Guipa Tea is a specialty product of Xiangzhou County, Laibin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and is a Chinese National Geographical Indication product.
The name “Guipa Tea” comes from Guipa Village nearby, where it is produced, and it is renowned for its sweet taste, beautiful shape, and fresh color.
Name: Guipa Tea
Year of Registration: 2020
Place of Origin: Xiangzhou County, Laibin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Quality Characteristics: tight and twisted with green color and downy appearance, strong aroma with floral notes, bright yellow-green infusion, sweet and mellow flavor, and light green leaf base.
Product Introduction
Guipa Tea has tight and twisted leaves with a green color and downy appearance, a strong aroma with floral notes, a bright yellow-green infusion, a sweet and mellow flavor, and a light green leaf base.
Sensory Characteristics
Guipa Tea has tight and twisted leaves with a green color and downy appearance, a strong aroma with floral notes, a bright yellow-green infusion, a sweet and mellow flavor, and a light green leaf base.
Intrinsic Quality Indicators
The main quality indicators of Guipa Tea are controlled within the following ranges: caffeine ≥2%, tea polyphenols ≥20%, water-soluble extracts ≥40%, total free amino acids ≥4%. Safety Requirements: Guipa Tea products must comply with the safety and hygiene standards of GB2762 (National Food Safety Standard for Limits of Contaminants in Foods) and GB2763 (National Food Safety Standard for Maximum Residue Limits of Pesticides in Foods).
Natural Ecological Environment
Terrain: The protected area of Guipa Tea is located in the hilly region at the foot of Dayao Mountain on the west side of central Guangxi, at an altitude of 300m to 600m, often shrouded in mist, which is very suitable for tea cultivation.
Soil: The soil in this region is mainly red loam with an average organic matter content of about 45g/kg and a pH value of 4.5 to 5.5, which is conducive to the synthesis, transformation, and accumulation of amino acids in tea plants, forming the sweet and mellow taste of Guipa Tea.
Hydrology: The irrigation water for Guipa Tea primarily comes from the mountain spring water and natural precipitation in the Dayao Mountain Forest Reserve, which is not polluted by industry. The spring water is clear and clean, rich in minerals, and meets national standards, providing ample high-quality water resources for the growth of Guipa Tea.
Climate: The protected area of Guipa Tea is located in a subtropical humid monsoon climate zone with an annual average of 1650 hours of sunshine, an average temperature of 20.8°C, an average frost-free period of over 330 days, and an average annual rainfall of 1400mm, with an average relative humidity of 77%. The abundant and evenly distributed sunlight, temperature, and rainfall, as well as the large diurnal temperature range, result in Guipa Tea with rich amino acids and low caffeine content, contributing to its fresh and sweet taste.
Historical Origins
According to historical records, the ancestors of Xiangzhou started cultivating and producing tea before the Tang Dynasty. In his book “The Classic of Tea,” Lu Yu of the Tang Dynasty mentioned that Xiangzhou was one of the four major tea-producing areas in the Lingnan region at that time.
According to “Selected Works of Folk Literature in Guangxi” (Xiangzhou Volume), during the late Ming Dynasty, a government official surnamed Gu drank Guipa Tea presented by villagers when passing through Guipa Village. He immediately felt refreshed and invigorated, so he entered the village and bought several pounds of tea to take back to the imperial court. Unexpectedly, Guipa Tea, due to its vibrant color, fragrant aroma, and refreshing qualities, became highly favored by officials.
Later, the official sent a messenger to deliver a seal reading “Temple King (Miaohuang) Guipa Fine Tea for Guests” as a special mark for Guipa Tea, and had the messenger purchase a batch of tea to trade for treasures in places like Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Since then, Guipa Tea became famous around the world.
“Tea leaves can be harvested from Guipa tea trees all year round, with those from spring being of the best quality,” says Wei Xuhui, the inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage “Guipa Tea Production Technique.” The protected area for Guipa Tea cultivation is located in central Guangxi, with superior natural conditions such as land, sunlight, temperature, and rainfall, making it very suitable for tea tree growth. The Guipa Tea produced here is rich in amino acids, with tightly twisted leaves, tender green buds, bright yellow-green infusion, and a sweet and mellow flavor; black tea buds have visible down, dark and lustrous color, bright red infusion, and a long-lasting fragrance.
Currently, Guipa Tea is cultivated in 12 administrative villages under the jurisdiction of Miaohuang Township, including Dazhuo Village, Pangu Village, Longtou Village, Xinzhao Village, Luzhu Village, Liaocun Village, Miaohuang Village, and Sigao Village, with Sigao Village being the main production area and Guipa Village and Tingcun Village being key production areas. In April last year, the Sigao Village Committee of Miaohuang Township was awarded a plaque as the “Guipa Tea Production Technique Inheritance Base.”
Wei Xuhui is handcrafting tea.
Production Situation
In recent years, Xiangzhou County has adapted measures to local conditions, relying on the natural environmental advantages and history of tea cultivation in Sigao Village. They established a selenium-rich tea production base and increased management and protection efforts, guiding impoverished households to cultivate tea and develop green industries, effectively driving poverty alleviation and wealth creation.
The current planting area of “Guipa Tea” in Xiangzhou is 2,600 mu, with an annual output value of around 50 million yuan, involving 183 farming households, each increasing their annual income by around 6,000 yuan.
Product Honors
In May 2020, Guipa Tea obtained registration protection as a national agricultural geographical indication product.
In December of the same year, “Guipa Tea Production Technique” was included in the eighth batch of representative lists of intangible cultural heritage in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Information and Image Sources: Baidu Encyclopedia, Xiangzhou County Agricultural and Rural Affairs Bureau, Laibin Network, Microscopic Xiangzhou