Origin Of The Name Qidan (奇丹)

Qidan is a variety of Wuyi Rock Tea that is closely associated with Da Hong Pao (大红袍) (or may even be considered as another name for Da Hong Pao itself, as discussed below). The name Qidan (奇丹), which might be literally translated as “wonderful red,” was given because the tea plants have a red tint to them and the early spring buds a purple-red appearance. The character “dan” (丹) is also associated with cinnabar, which is a mineral that was important and symbolic in various ways in traditional Chinese culture. 

It is also said that “Qidan” was a nickname given to the Da Hong Pao trees by the monks who tended the trees after Da Hong Pao became famous in order to protect the trees from damage due to tourists. 

What Is The Relationship Between Da Hong Pao, Qidan, And Beidou Teas?

Depending on where you look, there are various explanations for what Da Hong Pao tea actually is. Some say that Da Hong Pao is really just the original name for Qidan, others will say that the Beidou (北斗) cultivar is actually the true Da Hong Pao, while others still will say that Da Hong Pao is usually just a blend of Wuyi Rock Teas that generally includes either Qidan, Beidou, and/or other Rock Teas from Wuyi. 

As with many issues like this that have a complex history and various competing claims and stories, the best answer may be that there are multiple “correct” answers. When various teas (or blends) have been persistently connected with a legendary name like “Da Hong Pao” long enough for the connection to become established in the tea community as common knowledge, this arguably leads to a situation where there is not really a single correct answer. But have experts ever studied this in a rigorous way? It appears that some experts have looked into the issue carefully and the results point towards Qidan being the “true” Da Hong Pao cultivar. It is also noteworthy that this is the conclusion expressed on the Baidu entry for Qidan (Baidu is basically the Chinese version of Wikipedia). 

Research Into The History Of Da Hong Pao, Qidan, And Beidou

An article by Shui Fangqi (水方子) on puercn.com, a prominent Chinese tea culture website, describes a study that was conducted in 2009 that appears to be the most systematic look into the origins of Beidou and Qidan. 

The Da Hong Pao mother trees are well-known and located in the Nine Dragon Nest “Jui Long Ke” (九龙窠) area in the Wuyi Mountains. Originally, records show that there were only three mother trees with a supposed history of 350 years, and then three other mother trees showed up at various points, their origins difficult to trace. It was commonly believed that among these six mother trees were both the Qidan and Beidou cultivars. This information originates from the authoritative book "Chinese Famous Tea” (中国名茶志) that is well-known in the Chinese tea industry. The Fujian volume of the book, edited by Rock Tea master Yao Yueming (姚月明) records that at the end of the 1960s, each variety was cut from the tops of the Da Hong Pao mother plants, and that only three of them survived, two of these being Beidou types and were called respectively, "Beidou No. 1" and "Beidou No. 2".

In 2009, experts from the Wuyi Mountain Municipal People’s Government conducted a rigorous study that sought to examine the origins of the most popular Qidan and Beidou varieties in Wuyi and compare them to the Da Hong Pao mother plants using genetic analysis. The report was officially titled, “Report of the Wuyishan Municipal People's Government on Requesting the Appraisal of Wuyishan Dahongpao Varieties” (武夷山市人民政府关于请求对武夷山大红袍品种进行审定的报告). Of the fourteen samples collected by the researchers, six categories were established grouping the samples from various well-known tea growing locales with their genetic relatives:

First category: Yu Cha Yuan Beidou (御茶园北斗), Weng You Ying Tea Garden Beidou (翁友英茶园北斗), and Beidou Qiuweidong Tea Garden (邱卫东茶园北斗).

Second category: Dahongpao of Chenqi Tea Garden (陈起茶园大红袍), Qidan of Lin Shizhong Tea Garden (林士忠茶园奇丹), Royal Tea Garden Da Hong Pao (御茶园大红袍), Jiu Long Ke Da Hong Pao mother tree No. 2 (九龙窠母树2号), Jiu Long Ke Da Hong Pao mother tree No. 6 (九龙窠母树6号), and the original Da Hong Pao strain from the Tea Research Institute of She Kou Town (社口镇), Fujian Province (福安).

Third category: Da Hong Pao mother tree No. 1 and Da Hong Pao mother tree No. 5 from Jiu Long Ke.

Fourth category: Da Hong Pao mother tree No. 4 from Jiu Long Ke.

Fifth category: Da Hong Pao replica strain from the Fujian Tea Research Institute.

Sixth category: Da Hong Pao mother tree No. 3 from Jiu Long Ke.

