Basic Introduction to Songyang Tea
The representative variety of Songyang Tea, Songyang Silver Monkey, is produced in the area around the ancient city of Baguyue “Xiehou Mountain” in the upper reaches of the Oujiang River in Songyang County, Lishui City, Zhejiang Province. The production area is surrounded by mountains such as Maoshan, Wanshou Mountain, Ma'anshan, and Luoguan, with misty clouds and crisscrossing streams. The climate is temperate with an annual average temperature of 17.7°C, a frost-free period reaching 240 days, abundant rainfall, and an annual precipitation of 1,511 millimeters. The soil is fertile, deep, and rich in organic matter. The Oujiang River meanders through the area, providing superior ecological conditions that are conducive to the formation of the unique quality of Songyang Tea.
Songyang is known as the “First County of Ecological Green Tea in Zhejiang” and the “China's Green Tea Trading Center.” It has a long history of tea cultivation dating back to the Tang Dynasty when it was already a source of tribute tea. Today, it is recognized as a famous tea-producing region, a demonstration county for China's tea industry, and a cultural center for tea. In the Song Dynasty, Su Dongpo wrote: “The world no longer sees the milk flowers of Tiantai; where can one now find the wind liquor of Yuchuan?” During the Ming Dynasty, Zhan Yu described the quality of Songyang tea in the lines: “Spring colors evoke memories of the wine of Jin Valley, while the clear wind and rain bring forth the liquor of Yuchuan tea.” On March 14, 2008, the original General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine approved geographical indication product protection for “Songyang Tea.” By 2017, Songyang County had 121,100 mu (approximately 80,733 hectares) of tea gardens, with 40% of its population engaged in the tea industry, and 50% of farmers' income and 60% of agricultural output coming from tea. Through integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, the total value of the tea industry chain in Songyang County reached 10.49 billion yuan.
Geographical Scope
The protected geographical indication product area for Songyang Tea is based on the proposal made by the People's Government of Songyang County, Zhejiang Province, in Document No. 45 [2006] (Songzheng). This covers the current administrative region of Songyang County, Zhejiang Province.
Product Characteristics
The sensory characteristics of Songyang Tea are a tight, green and lustrous appearance, a clear and bright green infusion, a fragrant aroma that is long-lasting, a fresh and strong taste, and tender, bright green leaves at the bottom of the cup. Among them, Songyang Silver Monkey has a tight, emerald and lustrous appearance with visible white down, a clear and bright green infusion, a chestnut fragrance that is long-lasting, a fresh, mellow, and sweet taste, and plump, bright green leaves at the bottom of the cup.
Historical and Folk Customs
Songyang tea stands out in the history of Chinese tea. As early as the Three Kingdoms period, Songyang began producing tea, which thrived by the Tang Dynasty. During his tenure as magistrate of Dongyang County, the great poet Dai Shulun visited Hengshan Temple in Songyang. An elderly monk served him a bowl of Hengshan tea produced locally. Enraptured by the aroma, Dai Shulun lost track of time until sunset, leading him to compose the poem “Hengshan”: “By chance I entered Hengshan Temple, where the stream is deep and the path more secluded. Dew clings to the green pines, dripping like dew; wind stirs up waves, floating like flowers. The old monk offers a tea bowl, the setting sun sends off the guest boat. Only because my thoughts of returning are pressing, I cannot linger any longer.”
During the Song Dynasty, the custom of drinking tea became increasingly popular in Songyang, with the art of tea thriving. Monks and literati were enthusiastic about “tea competitions” (performances of tea ceremonies). The Chan Master Zuqian, who lived and practiced in the White Crane Hall on Xiping Mountain, was a renowned “tea competition” expert and a friend of the great poet Su Dongpo. One day, he met with Su Dongpo and performed a tea ceremony for him. Impressed by Master Zuqian's profound tea expertise, Su Dongpo gifted him the poem “Xiping Mountain”: “A Daoist leaves the Western Screen Mountain, to offer the three essences of tea. Suddenly startled by the rabbit fur markings in the noon tea bowl, it turns into the spring wine of a goose chick. The world no longer sees the milk flowers of Tiantai; where can one now find the wind liquor of Yuchuan? Su Dongpo intends to continue the tea classic, to ensure Zuqian's name endures forever.” It is said that when later generations were consolidating the foundations of the White Crane Hall on Xiping Mountain, they discovered a stone tablet inscribed with this poem by Su Dongpo. In the Ming Dynasty, the scholar Zhan Jiaqing wrote in his poem “Wanshou Mountain”: “No smoke or fire beside the bamboo kitchen, only the sound of tea brewing and the chirping of bamboo partridges.” This poem depicts the idyllic rural life of the sound of boiling tea blending with the calls of birds, showing how common tea consumption was among ordinary people in Songyang at the time.
In the Qing Dynasty, the local sage Zhou Shengjiao wrote in his poem “Nostalgia for the Western Screen Mountain”: “Drawing water to brew tea, the scent is pure and clear, one sip makes one suspect there is a divine essence within.” Drinking Songyang tea refreshes the mind and invigorates the spirit, a testament to its exceptional quality. Songyang's tea culture has a long and rich history, with unique customs that have been passed down through generations, forming a distinctive regional culture. Tea has influenced the social lives of the people of Songyang for over 1,800 years, as well as their traditional culture. Today, the relationship between tea and people is even closer, with daily life inseparable from tea. The impact of Songyang tea on the lives and livelihoods of local residents is particularly profound. Currently, the county has nearly 100,000 mu (approximately 66,667 hectares) of tea plantations, with over 80,000 farmers engaged in the tea industry, generating nearly 200 million yuan in revenue. Developing the tea industry has become the main channel for increasing the income of farmers in Songyang. The widespread recognition and national distribution of Songyang tea today not only stem from the high demand for tea in modern society but also from the accumulation and resurgence of traditional tea culture in Songyang.
Awards and Honors
Songyang County has successively received titles such as “China's Green Tea Trading Center,” “National Demonstration County for the Tea Industry,” and “One of China's Top Ten Ecological Tea-Producing Counties.”
In 1929 (the eighteenth year of the Republic of China), during the West Lake Exposition, Songyang Tea won the first prize.
In 2002, Songyang Silver Monkey obtained green food certification.
In 2003, Songyang Silver Monkey was awarded a Famous Product of Zhejiang Province.
On March 14, 2008, the original General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine approved geographical indication product protection for “Songyang Tea.”