Tóngbǎi Hóng Chá · new.thetea.app

Tongbai Hong Cha, known under the commercial brand “Tongbai Hong” (桐柏紅), is a red tea (black tea) from Tóngbǎi County (桐柏縣) in Nányáng Prefecture (南陽市), Hénán Province (河南省). Tóngbǎi is located in the heart of the eponymous mountain range (桐柏山) at the source of the great Huái River (淮河) and is one of the oldest tea-producing regions in Central China: tea culture here has been documented since the Tāng era (唐, 618–907), and during the Sōng era (宋, 960–1279) the Tongbai tea market was among the thirteen largest in the country. Modern “Tongbai Hong” is a product of the 21st century (first batch — 2010), however it quickly gained recognition: the brand entered the “One Hundred Strongest Tea Public Brands of China” (全國茶葉百強公用品牌), and the county received the status of “National Key Red Tea Production Area” (全國紅茶重點產區, 2024).

1. Classification and Origin:

Type: Red tea (black tea) (紅茶, hóngchá), fully oxidized. By technology — gongfu hong cha (工夫紅茶).
Category: Regional Henan red tea. Part of the group “Henan Hong Cha Si Da Ming Cong” (河南紅茶四大名樅, “Four Famous Red Teas of Henan”) alongside Xìnyáng Hóng Chá (信陽紅), Hanshan Hóng Chá (函山紅) and Lúshān Hóng Chá (盧山紅).
Origin: China, Hénán Province (河南省), Nányáng Prefecture (南陽市), Tóngbǎi County (桐柏縣). Main tea districts: Chengwan (程灣鎮, largest — over 50,000 mu), Wucheng (吳城鎮, Wangwan Village / 王灣村 — 11,000 mu), Anpeng (安棚鎮), Yuehe (月河鎮). Core production area — slopes of the main peak of the Tongbai range — Taibai Dǐng (太白頂, 1140 m).
Geographic coordinates: approximately 32°22′ N, 113°24′ E.
Status: “Tongbai Yuye” (桐柏玉葉, green tea) — national product with GI (2015); “Tongbai Hong” — regional public brand, part of “One Hundred Strongest Tea Brands of China”; “Fourth Famous Red Tea of Henan”. In 2018 “Tongbai Hong” won the title “Tea Influencing China” (中國影響力茶品牌獎) at the 15th International Tea Culture Symposium. In 2022 the county received the status of “Pilot County for Integrated Tea Industry Development” (三茶統籌發展先行縣) from the China International Tea Culture Society.

2. History and Cultural Significance:

The tea history of Tongbai spans more than a thousand years. According to “Tang Shu · Dili Zhi” (《唐書·地理志》): “Tribute products from [prefecture] Yiyang include tea” (義陽土貢品有茶); ancient Yìyáng (義陽) — territory including modern Tongbai. In “Cha Jing” (《茶經》) Lu Yu evaluated the quality of tea from “ancient Yiyang prefecture” (古義陽郡). In “Tea History Encyclopedia” (《茶葉通史》) by Chen Chuan, Tongbai is mentioned as “a famous tea district already in the Tang era”. During the Sōng era the Tóngbǎi tea market was among the thirteen largest tea trading centers in the country (全國十三大茶場之一). A local saying from those times: “Reaching the edge of the world cannot compare to a circle on Taibai peak; we eat fine rice and white noodles, drink Yuye Maojian” (走到天邊，不勝太白頂圓圈，吃的是細米白麵，喝的是玉葉毛尖).

However, until 2010 Tongbai produced exclusively green tea. The turning point came in September 2010, when with the support of the county government the first batch of red tea “Tongbai Hong” was released. The initiative used summer-autumn raw material that previously was not processed (green tea was made only from spring leaves), which sharply increased tea farmers’ income and extended the employment season. By 2024 the “Tongbai Hong” brand is valued at 14.01 billion yuan (regional public brand valuation).

In 2020 the county signed a strategic agreement with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Tea Research Institute), and academician Liú Zhōnghuá (劉仲華) — one of two members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in the tea field — became “scientific consultant for Tongbai red tea” (桐柏紅茶科技研發顧問). Under his guidance, standards for “Tongbai Hong” were developed: “relatively large, tightly rolled tea leaves with oily luster and golden tips; golden-yellow liquor; chunhou (醇厚, mellow and rich) taste; honey aroma persistent; spent leaves red, even, bright”.

