The Birth of Yunnan Black Tea

China’s earliest black tea is Wuyishan’s Zhengshan Xiaojiao, originated in the end of the Ming Dynasty, more than 400 years ago, and Yunnan black tea from the birth of so far only 80 years, is a solid “afterbirth”.

The earliest production record of Yunnan black tea is not Fengqing County, which is the hometown of Dian Hong in many people’s mind, but Menghai County, which is famous for Puerh tea today.

In 1934, Menghai famous tea Li Fuyi Menghai County produced tea made in Yunnan’s history of the first batch of black tea, and then sent to Hankou for assaying and identification, and a part of them were sold to Tibet and other places, are well received, but then only experimental nature, and no mass production sales, more named, can only be seen as a bit of starbursts before the official birth of Yunnan black tea.

And then after that, is the rise of Fengqing black tea road.
In 1937, China Tea Corporation was established. And this year, is also “7.7” Lugou Bridge Incident occurred in a year, the Japanese invasion of China, China’s southeastern provinces, tea areas of the war continues, tea production constraints and destruction. The international market demand for Chinese black tea did not decrease, in order to maintain the existing market of Chinese black tea in the international arena, in the summer of 1938, China Tea Corporation was ordered to develop new tea areas in the southwest of China.

In November 1938, Feng Shaoqiu by the China Tea Corporation assigned to Yunnan research Yunnan tea industry, walked to Fengqing (then called Shunning) found that the local tea tree forests, tall plants, buds strong leaf fat, that is very suitable for the production of high-quality black tea, and then try to make black tea green tea 500 grams of each sent to Hong Kong, was recognized as a top quality.

In 1939, Feng Shaoqiu established Shunning Experimental Tea Factory under the support of Yunnan Provincial Tea Company, and the trial production of black tea with Yunnan large-leafed species was successful and put into production, and the product was named “Yunhong”, and from the very beginning of the factory will be located in the black tea “export tea”, Shunning production of black tea from Dianyue, Yunnan and Vietnam, and the black tea was sent to Hong Kong. The black tea produced in Thuan Ninh was exported through the routes of Yunnan-Vietnam and Yunnan-Burma, and was delivered to Hong Kong Fuhua Company for resale in London, realizing the foreign exchange earnings.

In 1940, the Provincial Tea Company changed the name of “Yunhong” to “Dianhong”, which is still in use today. Previously, Shunning only produces sun-dried green tea, it is because Feng Shaoqiu later Shunning (i.e., Fengqing) Dianhong fragrance of the world’s legend, so Feng Shaoqiu is also known as the “founder of Dianhong”. In the same year, Fohai Tea Factory (now Menghai Tea Factory) was established, in addition to the production of tight tea, round tea, but also began to produce Fu Fu black tea.

In 1941, Menghai’s Nannuoshan Tea Factory was put into production, introducing foreign machinery and equipment to produce black tea, which was of very high quality and in short supply in the foreign market, becoming the tea factory with the largest export volume of tea in Yunnan at that time.
After 1942, the Japanese invasion of Yunnan, soldiers and bandits scourge, black tea export access blocked, tea production is dying, Yunnan black tea industry just began to emerge on the face of a life and death test. Since then until December 1949, the peaceful liberation of Yunnan, before ushering in a turnaround.

In 1950, under the guidance of the new Chinese government, the reconstruction of the Shunning Experimental Tea Factory, and try to rolling black tea production technology for export demand was successful, the tea factory resumed production, regained life.
In 1952, Shunning and Menghai total annual output of 120 tons of high-quality black tea, refined all exported to the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. 1953, Shunning County, all tea-producing villages and villages have built black tea primary production, and to Changning, Yunxian and other districts and counties to promote the subsequent tea-producing counties in Yunnan Province began to learn from the experience of Shunning, the full promotion of Shunning black tea technology. Shunning also re-established the position of the first county of Yunnan red!

In 1954, Shunning changed its name to Fengqing, and Shunning Experimental Tea Factory also changed its name to Fengqing Tea Factory.
In 1958, Fengqing production of special grade work Dian Hong hit the highest price in the London market, a sensation, became the British aristocracy competing for tea, demand exceeds supply. The following year was positioned in the national foreign affairs gift tea, exclusively for the use of the State Council. This year has become Yunnan black tea the most high light of the year, foreign fame, domestic favor, now popular in the country’s Feng brand classic 58 name comes from this.

In 1964, Fengqing introduction of black tea kneading and cutting machinery, the first to start standardized production of black tea, and then with the Menghai together to become the two major centers of Yunnan Yunnan black tea production, at that time, the Menghai Tea Factory is the “national grading black tea” experimental point. But soon thereafter, the Cultural Revolution began, scientific research is blocked, production stagnation, Yunnan black tea industry into a trough.

In 1978, Yunnan black tea full recovery, black tea quality has been greatly enhanced, exports to the United States exceeded the average level of high-grade tea in the international market at that time 8.4%, the original box of Fengqing exported black tea accounted for 36% of the total export volume of the original box of black tea, ranked first!