About Tian He Tea
Tian He Tea has been developed as a brand for international recognition for a reliable choice in premium Chinese tea.
Special Qualities
In older days, when people discovered the benefits of tea, the leaves were hand processed in small batches with a ‘just right’ amount of fire to allow for maximum natural goodness. Tian He believes in this same concept and maintain optimum hand processing and batches size.
Jiuhua Green Buddha Tea
Region: Jiu Hua Mountain, Anhui, China
Other Names: Jiuhua Mountain Buddha Tea, Jiuhua Fo Cha, “Nine Glories Buddhist Tea,” Jiuhua Mao Feng
Grown on the sacred slopes of Jiu Hua Mountain, Buddha tea's beautiful leaves are known for its sweet, lasting fragrance.
Early spring tea made of tender plump hairy shoots, skillfully crafted by tea masters into a straight flat palm shape, with a sweet lasting aroma and a refreshing taste.
Water Temperature: 80°C
Wuyi Oolong Cliff Tea
Region: Wuyi Mountain, Fujian, China
Other Names: Wuyi Rock Tea, Wuyi Yan Cha
This is a tea that has become noted for its weight loss properties. That said, it is truly an enjoyable drinking tea. This rare and unique oolong consists of medium oxidized, unrolled amber brown leaf with greenish highlights. A sophisticated dark amber liquor reveals flavors of raisins and toasted almonds. A simply outstanding tea for the health conscious connoisseur.
Water Temperature: 100°C
Wuyi Oolong Tea and Mountain Wuyi tea not a single tea variety, but refers collectively to the teas grown on the Wuyi Mountain of Fujian Province in China. Some vendors in the West sell Wuyi green tea, which is unheard of in China. Wuyi Mountain is renowned for producing oolong tea, not green tea. Wuyi oolong tea is also known as Rock Tea or Yancha. This is unfortunate, because the word yan is more accurately translated as crag. It is called the Crag Tea because Wuyi Mountain is a large volcanic fault structure that consists mainly of vertical cliffs, deep gorges and cave systems. Characteristics The tea leaves in this family are long and curly rather than ball-shaped, and are more oxidized and roasted than their southern cousin Tieguanyin. It has an unique taste called Rock Rhyme (Yanyun), so called because of the high mineral content of Wuyi Mountain. In China, the unique flavor is often described as "crag bone floral fragrance". The body is mellow with an outstanding orchid fragrance. The aftertaste is said to be long lasting and rock-like. History Song dynasty's poets Fan Zhongyan and Su Shi both alluded to its fame and tribute tea status as early as the 11th century. Su Shi is also known as Su Dongpo. He is renowned for his ci style poetry, which embodies great symmetry, beauty and feeling. He also lent his name to Dongpo pork, a popular Shanghainese cuisine. When the Mongolian Calvary lorded over China in the 14th century, an imperial tea garden was set up on Wuyi Mountain to cater for the emperors. According to William Ukers, who wrote All About Tea in 1935, Wuyi oolong tea was one of the first teas to be exported to Europe in the early 17th century. Wuyi Mountain Make no mistake. Authentic Wuyi tea is rare, so rare that it is hardly available in the West. If somebody sells you Wuyi tea for $5, and claims it was grown on a cliff, beware - the merchant is lying. This doesn't mean you shouldn't buy the tea. I just want you to go in with a realistic expectation. Why? Because the Mountain spreads out over an area of just 60 kilometers square. Most vendors sell Wuyi tea grown in the surrounding area rather than those from the middle of the Mountain. Situated in the Fujian Province of Southern China, it has an average elevation of 650 metes above sea level. The landscape is characterized by winding river valleys flanked by dome-shaped cliffs and cave systems. The nine-bend river (Jiuqu Xi) meanders in a deep gorge among these hills. It is famous for its 36 peaks and 99 crags, with tea being cultivated in each crag. Wuyi Mountain is a Mecca for biologists. Scientists have been busy conducting field research there since 1873. They have identified nearly 4,000 plant species and 5,000 animal species. Wuyi tea plants even have their own name - Var Bohea. It is widely regarded as the richest depository of tea varieties in the world. Its biodiversity and rich history received recognitions in 1999 when it entered the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. Manufacturing Process Another 5 steps follow: Withering (Weidiao) The freshly picked leaves are left in the sun to dry from 0.5 to 2 hours to remove