yuanzhang issued the famous edict “罢造龙团，唯采茶芽以进”—“Abolish dragon cakes, offer only tea buds.” This decree ended the centuries-old tradition of compressed tea (团茶, tuánchá) and opened the era of loose leaf green tea (散茶, sǎnchá), which continues to this day. Yangloudong became one of the first places where the new format—pan-fired loose green tea—was implemented in practice.

During the Qing era, Yangloudong transformed into an international tea emporium: on an area of less than 2 km², more than 200 tea companies operated, the population exceeded 40,000 people, and the city earned the nickname “Little Hankou” (小汉口). From here began the Great Tea Road (万里茶道, Wànlǐ Chádào)—a trade route 14,000 km long from Hubei through Mongolia to Russia and further into Europe. Karl Marx mentioned Yangloudong brick tea in his work “On Chinese-Russian Tea Trade,” and Lenin personally received Yánglóudòng tea merchant Liú Jùnzhōu (刘峻周). In 1956, Yangloudong was among three tea factories preserved throughout the country. In 2015, the International Tea Committee awarded it the title “World’s First Tea Town” (世界茶业第一古镇).

• Name: 松峰 (Sōngfēng)—“Pine Peak”—a name bestowed upon the mountain and tea personally by Zhu Yuanzhang. 松 (sōng)—pine, symbol of resilience and longevity; 峰 (fēng)—peak, summit; 绿茶 (Lǜchá)—“green tea.” Full meaning: “Green Tea of Pine Peak.”

• Cultural significance: Songfeng Lü Cha is one of the few teas whose name was bestowed by a dynasty founder. Yangloudong is not merely a production site, but “world tea heritage”: its stone streets, along which single-wheeled carts “jigongche” (鸡公车) carrying brick tea rolled for centuries, have entered the preliminary list of objects for nominating the Great Tea Road to UNESCO (万里茶道申遗). Next to the Sōngfēng factory is located the Museum of Chinese Brick Tea (中国青砖茶博物馆) with an area of 2,600 m². Chìbì is the city where the famous Battle of Red Cliffs (赤壁之战, 208 CE) took place, one of the key battles of the Three Kingdoms period, celebrated in Luo Guanzhong’s novel. Thus, one city is connected with two of the greatest “battles” in Chinese history: military (208 CE) and tea-related (1391).

3. Botanical Description and Raw Material:

• Variety/cultivar: Primary—Yánglóudòng Group Variety (羊楼洞群体种, Yánglóudòng Qúntǐzhǒng)—a century-old local medium-small leaf variety of Camellia sinensis var. sinensis. Trees older than 30 years. Additionally—Echa 1 (鄂茶1号, Èchá 1 Hào) and Fúdǐng Dà Bái Chá (福鼎大白茶)—early-ripening clonal varieties with high shoot-forming ability. Weight of 100 shoots “bud + one leaf”—~45 g. Extended tenderness period (持嫩期, chí nèn qī)—one of the characteristics of the Yangloudong variety.

• Harvest: Spring—from late March to April. The strictest standard of “Nine Prohibitions” (九不采, jiǔ bù cǎi) is applied: do not harvest rainy, dewy, purple, diseased, insect-damaged, deformed, hollow, cracked shoots, and shoots with damaged tips.

• Harvest standard: Premium grade—single buds (≥90%). First grade—bud + one half-opened leaf (≥80%). Second grade—bud + two leaves.

• Raw material requirements: Tender, whole shoots conforming to the “Nine Prohibitions” standard.

4. Terroir and Cultivation:

Chìbì is located on the northern foothills of the Mùfùshān Range (幕阜山, Mùfùshān), at the junction of three provinces (Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi), on the “golden tea parallel” 30° N.

• Growing altitude: 300–600 m a.s.l. (southern slope of Mount Songfengshan).

• Climate: Northern subtropical zone. Average annual temperature 16.8°C; precipitation 1,560 mm/year; cloudy-foggy days—significant percentage; diffused light—sufficient for stimulating amino acids.

• Soils: Yellow-brown loams (黄棕壤), pH 4.5–6.5, enriched with zinc and selenium. Natural irrigation—mountain springs of Songfengshan.

• Ecology: Forest coverage—>72%. Territory certified as “China’s Natural Oxygen Bar” (中国天然氧吧). High content of negative ions in the air. Tea gardens surrounded by pine forests—hence the mountain’s name. Water supply for tea plantations—from mountain springs flowing down the slopes of Songfengshan, unaffected by anthropogenic impact. Proximity to the Mufushan Range creates a natural climatic barrier, retaining moisture and forming constant fogs—ideal conditions for amino acid accumulation.

5. Production Technology:

Songfeng Lü Cha is produced using a unique technology that includes the stage of “闷黄” (mènhuáng, “yellowing in wrapping”), characteristic of yellow teas, but applied here to form chestnut aroma rather than for classic “yellowing.”

