Laoshan Green Tea Producing Area (崂山绿茶) 

Laoshan green tea is mainly produced in Laoshan District (崂山区), Qingdao City (青岛市), Shandong Province (山东省). Laoshan green tea, as a green tea in northern China, has the characteristics of a long growth cycle, good quality, and thick leaves. This kind of tea is highly praised as the first famous tea in the north. 

Lao Mountain (Laoshan 崂山) is located on the coast of the Yellow Sea (黄海), with a temperate marine monsoon climate, fertile and slightly acidic soil. Laoshan is a famous Daoist mountain. It is also called "the first famous mountain by the sea" (海上第一名山), which is inscribed on a rock at the foot of the mountain. Lao Mountain has the reputation of having "the cave of the immortals" (神仙宅窟), and being "the world’s second jungle of Quanzhen Daoism" (道教全真天下第二丛林). Because the Laoshan area is close to the ocean, there is less pollution in the air, the rainfall and snowfall are clean, and the water sources dependent on this rain and snow filter through the multi-level rock formations, absorbing a variety of minerals. So Laoshan spring water is mineralized, pure, and the taste is sweet and refreshing. The famous Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai (李白) wrote a verse to praise Laoshan, "I used to be by the East Sea, Laoshan rose up into purple-colored clouds” (我昔东海上，崂山支紫霞).

Legends of Laoshan Green Tea 

In various legends, Laoshan tea was said to have been transplanted from the planting areas in southern China by famous Daoists such as Qiu Chuji (丘处机) the founder of the Longmen Sect (龙门派) of Daoism, or Zhang Sanfeng (张三丰) who is believed by many to be the creator of taijiquan (tai chi) in the Ming Dynasty.

In another legend, the third daughter of the Dragon King of the East China Sea went to tour the Taiqing Palace at Laoshan and met a man with whom she fell in love, causing her to stay in Laoshan. Her husband loved tea, but eventually exhausted the supply of tea that she had brought with her from the south, and so he no longer had tea to enjoy. Seeking to comfort her husband, the Dragon Princess went to Laoshan and threw her magic hairpin towards the mountain, letting it guide her to a tea plant. She and her husband followed the hairpin to the top of the Mountain and found a “divine tea." This is the tea which later became known as Laoshan green tea.

The History of Laoshan Green Tea

Due to the north’s challenging climate and environment, tea trees have mostly grown in the south of China where the climate is warm, humid, and rainy. Some scientists also put forward the theory that "tea cannot be grown in areas north of 30 degrees northern latitude." There is no written historical record of tea cultivation in the north in ancient Chinese books, but Laoshan green tea is an exception to this. 

In 1954, chairman Mao Zedong (毛泽东) proposed "The introduction of southern tea into northern agriculture." And then secretary of the Shandong Provincial Party Committee, Tan Qilong, (谭启龙) was ordered to introduce the southern tea species into Shandong Province in northern China. 

In 1956, Tan Qilong chose the initial sites to introduce tea to in the north to be the cities Qingdao (青岛), Rizhao (日照), and Linyi (临沂). Although Shandong has suitable soil, it is difficult for tea trees to adapt to the relatively cold climate. Laoshan green tea was initially planted in the nursery at the southern foot of Taiping Mountain (太平山) in Zhongshan Park (中山公园). For the first time, 5,000 two-year-old tea seedlings were shipped from Huangshan City, Anhui Province. Due to the lengthy shipping time, the roots of the seedlings were seriously damaged, and so the initial cultivation attempt failed completely.

In 1959, more tea seedlings from the south were planted in the small square in front of the Taiqing Palace. More than 50,000 plants were sown at that time, but due to poor management, only 5,000 to 10,000 plants survived. On a slope 300 meters above sea level near the Shangqing Palace, someone found 27 tea trees planted in 1962.

In 1965, after many failures, several tea trees planted in Zhongshan Park in Qingdao survived.

In 1966, after continuous exploration and improvement, there was finally success in introducing southern tea to the north in Rizhao.

From 1980-1990, although the "Southern Tea in the North" (南茶北引) was successful, the production area was limited and the output was very low. Tea planting techniques had now developed, but there was still much for the northern tea farmers to learn. Generally, the craft of tea-making is only mastered by a few people, and the number of tea makers was still fairly limited. In the early 1990s, the planting area of ​​Laoshan tea was only about 60 hectares.