Cultural significance: Tongbai positions itself as “Zhongyuan Chaxiang” (中原茶鄉, “Tea Homeland of the Central Plain”). Tea culture interweaves with three other “pillars” of the county: Pangu culture (盤古文化 — Tongbai is considered the birthplace of the mythological first ancestor Pangu), Huái River source culture (淮河源文化) and red revolutionary culture (紅色文化 — Tongbai was one of the Red Army bases). Annually the county conducts no fewer than six major tea events: “First Spring Tea Picking” (春茶第一採), hand-made “Tongbai Yuye” competition, “Ten Thousand People Drink Tea” tasting (萬人品茶), “Tongbai Hong Helps College Entrance Exam Students” campaign (桐柏紅助力高考學子) and others. The last campaign — mass distribution of 30,000 portions (180,000 cups) of red tea to graduates — became one of the brightest marketing moves in the Chinese tea industry: combining charity, brand recognition and creating a future loyal audience.

3. Botanical Description and Raw Material:

Main cultivars: Local small-leaf and medium-leaf populations of Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, adapted to the northern border of China’s tea zone. Varieties historically cultivated on the slopes of Tongbaishan predominate: they are distinguished by high winter hardiness and increased amino acid content due to a longer dormancy period.
Age of plantations: A significant part of tea gardens was established in the 1960–70s and subsequently partially abandoned; these “wild” (荒野/拋荒) gardens today are valued for ecological purity and flavor intensity. There are also young high-productivity plantations.
Picking: For red tea — predominantly summer (June–August) and autumn (September–October): precisely the use of summer-autumn raw material became the economic breakthrough of “Tongbai Hong”. Spring leaves are directed to the production of green “Tongbai Yuye”.
Picking standard: One bud with one-two leaves for premium batches; one bud with two-three leaves for standard grades.

4. Terroir and Cultivation:

Geographic position: Tongbai is located on the Yu-E (豫鄂, Henan-Hubei) border, in the heart of the Tongbaishan range (桐柏山), which is the watershed between the Yangtze and Huai River basins. The county is the source of the thousand-kilometer Huái River (千里淮河發源地).
Growing altitude: 300–1140 m. Main quality tea zone — 500–900 m. Main peak Taibai Dǐng (太白頂) — 1140 m.
Climate: Transitional — from subtropical (南方) to temperate (北方). Four distinct seasons. Average annual temperature ~15°C. Precipitation — 1100–1300 mm/year. Frequent mountain fogs. Significant diurnal temperature variation (especially in autumn), promoting accumulation of aromatic substances. Frost-free period ~220 days.
Soils: Acidic (pH 4.5–6.0), yellow and brown mountain soils, loose, well-drained, rich in organic matter (especially in wild garden zones).
Ecology: Mountain terrain, high forest coverage, distance from industrial centers. Many gardens are located in the zone of the national nature reserve “Tongbai — Taibai Ding”. In 2023 two county enterprises received the status of “National Ecological Low-Carbon Tea Enterprise” (全國首批生態低碳茶認證企業). A significant part of tea gardens are “wild” (荒野茶, huāngyě chá): established in the 1960–70s and subsequently abandoned, they grew for decades without any human intervention, which gives their raw material special ecological purity and flavor intensity. The largest tea village — Chengwan (程灣鎮): 50,000+ mu of tea gardens, of which ~47,000 mu are “wild” and semi-wild. Chengwan accounts for over 60% of all tea production in the county.
Water resources: The county is located at the source of the Huai River — one of China’s largest rivers (千里淮河). The purity of mountain springs ensures quality irrigation and processing. Local formula: “Spring water of Tongbaishan — the best partner for Tongbai tea” (桐柏山泉水，泡桐柏茶最配).