• Leaf spreading (摊放—tān fàng): Standard.

• Kill-green (杀青—shāqīng): In ān inclined wok (斜锅, xiéguō)—temperature decreases from 100–120°C to 80°C during the pan-firing process. The inclined wok is a rare technique ensuring gradient treatment: the upper part of the leaf heats more intensely, the lower part more gently.

• Cooling (摊凉—tān liáng): Stopping thermal treatment before drying.

• Initial drying (初焙—chū bèi): At 50–60°C.

• First wrapping/“yellowing” (初包闷黄—chū bāo mèn huáng): 40–48 hours—key stage! Tea is wrapped in cloth or paper and kept in a warm, humid environment. Microbiological and enzymatic processes form the characteristic chestnut aroma (栗香) and soften astringency. This stage relates Songfeng to yellow teas (Mengding Huang Ya, Junshan Yin Zhen), but here it serves to form aroma rather than change color. This is a technological “bridge” between green and yellow tea.

• Re-drying (复焙—fù bèi): Fixing the results of the first “yellowing.”

• Second wrapping (复包—fù bāo): 20 hours—shorter, for final aroma stabilization.

• Triple final drying (足火三焙—zú huǒ sān bèi): At 50–55°C, three consecutive heatings—ensure moisture content ≤5% and form “mature chestnut” aroma (熟栗香).

• Storage—gypsum preservation method (石膏贮藏法, shígāo zhùcáng fǎ): Traditional Yangloudong method: tea is stored in sealed containers with pieces of gypsum that absorb moisture and stabilize the environment. The method ensures exceptional preservation of aroma.

6. Organoleptic Characteristics:

• Dry leaf appearance: Thin, even, twisted “pine needles” (针芽状, zhēnyá zhuàng), dense and uniform (紧细匀整). Color—emerald green, oily-lustrous (翠绿油润).

• Dry leaf aroma: Chestnut (栗香, lì xiāng)—dominant note, high and sharp. Clean green (清香)—additional background. “Mature chestnut” (熟栗香)—result of triple final drying.

• Liquor aroma: Chestnut-green, high and stable. Upon cooling—sweetish “bread” notes.

• Taste: Fresh (鲜爽) and simultaneously thick and rich (醇厚, chúnhòu)—an unusual combination, atypical for standard green teas and explained by the “闷黄” stage. Viscosity and “body” above average. Lǒng sweet aftertaste (回甘, huígān).

• Liquor color: Transparent, clean and bright (清澈明亮).

• Durability: 5+ infusions for second grade—good indicator, due to high content of water-extractable substances (≥45%). Premium and first grades withstand even more due to concentrated raw material.

• Spent leaves (wet leaves): Tender green, even, fresh and lively (嫩绿匀齐鲜活).

7. Chemical Composition:

• Polyphenols (茶多酚): ≥30% (first grade)—high indicator ensuring powerful antioxidant activity.

• Water-extractable substances (水浸出物): ≥45% (premium grade)—one of the highest indicators among green teas, testifying to exceptional “density” of the liquor.

• Amino acids (氨基酸): Sufficient level to ensure freshness. L-theanine dominates.

• Alkaloids: Caffeine—moderate, providing tonic effect.

• Minerals: Zinc and selenium—geochemical markers of the Mufushan Range. Potassium, manganese, fluorine.

• Vitamins: Vitamin C, B-group vitamins, vitamin E.

8. Health Properties:

• Digestive support: Historic property recorded in the legend of Zhu Yuanzhang: tea relieved stomach pains in soldiers. Polyphenols and tannins stimulate gastrointestinal motility.

• Antioxidant protection: Polyphenols (≥30%) provide powerful neutralization of free radicals.

• Tonic effect: Caffeine + L-theanine—gentle, prolonged vigor.

• Cognitive functions: L-theanine stimulates alpha-wave brain activity.

• Important: Listed properties are based on general data and are not medical recommendations. Not recommended to drink on an empty stomach. Fresh tea should be aged 7 days to “release fire.” After opening—consume within 10 days.

9. Brewing:

• Water temperature: 80–85°C. Do not use boiling water (>85°C “scalds” leaves and produces cloudy liquor).

• Tea quantity: 3 g per 150 ml (1:50 ratio).

• Teaware: Glass tumbler (top-pouring method, 上投法) or white porcelain gaiwan (middle-pouring method, 中投法).

• Process (glass tumbler): Pour water at 80–85°C, then add tea. First infusion—30 seconds. Each subsequent—+10 seconds.

• Process (gaiwan): Pour 1/3 water, add tea, swirl for “aroma awakening” (摇香, yáo xiāng), fill to full volume. Steep 2–3 minutes.