In the mid-to-late 1990s, Laoshan tea made great improvements. The government formulated supporting policies, provided financial support and technical guidance, and encouraged some farmers to break from tradition and grow tea instead of grains. The overall tea planting area increased by about 30 hectares on average every year, and the number of registered trademarks of Laoshan green tea increased by dozens.

Difference Between Laoshan Green Tea and Southern Green Tea

Leaf Appearance

Due to the effects of different environmental growing conditions, the shape of the steeped tea leaves is different. When southern green tea is steeped in water, the curled leaves can unfold immediately. The open leaves are straight and smooth, with many large half-cut leaves. After Laoshan green tea is steeped in water, the curled leaves need time to slowly stretch. If they don't completely unfurl, and even when totally open, they wrinkle and occasionally smaller pieces appear.

Tasting

The first three steeps of southern green tea have a heavier taste, but after the first three the taste becomes weaker. The first steep of Laoshan green tea has little taste, the second steep is slightly better, and after the third steep it gets even better as the unique, elegant, and fragrant bean flavor begins to come out. The tea soup’s mouthfeel and aftertaste “huigan” (回甘) becomes better after the third steep as well (the “huigan” is the sweet taste (甘甜) of tea that remains in the mouth, the throat and on the tongue). 

The Steeped Tea Leaves

After brewing several times, wait until the tea leaves are fully stretched before observing the leaves: Laoshan tea leaves are complete with a clean appearance, and very few tea stems are to be found. Almost all southern teas have long stems because the southern tea grows rapidly and the internodes between the leaves are long.

Laoshan Green Tea Processing

Picking 采摘

The picking standard of fresh tea leaves directly relates to the quality and grade of the finished tea. Generally, picking standards are divided into: single bud (单芽), one bud and one leaf (一芽一叶), one bud and two leaves (一芽二叶), one bud with three leaves (一芽三叶), one bud with four leaves (一芽四叶), and abnormal buds and leaves (对夹叶). When picking fresh leaves, the leaves should be tender and uniform, clean and free of debris. When picking, the picker’s hands should be light and delicate, and the picker should not use hand cream. Generally pickers do not pick purple buds, diseased and insect buds, frostbitten buds, and other buds that do not meet quality standards. Usually picking is done in the early morning and not on rainy days. After picking, the picked leaves are put into clean bamboo baskets. Leaves should be spread out to wither before too much time has passed.

Withering 摊放

The purpose of spreading the tea leaves out is to dissipate the water in the fresh leaves, darken the color of the leaves, soften the quality of the leaves, and increase the plasticity, which is conducive to the formation of the finished shape and quality. When laying fresh leaves, you should choose a clean, hygienic, cool, ventilated, dry place out of direct sunlight. The leaves are spread out on a mat or bamboo plaque, evenly and thinly, with a thickness of about 5-8cm, and then left to wither for approximately 6-10 hours. After rain, withering time should be appropriately extended. In the middle of withering, leaves can be gently turned and mixed. Generally, when the moisture content of the fresh leaves reaches 68%~70% and the leaves become soft and fragrant, it is time for the next step.

Fixing 杀青

Fixing, also known as “kill-green,” is a key process in green tea processing. Fixing is to take high-temperature measures to dissipate the moisture in the leaves, inactivate oxidation and the activity of enzymes, and make certain chemical changes in the contents of the fresh leaves. This lays the foundation for the quality of the green tea. Fixing is done by pan-frying the tea. If the temperature is too low the process takes too long and enzymatic reactions occur that result in red stems and leaves. If the temperature is too high, more chlorophyll will be destroyed, causing the leaves to turn yellow, and some even produce burnt edges and spots, reducing the quality of the tea.

Rolling 揉捻

The purpose of rolling/kneading is to break the cell tissue of tea leaves and curl the buds and leaves to form cord-like shapes. During kneading, the tea leaves are subjected to the combined effect of the pressure between the kneading barrel and the kneading plate. Tea juices seep out, and the softness, plasticity, and viscosity of the leaves increase, which is conducive to forming them into their finished shape. The rolled tea leaves need to be de-agglomerated with a de-agglomerating sieve. 

Drying 干燥

Drying not only evaporates the remaining moisture in the leaves but also catalyzes a series of thermochemical changes to form the unique color, aroma, taste, and shape of the finished tea leaves. Drying mainly includes three inseparable stages: evaporation, thermochemical changes, and perfecting the shape.

Packaging 包装

The processed tea leaves need to be cooled again, picked to remove impurities and old leaves, powder can be sifted out, and then they are packaged. The packaged tea should be stored in a cool, dry, and dark place.