5. Production Technology:

The technology for “Tongbai Hong” was developed in 2010 with participation from Henan Agricultural University and subsequently improved jointly with the Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Picking (采摘): Manual, one bud + one-two leaves.
Sorting / Classification (分級): Raw material is divided by size and maturity before processing begins.
Withering (萎凋): Natural or indoors with ventilation; 12–18 hours. Leaves lose 55–65% moisture.
Rolling (揉捻): Mechanical, forming tight, tightly rolled tea leaves.
Fermentation / Oxidation (發酵): 4–6 hours, at 25–28°C, controlled humidity. Full oxidation.
Drying (烘乾): Multi-stage — initial at elevated temperature (stopping oxidation), then final at reduced temperature (stabilizing aroma and moisture).
Final sorting and packaging.

6. Organoleptic Characteristics:

Dry leaf appearance: Tightly rolled tea leaves (條索緊結), dark with oily luster (烏潤), with noticeable golden tips (顯金毫).
Dry leaf aroma: Honey (蜜香), with notes of roasted chestnut and light florality.
Liquor aroma: Persistent honey aroma (蜜香持久) — the calling card of “Tongbai Hong”. Some batches show “huaguoxiang” (花果香 — floral-fruity), “shuxiang” (薯香 — “sweet potato”, characteristic of Henan red teas) or “mixiang” (蜜香 — pure honey).
Taste: Mellow and rich (醇厚, chún hòu), with pronounced sweetness and long aftertaste. Minimal astringency. Throat resonance (喉韻) perceptible in the best batches.
Liquor color: Golden-yellow (金黃), clear, bright. The shade is lighter and more “golden” than southern red teas — a characteristic feature of Henan hong cha from small-leaf raw material. This color is a direct consequence of the balance of theaflavins (responsible for “gold” and brightness) and thearubigins (giving “redness” and body): Tongbai small-leaf raw material has a relatively higher proportion of theaflavins than large-leaf southern teas, which creates the characteristic “sunny” shade of the liquor. For a connoisseur this is a visual clue: if Tongbai red tea gives a dark red rather than golden liquor — this is reason to doubt authenticity.
Spent leaves: Red, even, bright (葉底紅勻明亮).

7. Chemical Composition:

Polyphenols: 15–22% dry weight. With full oxidation catechins transform into theaflavins and thearubigins.
Amino acids: 3–4% — increased content due to small-leaf raw material and prolonged winter dormancy. Precisely the high level of amino acids (especially L-theanine) forms the “honey sweetness” and smoothness of “Tongbai Hong”.
Caffeine: 2.5–3.5%.
Aromatic compounds: Profile depends on batch: honey (linalool, geraniol), floral (nerolidol), “baked” (pyrazines — with enhanced final drying).
Minerals: Selenium (Se) — Tongbaishan is part of a selenium-enriched zone (富硒帶), which increases the antioxidant potential of the tea.

8. Health Properties:

Gentle stimulation: Moderate caffeine content combined with high L-theanine level provides “calm” energy.
Antioxidant protection: Theaflavins, thearubigins and selenium — triple antioxidant system.
Warming effect: “Warm” nature according to TCM, ideal for cold winters of Central China.
Digestive support: Helps after fatty food; traditionally recommended with Henan cuisine.
Anti-stress effect: High L-theanine content promotes calm concentration.

9. Brewing:

Water temperature: 90–95°C.
Tea amount: 4–5 g per 100–120 ml (gongfu); 3 g per 200–250 ml (steeping).
Teaware: Porcelain gaiwan or glass cup (to evaluate the golden color of the liquor).
Process:
1. Warm the teaware.
2. Add tea.
3. Rinse — optional.
4. First infusion: 10–15 seconds (gongfu) or 3 minutes (steeping).
5. 5–7 infusions, increasing time by 5–10 seconds.
Note: “Tongbai Hong” is excellent for office format: 3 g in a 300 ml glass, 3–5 minutes steeping. This is exactly how it is drunk at Henan provincial assembly meetings, where “Tongbai Hong” has become the unofficial “parliamentary tea”. The golden liquor color, gentle sweetness and persistent honey aroma make it ideal for long steeping in a glass — it doesn’t become bitter or sour even when over-steeped, which favorably distinguishes it from more “aggressive” southern red teas.
European method: 3 g per 200–250 ml cup, 3–4 minutes. Optimal for first acquaintance with Henan red tea.