• Note: When pouring, direct the stream along the cup wall (沿杯壁缓流), not into the center—this prevents “knocking off” down and clouding of the liquor.

10. Storage:

• Temperature: 0–5°C (refrigerator) or traditional gypsum preservation method (石膏贮藏法).
• Container: Airtight; with traditional method—ceramic jar with pieces of natural gypsum (石膏, shígāo). Gypsum acts as a natural desiccant: its crystalline structure absorbs moisture from the air inside the container, maintaining humidity at a level that prevents oxidation but does not over-dry the tea. This method, developed by Yangloudong tea growers centuries ago, is comparable in effectiveness to modern vacuum packaging.
• Light: Complete isolation.
• Duration: After opening—10 days for maximum aroma. Sealed—up to 12 months.

11. Market and Price Range:

Songfeng Lü Cha is a tea of medium and medium-high price segment. Premium grade (single buds)—from 500 yuan/jin; first grade—200–400 yuan/jin; second grade—more affordable.

• Authenticity Identification:

  • Verify origin—Yangloudong, Chibi, Hubei.
  • Chestnut aroma (栗香/熟栗香)—calling card of “闷黄” processing. Absence—sign of substitution with ordinary green tea.
  • Form—“pine needles,” dense and even. Shapeless tea particles—not Songfeng.
  • Taste—simultaneously fresh AND thick (鲜爽 + 醇厚). Only “fresh” without “thickness”—ordinary green tea.

12. Interesting Facts:

• Edict that changed the tea world: Zhu Yuanzhang’s decree of 1391 “罢造龙团，唯采茶芽以进”—one of the most influential documents in tea industry history. It ended the 500-year era of compressed tea and opened the era of loose leaf tea. Yangloudong—one of the places where this transition was first realized.

• Marx and Lenin: Karl Marx mentioned Yangloudong brick tea in “On Chinese-Russian Tea Trade.” Lenin personally received Yangloudong merchant Liu Junzhou. Songfeng and brick tea—“green and dark twins” of one place.

• 14,000 km tea road: The Great Tea Road, beginning in Yangloudong, went from Hubei through Hankou, up the Han River to Xiangyang, then through Zhangjiakou (or Baotou) to Mongolia and further—through Kyakhta to Russia, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Europe. Total length—14,000+ km.

• “Little Hankou”: During peak period (19th century), tiny Yangloudong (area <2 km²) housed more than 200 tea factories and 40,000 residents—a density of tea business unparalleled in world history. On the Imperial map “Da Qing Huangyu Quantu” (《大清皇舆全图》), Yangloudong is marked in the same font as Hankou and Wuchang—unprecedented honor for a village.

• “Yellowing” in green tea: The stage “初包闷黄” (40–48 hours!) relates Songfeng to yellow teas, but here it serves to form chestnut aroma rather than change color. This is a technological “bridge” between green and yellow tea.

13. Comparison with Other Hubei Green Teas:

• Ēnshī Yù Lú (恩施玉露, Ēnshī Yùlù): Hubei. Steamed (蒸青), “pine needle” form. Aroma—“marine,” without chestnut notes. Songfeng—pan-fired with “yellowing,” with pronounced chestnut profile and greater “body.” Both—“pine needles,” but fundamentally different technologies.

• Sānxiá Lóng Jǐng (三峡龙井, Sānxiá Lóng Jǐng): Hubei, Yichang. Flat, pan-fired. Chestnut aroma from bamboo charcoal (三峡辉锅). Songfeng—twisted, chestnut from “yellowing.” Both—with “warm” profile, but aroma formation mechanisms differ.

• Dengcun Lü Chá (邓村绿茶, Dèngcūn Lǜchá): Hubei, Yichang. Classic pan-fired green, twisted form. More “standard” in profile, without “yellowing.” Songfeng—with greater “depth” and “thickness” of taste.

• Méngdǐng Huáng Yá (蒙顶黄芽, Méngdǐng Huáng Yá): Sichuan. Classic yellow tea with full “yellowing.” Aroma—“cereal,” “bread”; taste—softer and “drier.” Songfeng—formally green, with more pronounced “green” freshness, but with chestnut “depth” from partial “yellowing.”

In Conclusion:

Songfeng Lü Cha is a tea born at a turning point in history: here, on Pine Peak Mountain, the thousand-year “dragon cake” was buried and loose green leaf tea was born as we know it today. The name bestowed by an emperor, the “yellowing” technology creating chestnut depth within green freshness, and the address—Yangloudong, “World’s First Tea Town,” from where 14,000 kilometers of tea road led to the tables of Moscow and London—all this makes Songfeng not just tea, but a living monument to tea civilization. Brew at 80°C, directing water along the glass wall—and drink the very tea that six and a half centuries ago healed the soldiers of the future emperor.