moisture, then moved indoors to cool. Bruising (Zhuoqing or Yaoqing) The leaves are shaken and rubbed using hands or machines to bruise the surface of the leaves. This exposes tea juices to air and enhances the oxidation process. Fixation (Shaqing) Pan-frying the leaves at high heat for a short period of time to kill enzymes and stop the oxidation process. Rolling (Rounian) This step is rolling the leaves to shape them into the desired form. The roasting-rolling process is then repeated a second time to further stimulate the flavors. Baking (Hongbei) By initially applying high heat for 10 to 15 minutes to dry the leaves. Then following with low heat for 1 to 2 hours to increase the floral aroma and mellow taste. Grading From the Middle of the Crags (Zhengyan Cha) On the Border of the Crags (Banyan Cha) In the Surrounding Crags (Zhoucha) Outside of the Mountain The highest quality tea is Zhengyan Cha. It grows in the middle of Crags in what's called the "Three Valleys and Two Ravines". Only Zhengyan Cha has the famous Rock-like flavors (Yanyun). The next grade Banyan Cha has much weaker Yanyun. Wuyi Rock Tea Buyers Guide - Types and Grades Varieties It was said that one crag, (Huiwan Yan) has as many as 830 named varieties. Imagine then, that there are 99 famous crags in the whole of Wuyi Mountain,so consider how many varieties there are in total? For a thousand or more years, many thousands of tea plants were selected from the middle of the Mountain for cultivation. These tea bushes are known as Dancong Qizhong. The best among them are known as Mingcong Qizhong or Famous Tea Bush. The most renowned of the Famous Tea Bush is the Dahongpao (Big Red Robe). He is widely regarded as the King of Oolongs. Please note there are many types of Dahongpao tea, it doesn't automatically mean that all Dahongpao teas are superlative. Next come the Famous Four: Shui Jin Gui (Golden Turtle) Tie Luo Han (Iron Warrior Monk) Bai Ji Guan (White Rooster) Ban Tien Yao (Middle Sky) The other two major families of Wuyi tea are the Rougui and Shuixian. These two types of tea, together with the Dahongpao, make up the bulk of the production of modern Wuyi tea. Tian He Tea Tour Sydney-Shanghai-Jiu Hua Mt-Wu Yi Mt-Hangzhou-Shanghai-Sydney Tour date: 16 April to 29 April, 2010 (exact dates subject to change) Tour cost includes: Roundtrip airfare from Sydney to China, all local travel, all meals, all hotels, all entry fees to events/museums Tour cost does not include: Australia travel to and from Sydney, visas, immunizations, tips. Day-by-Day Itinerary Day 2: Shanghai to Jiu Hua Mountain We’ll travel to An Hui Province, homeland of some of the most famous Chinese green tea. Jiu Hua Mountain, the most famous Buddhist sacred mountain in south China, is where Dawei and Armand have their mountain retreat. Day 3: Jiu Hua Mountain Enjoy the peaceful life at Dawei’s temple, pick, prepare and taste the new harvest 2010 tea. Day 4: Jiu Hua Mountain Climb and walk on top of Jiu Hua Range (more than 1000 meters high) to visit some of the great Buddhist temples and study Jiu Hua Buddha tea. Day 5: Jiu Hua Mountain Taiping Lake day trip – to study Tai Ping Hou Kui, one of the top ten tea in China. The scenery is amazing there! Day 6: Jiu Hua Mountain Yellow Mountain day trip – The most famous Chinese mountain! A must to all the visitors in China. The Yellow Mt Mao Feng, is the number three famous tea in China. Day 7: Jiu Hua Mountain Tea ceremony, Chinese culture lecture and Buddhist meditation. Day 8: Jiu Hua Mountain to Wu Yi Mountain. (Da Hong Pao, Big Red Robe) Today we'll travel to Wu Yi mountain to study Da Hong Pao, the most famous rock oolong in China. We will take you to see Da Hong Pao's mother bush, which is over 350 years old, in a special park. We'll tour Wu Yi Mountain, which is home to China's rock oolongs. We'll leave Wu Yi Mountain and make a move to Hangzhou, a beautiful city that's popular with Chinese and foreign tourists alike. You'll stay in a hotel near West Lake. You'll visit Mr. , our widely respected Shi Feng Long Jing master, and witness the tea harvest at his gardens. Then it's off to the Hangzhou Tea Museum to meet a famous tea master from the International Tea Culture Institute. Day 15: arrive in Sydney in the morning around 08:30 am Options: Shanghai - Beijing-Tianjin-Beijing – Sydney 6 days, 5 nights in Beijing Cost: 1200 AUD Single room supplement: 350 AUD
A Beginner's Guide
Wuyi Oolong tea is the world’s most sought after oolong tea. The priceless Dahongpao is widely regarded as the King of Oolong.