10. Storage:

Container: Airtight, opaque.
Conditions: 10–25°C, humidity up to 60%.
Shelf life: 12–24 months.

11. Price and Counterfeits:

Standard “Tongbai Hong” — 200–600 yuan/500 g; premium batches (spring, handmade) — 800–2,000 yuan; cup tea (portion cups) — 3–5 yuan/cup (mass format).

How to avoid counterfeits: Check origin (Tongbai County, Nanyang Prefecture, Henan). “Tongbai Hong” — golden, not dark red liquor; coarse “blackness” and cloudiness — signs of substitution.

12. Interesting Facts:

Tea “with two lives”: Until 2010 all Tongbai leaves went to green tea; summer-autumn raw material simply went to waste. Creating “Tongbai Hong” literally doubled tea farmers’ income, turning “waste” into a premium product.
Hong Kong champion: In 2018 “Tongbai Hong” won the titles “Champion” and “Best Aroma” in the red tea category at the 6th Hong Kong International Tea Exhibition.
Academician consultant: Liú Zhōnghuá (劉仲華) — one of two members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in the tea field — personally oversees the development of “Tongbai Hong”. His working base is located in Tongbai County.
Tea city for 2.1 billion yuan: In Tongbai the “Zhongyuan Chazu Xiaozhen” (中原茶祖小鎮, “Tea Ancestor Town of the Central Plain”) is being built — a large-scale project on 4,000 mu, combining tea production, cultural tourism and scientific research.
Thousand-year tradition, decade-old brand: Tea cultivation in Tongbai is documented from the Tang era (7th–9th centuries), however red tea “Tongbai Hong” has existed only since 2010 — a contrast emphasizing the rapidity of its rise.
163,000 mu: Total area of Tongbai tea gardens — 163,000 mu (≈10,867 ha), of which 116,000 mu are in cultivation; annual production volume — ~4,000 tons, total turnover — over 2 billion yuan. More than 50,000 people are employed in the tea industry.

13. Comparative Analysis:

Parameter	Tóngbǎi Hóng (桐柏紅)	Xìnyáng Hóng (信陽紅)	Qí Mèn Hóng Chá (祁紅)
Province	Henan (Nanyang)	Henan (Xinyang)	Anhui (Qimen)
Cultivar	Local small-leaf	Xinyang small-leaf	Zhu Ye Zhong (small-leaf)
Tea history	1000+ years (tea); since 2010 (red)	2000+ years (tea); since 2010 (red)	~150 years
Key aroma	Honey (蜜香), chestnut	Floral-fruity	”Qimen aroma”: orchid, rose, honey
Liquor color	Golden-yellow	Orange-red	Ruby-red
Selenium	Elevated (富硒帶)	No	No

14. Varieties:

“Tongbai Hong” (桐柏紅): Main brand — gongfu hong cha from summer-autumn raw material.
“Tongbai Hong” bei cha (桐柏紅杯茶): Portion format (cup) — mass market, convenient, popularized through “Tongbai Hong for students” campaigns.
“Tongbai Fuzhuan Cha” (桐柏茯磚茶): Not red, but dark tea — separate product, first fuzhuan cha in Henan, also created based on Tongbai raw material.
By grade: Tè Jí (特級), 1st, 2nd.

15. Contraindications and Precautions:

Moderate caffeine content: Limit consumption in the second half of the day.
Do not drink on empty stomach.
Pregnancy and lactation: Limit to 2–3 g/day or consult a doctor.

In conclusion:

“Tongbai Hong” is one of the youngest and most ambitious red teas of China: it is not even twenty years old, but behind it lies the thousand-year tea culture of the Tongbaishan range, academic support at the national level and a strategic plan transforming a forgotten mountain county into the “tea capital of the Central Plain”. Its golden liquor with honey aroma is the calling card of Henan red tea and proof that great tea brands can be born even in the 21st century.

For tea lovers “Tongbai Hong” is an opportunity to try red tea from a region historically associated only with green tea: to feel how small-leaf raw material from the northern tea zone, processed by full oxidation technology, reveals a completely different facet — not the freshness and “greenness” of spring Yuye, but deep, enveloping honey sweetness that warms not only the body but also the soul.