Yu Danhua
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Yu Danhua, Male, Han, from Jiujiangshixiushui, Jiangxi, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Black Tea Processing Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-149). The tradition is documented in Jiujiangshixiushui, Jiangxi. Within the regional tradition and school record of Black Tea Processing Craftsmanship in Jiujiangshixiushui, Jiangxi: The Ninghong tea craft centers on Xiushui county town and the tea districts of Zhajin and Manjiang. Because Xiushui sits at the center of nine counties across Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi, the craft traveled north along the Yangtze to Jiujiang and west into the Mufu Mountains of Hunan. Each tea house developed its own style in light withering, heavy rolling, and full fermentation; the exact tightness of the strips and degree of fermentation were passed orally from master to apprentice, and since the Qing dynasty transmission has largely relied on Ninghong families and tea-house apprentices generation to generation. The Ninghong tea craft originated in the late Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty, rose to fame in the early Daoguang reign, and peaked during the Guangxu reign. From the mid-19th century onward, as a celebrated Chinese black tea, it was exported far to many overseas countries.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Yu Danhua is anchored in the documented technical standards of Black Tea Processing Craftsmanship in Jiujiangshixiushui, Jiangxi. Within the documented technical tradition of Black Tea Processing Craftsmanship in Jiujiangshixiushui, Jiangxi: The Ninghong tea craft is one of the representative black-tea production crafts of China, practiced and transmitted in Xiushui County, Jiangxi Province, and its surrounding areas. Because Xiushui was anciently named Fennin and Yining, and its tea belongs to China's distinctive Gongfu black tea, it is called "Ninghong" or "Ninghong Gongfu tea." Xiushui County lies in northwestern Jiangxi, at the center of nine counties across the three provinces of Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi, within a subtropical humid monsoon climate zone. The area has ample rainfall and sufficient sunshine; its soils are mainly red earth rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium—fertile, well-drained, and well-aerated, especially suited to tea bushes. Ninghong is among the earliest Gongfu black teas in China. Ninghong is a fully fermented black tea of the small-leaf variety; its craft is rigorous and refined, and its material selection is superior and meticulous. Picking generally begins before Qingming; it usually takes place after 8 a.m. once the morning mist has just lifted, the standard being a single bud, a bud with one just-unfurling leaf, a bud with one opening leaf, and partly a bud with two leaves. After the fresh leaves are picked they undergo strict sorting and grading to prevent uneven maturity and mixing of inferior leaves. The steps for making Ninghong are rigorous and exacting; the traditional method comprises two processes—initial and refined—with over ten steps. The initial process mainly consists of withering, rolling, fermentation, and drying; the refined process mainly consists of sifting, picking, re-firing, blending, and packing, and creatively developed unique skills such as light withering, heavy rolling, and full fermentation. Ninghong tea is famed at home and abroad for its tight, elegant strips, visible golden tips, upright buds, black lustrous color, lasting high aroma, red bright infused leaf, and rich, mellow, fresh, brisk taste; its rich, lasting apple fragrance is Ninghong's distinctive natural tea scent. The transmission and development of the Ninghong tea craft plays a positive role in boosting employment and prosperity and in realizing rural revitalization; it has become a regional cultural symbol of Xiushui and a calling card for external exchange. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "": "Archive of process records": The steps for making Ninghong are rigorous and exacting; the traditional method comprises two processes—initial and refined—with over ten steps.
Archive of process records
The steps for making Ninghong are rigorous and exacting; the traditional method comprises two processes—initial and refined—with over ten steps.
Core Technique I
The Ninghong tea craft is one of the representative black-tea production crafts of China, practiced and transmitted in Xiushui County, Jiangxi Province, and its surrounding areas.
Core Technique II
Because Xiushui was anciently named Fennin and Yining, and its tea belongs to China's distinctive Gongfu black tea, it is called "Ninghong" or "Ninghong Gongfu tea." Xiushui County lies in northwestern Jiangxi, at the center of nine counties across the three provinces of Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi, within a subtropical humid monsoon climate zone.
Core Technique III
The area has ample rainfall and sufficient sunshine;
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Yu Danhua was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Black Tea Processing Craftsmanship, with Jiujiangshixiushui, Jiangxi as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Black Tea Processing Craftsmanship in Jiujiangshixiushui, Jiangxi: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Jiujiangshixiushui, Jiangxi as its declared area, and Jiangxi Ning Hong Co., Ltd. as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
The Ninghong tea craft originated in the late Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty, rose to fame in the early Daoguang reign, and peaked during the Guangxu reign. From the mid-19th century onward, as a celebrated Chinese black tea, it was exported far to many overseas countries.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wang Chang | Qimen, Anhui | 05-2849 | Other regional school |
| Zhang Chengren | Fengqing, Yunnan | 05-2850 | Other regional school |
| Lin Hong | Ningdeshifuan, Fujian | — | Other regional school |
| Yu Danhua | Jiujiangshixiushui, Jiangxi | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。