As seen above based on the categories, the study established that Qidan and Beidou are not in the same category based on genetics, yet Qidan is closely genetically related to some of the Da Hong Pao mother trees. Specifically, in terms of Wuyi Rock Teas planted on a large scale, Qidan is related to the No. 2 and No. 6 Da Hong Pao mother plants at Jui Long Ke. This tea’s quality is also considered by some to be the best and should therefore be considered the true Da Hong Pao, at least according to this study. Additionally, the Da Hong Pao (introduced in 1985) by the Fujian Tea Research Institute, the Da Hong Pao produced in the Wuyi Mountain Imperial Tea Garden, as well as the Da Hong Pao of Qianlan Village, Xingcun Town are also genetically related to the Da Hong Pao mother trees.

“Pure-bred” Da Hong Pao vs Da Hong Pao Mixes

So called pure-bred Da Hong Pao are varieties that are propagated asexually from one of the six Da Hong Pao mother trees (which may include Qidan varieties). 

Da Hong Pao mixes have also become very popular and are now fairly established as “Da Hong Pao” in the tea community. These teas are blends that are created from various Wuyi rock teas and may include Qidan, Beidou and/or other Wuyi varieties. 

Origin Stories for Da Hong Pao

One story says that the monks of Tianxin Temple (天心寺) once cured an official of the Chinese court with tea leaves of a tea tree from Jiu Long Ke. As a gesture of gratitude, the official put his red robe over the tree that cured him. The color of the robe dyed the tea tree red, hence the name "Da Hong Pao" which translates to “Big Red Robe.”

An alternate origin story involves a student who was preparing to take an exam and fell ill on the way to his test. A monk at Tianxin Temple cured him with Da Hong Pao tea. Afterwards he passed the exam, and in order to express his gratitude, he covered the tea tree with a red shawl which dyed the tree red.

Wuyi Mountain Region

The Wuyi Mountains are located at the junction of Jiangxi and Northwest Fujian provinces in China. The region has a mild climate with an average temperature of 18-18.5°C, a long frost-free period, high humidity, and abundant rainfall. The mountains are shrouded in mist and fog all year round. 

The most famous production area is the Zhengyan Mountain area (正岩茶区) which is located within the Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area (武夷山旅游风景区内). Since ancient times, the best tea of Wuyi has been said to come from the Zhengyan region. Particularly, the Zhengyan tea coming from the “Three Pits and Two streams” (三坑两涧) region is said to be the highest quality tea and includes tea from many high-altitude locations. The “Three Pits” are Hui Yuan Keng (慧苑坑), Nui Lan Keng (牛栏坑), Da Keng Kou (大坑口) while the “Two Streams” are Liu Xiang Jian (流香涧), and Wu Yuan Jian (悟源涧). The soil in the Zhengyan area contains a lot of sand and gravel creating soil with high permeability. The soil has high potassium and manganese content and moderate acidity.  Here the daily temperature variation is small and the area is protected from cold winter winds. 

Teas that are produced in the Bi Shi Yan (碧石岩), Ma Tou Yan (马头岩), Shi Zi Kou (狮子口), and Jiu Qu Xi (九曲溪) areas are usually known as Ban Yan Cha (半岩茶), literally meaning “half rock tea.” The tea from the Ban Yan region is lower altitude and not as sought-after as the Zhengyan tea. The soil in the Ban Yan region has low potassium content, high aluminum content, and high acidity. 

Yan Yun 嚴韵

A signature feature of Wuyi Rock Tea is Yan Yun (嚴韵) which is often translated as “rock rhyme” or “mountain rhythm,” but perhaps is best understood as the essence of the tea. Often associated with the tea’s taste, it might be best thought of in a classical Chinese sense as the tea drinker’s experience of the tea as a sort of resonance with the mountains from which it came. Therefore it is more related to terroir than to characteristics resulting from processing or the tea variety itself, although of course one cannot be separated from the joint influence of all of these factors. 

The origin of the term comes from a poem written in the eighteenth century by Emperor Qianlong (乾隆) called “Brewing Tea on a Winter Night” (冬夜烹茶). It is said that the gravely, sandy soil in Wuyi gives the tea a “rock bone flower fragrance” (骨花香岩). The “rock bones” (岩骨) are one of the main characteristics associated with yan yun - a feeling of the rock/mountain “cha qi” (茶氣), or tea energy, deep in your bones. Tea masters recognize the other main characteristics of yan yun as: 

• Xiang (香) “fragrance”: a clean and pure fragrance that is not sharp or too heavy, sometimes reminiscent of orchids. 