Wuyi oolong tea is one of China's 10 famous teas. It belongs to a family of teas from northern Fujian Province called Mingbei Oolong.
Wuyi tea has a long and glorious history. 
The secret of Wuyi oolong tea lies in its geographical position.
A standard pick is one bud with 3 or 4 leaves, when the buds at the top of a bush reach half the size of a mature leaf. Harvesting can take place 3 times a year in spring, summer and autumn.
Leaf selection is the most important determinant of quality.
Wuyi Oolong tea can be graded according to where it is grown:
The discussion of Wuyi tea plant-varieties is a complex topic.
Duration: 14 days
Tour cost: $5080 (this price may change depending on airfares)
Single room supplement: $600
Minimum deposit: $1500 (refundable until 60 days prior to departure)
Our tour will focus on traditional, handmade Chinese green tea and some of China’s best oolong tea. We will guide you through two green tea provinces – Zhejiang and An Hui – which are home to teas like Jiuhua Buddha tea, Long Jing, Liu An Gua Pian, Tai Ping Hou Kui, Huang Shan Mao Feng, and many other favorite green teas. We will also guide you through Fujian province, home to Wuyi Mt. rock oolong.
Day 1: Sydney to Shanghai
You arrive in Shanghai, the biggest city of China, late in the evening of the first day. Rest up!
Day 9: Meet Master (Traditional Rock Oolong Tea)
From his garden to his workshop, Master will show you the entire process of picking and producing traditional rock oolong teas. He will teach how different bushes, soils, roasting techniques, and grades all yield different flavors of oolong. Come thirsty...we'll taste a lot of tea today!
Day 10: Daytrip to Tong Mu Village (Lapsang Souchong Black Tea)
We'll take a break from oolongs to visit Tong Mu Village, nestled in the Tong Mu Natural Preserve, which is the home of Lapsang Souchong. You'll meet the family who has been responsible for authentic Lapsang Souchong for many generations, and see a 100-year-old tea factory constructed entirely of wood. You'll learn why this tea is smoky and have an opportunity to witness the whole process of making this special tea, starting with the famous black tea bush, the "Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong," in family's wild tea garden.
Day 11: Tour Wu Yi Mountain
Today we'll relax and enjoy some of the culture around Wu Yi Mountain. We'll visit the temple where people believe that oolong tea was invented, and ride in a bamboo boat to enjoy the gorgeous scenery. On the boat, you'll have a chance to absorb the scenery and learn why this particular area is so well suited for oolong tea. Then we'll visit an ancient kiln where the original Mo Cha tea bowls were produced. Mo Cha is a powdered green tea popular during the Tang and Song Dynasties, when it was drunk in a bowl. After a visit to a local teahouse, We will show you how to relax, Chinese-style, and you'll have a chance to shop for local products.
Day 12: Wu Yi Mountain to Hangzhou
Day 13: Daytrip around West Lake in Hangzhou (Temples and Silk)
Today we'll visit other parts of West Lake, one of the most famous lakes in China, which has an ancient Buddhist temple and pagoda, to learn about how tea and Buddhism are intertwined. In the afternoon, we will guide you through the wholesale silk market and Song Dynasty streets.
Day 14: Shanghai Drive-By
Whew! It's time to go home. We'll board the bus in the morning and head back to Shanghai. We'll tour this modern city, time permitting, visit a teahouse or museum before heading for the airport.