Basic Introduction to Guangxi Liubao Tea
Cangwu Liubao tea is a specialty of Guangxi Province, named after its origin in Liubao Township, Cangwu County. It is renowned for its “red, rich, mellow, and aged” qualities. The production history of Liubao tea dates back over 1,500 years. As early as the Jiaqing period (1796-1820) of the Qing Dynasty, Liubao tea was listed among China's famous teas due to its unique betel nut fragrance. It was popular in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asia. Until the early 1950s, it still dominated the Hong Kong market, with peak annual production reaching around 1,500 tons, generating substantial foreign exchange earnings for the country and serving as a primary source of income for local farmers. Liubao Township, Cangwu County, is located north of the Tropic of Cancer, with an average annual temperature of 21.2°C, annual rainfall of 1,500 millimeters, and frost-free periods lasting 33 days. Liubao Township is part of the extension of the Great Gui Mountains in eastern Guangxi. Towns such as Tangping, Buyi, Siliu, Gaojian, Wudong, and He Kou are situated in mountainous areas with elevations ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 meters and steep slopes. Tea plants are typically grown on hill slopes or in valleys, often 3 to 10 kilometers away from villages. This area is heavily forested with numerous streams, beautiful scenery, short sunlight hours, and is shrouded in mist year-round.
Product Characteristics
The aged aroma and flavor of Liubao tea do not develop overnight; they require a long period of time, often five, ten, or even more years, to reveal their characteristic of improving with age and acquiring a classic antique charm. The unique style of Liubao tea is determined by its production process, but environmental conditions also play an essential role that cannot be overlooked. Wuzhou provides the ideal geographical environment for producing Liubao tea.
Historical and Folk Customs
The Liubao tea-producing areas include Gongzhou Village tea, Heishi Village tea, Luodi Village tea, and Chan Village tea, with the best quality coming from Gongzhou Village and Heishi Village. Records show that the tea produced in these villages benefits from being located in mountainous areas with abundant trees, providing sufficient water for the tea plants. Due to the high altitude and frequent fog, especially in the afternoons when the sun cannot reach them, evaporation is minimal, resulting in thick and large leaves with a strong and fragrant taste, often commanding high prices. The tea from Heishi Village is also of high quality, thanks to its black stone and clay soil and the constant flow of stream water, ensuring adequate moisture for the tea plants, leading to large and thick leaves. Apart from Liubao, other places within Cangwu County like Wubao Township's Shizhai, Sha Tian in neighboring He County, as well as Chini and Hengxian, and over 20 other counties, also produce Liubao tea. Nearby regions in Guangdong, such as Luoding and Zhaoqing, also produce Liubao tea. Much of Liubao is composed of cloud-patterned sandstone that has weathered into yellowish-brown sandy soil, rich in phosphorus and iron. The main products here include rice, cassava, sweet potatoes, timber, rosin, bamboo, bamboo paper, and tea. Liubao tea has been renowned for a long time, primarily exported and favored in Southeast Asia. However, in recent years, it has gained renewed popularity, not only because of the increasing number of tea lovers in China but also because of the rediscovery of its unique flavor and health benefits. Drinking, discussing, and collecting Liubao tea have become new trends among tea enthusiasts.
Manufacturing Method
The finished tea has a black and lustrous appearance, occasionally adorned with golden flowers (i.e., yellow fungal spores). Its liquor is red and rich, with a pure, aged aroma reminiscent of betel nuts, a sweet and smooth taste, a cool sweetness, and a distinct smoky flavor. The infused leaves are reddish-brown and can withstand long-term storage, improving with age. Dark tea comes in various forms, each with different production techniques and shapes, yet they share common characteristics: the raw materials are generally older leaves, picked when the new shoots have matured. All dark teas undergo a process of wetting and piling to darken, some using semi-finished tea for this process, such as Sichuan dark tea and Hubei's Qingzhuan tea, while others use wet piles, like Hunan dark tea and Guangxi's Liubao tea. Dark tea is processed through steaming and slow drying, which causes some changes to the internal components. The dry tea is dark brown and glossy, the liquor is orange-yellow or orange-red, the aroma is pure and not astringent, and the infused leaves are yellowish-brown and coarse. All dark tea is pressed into shape for ease of long-distance transport and storage.