• Qing (清) “clear, pure”: the taste is refreshing and smooth, the tea liquor has a bright and clear color.

• Gan (甘) “sweet”: the tea has a mellow sweet taste which is delicious with a sweet aftertaste, it is not overly bitter. 

• Huo (活) “lively”: the tea is vibrant and offers a unique feeling and tea drinking experience. 

Ming Cong vs Pin Zhong

Wuyi tea can be divided into two categories: Ming Cong (名枞) and Pin Zhong (品种). The Ming Cong teas are traditional cultivars that have long histories and usually have some sort of legend or story associated with their name. Popular Ming Cong teas from Wuyi Mountain are Rou Gui (肉桂), Qi Dan (奇丹), Bei Dou (北斗), Shui Xian (水仙), Tie Lou Han (铁罗汉), Shui Jin Gui (水金龟), Ban Tian Yao (半天腰), and Bai Ji Guan (白鸡冠). Ming Cong teas have a strong cha qi (茶氣) or “tea energy,” and more body than Pin Zhong teas. They are usually baked to a medium or high degree. 

Pin Zhong (品种) teas are varieties that were imported from other regions and/or hybridized in the 80s. Popular Pin Zhong teas include Huang Guan Yin (黄观音), Huang Mei Gui (黄玫瑰), Jin Mu Dan (金牡丹), Fo Shou (佛手), and Bai Rui Xiang (白瑞香), to name a few. Pin Zhong teas have various unique aromas and are usually roasted light or medium to preserve the aroma. 

Wuyi Rock Tea Production Process

1. Selective Picking 开面采摘

Wuyi tea is best picked by experienced tea farmers. When picking, it is best to choose “one-tip three-leaf” (一芽三叶) or “one-tip four-leaf” (一芽四叶), rather than picking “one-tip two-leaf” (一芽两叶), because the latter leaves are too tender and easily break which would affect the resulting tea quality. Small-leaf varieties (小叶种) and medium-leaf (中叶种) varieties are the best for picking, whereas large-leaf varieties (大叶种) are considered inferior and generally avoided by tea growers.

2. Sun Fixation 晒青

Tea picking work is usually completed around 11:30 in the morning. After the picking, the tea leaves are transported in bamboo baskets to the tea factory to be withered in the sun (日光萎凋). This means that the tea leaves, after being picked, are usually set out in the sun to oxidize and reduce in water content. After the water partly evaporates using sun withering, the leaves will give off a nice scent. Usually set in the sun around 1 pm, if the sun is strong, the tea only needs to be left out to dry until 6-7 pm. Afterward, they can be spread out on bamboo sieves to cool down for 20- 30 minutes.

3. Laying and Tossing 做青/摇青

This step refers to the alternating processes of laying (or setting) and tossing.

Laying - the tea leaves are first put into a bamboo barrel machine and are heated with either bamboo or fruitwood charcoal to reduce the leaf moisture by about 10% making the leaves softer and the branches/stems less likely to fall off. The heating needs to be adjusted according to the freshness of the tea leaves. Generally, this step is complete after around 8-10 hours. After heating, the lid is open to let it stand so the tea can oxidize and cool down. This needs to be repeated two to three times before starting to toss.

Tossing - after heating and letting it stand to oxidize, the basket lid is closed and the baskets are rotated. Tossing allows the tea leaves to oxidize evenly. In the process of turning, the color of the edge of the tea leaves becomes red, and the color in the middle remains unchanged.

4. Stir Fixation 炒青

Continue to stir fry the leaves to reduce the moisture by another 20%. The temperature is around 176-232°F, and this step continues for about 7-10 minutes.

5. Rolling 揉捻

After stirring the tea leaves are rolled. The rolling gives the tea leaves their unique finished appearance. This process takes about 3-7 minutes.

6. Primary Roasting 初培

After the tea leaves are rolled into strands, they are spread out evenly. This process takes about 5-10 minutes.

7. Screening 筛分

The tea leaves are then screened, and the bad yellow flakes, branches, and stems will be removed, leaving only the good parts.

8. Re-Roasting 复培

The tea leaves are left to sit for about 15 days to remove harshness before they are re-roasted. The subsequent roastings are said to make the yan yun quality of the tea thicker. The various degrees of roasting can be divided into low fire, medium fire, and high fire. Low fire has the lightest flavor, medium fire is moderate, and high fire is the heaviest. Most people choose to drink tea that has been roasted at medium fire.