Green Tea Processing Craftsmanship

Ⅷ-148Traditional CraftsmanshipEnshi, HubeiBatch 4 (2014)Extension ItemFeatured

01 · Historical Records

Enshi Yulu making craft was founded in the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty (1680) by a tea merchant surnamed Lan from Huanglian Creek, Bajiao, Enshi. In the Qing dynasty, Enshi Yulu was listed among the more than 40 renowned teas of the Qing alongside West Lake Longjing, Wuyi rock tea, and Huangshan Maofeng. The finished tea is beautiful in shape and superior in quality; as early as 1965, Enshi Yulu was included among the 'Top Ten Famous Chinese Teas,' enjoys high renown at home and abroad, and has been granted national geographical indication product protection.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Enshi Yulu making craft is a traditional craft that uses a steaming stove and a roasting furnace as tools and employs multiple process steps to make steamed, needle-shaped green tea; it is mainly practiced in Bajiao Dong Ethnic Township and the Wufeng Mountain area of Wuyangba Subdistrict Office in Enshi City, Hubei Province. The traditional Enshi Yulu making craft comprises six core techniques—steaming, fanning, shaking, kneading, shoveling, and shaping—and four major hand methods—scooping, holding, rubbing, and binding. First, fresh leaves are separated thinly by variety, grade, and time of day and spread out to wither. Then high-temperature steam destroys enzyme activity, prevents the enzymatic oxidation of tea polyphenols, and removes the grassy aroma. The steamed leaves are spread thin and fanned to cool and disperse moisture, preventing the leaves from yellowing due to stuffiness. Next, the first 'mao huo' (low fire) roasting is done: the steamed leaves are placed on the roasting furnace tray and quickly tossed high and shaken apart to evaporate moisture. Then kneading: rotary and paired kneading are performed on the roasting furnace to roll the leaves into strips. The second 'mao huo' is shoveled: on the roasting furnace the 'shovel' method is used to stir-fry the tea, evaporating moisture and shaping the form. Shaping and polishing: suspended-hand rubbing and supported rubbing are used to mold the finished tea into the shape of pine needles—smooth, oily, and emerald green. Finally, firing to enhance aroma: on the roasting furnace, low-temperature, prolonged baking increases fragrance, and the finished product is sorted. The characteristic of the Enshi Yulu making craft lies in its kill-green process: a specially made steaming stove is used for steaming; once the water in the pot is fully boiling, the fresh leaves are quickly and evenly spread thin in the steamer, requiring 'clear distinction between hot and cold and timely leaf loading.' Enshi Yulu was transported and sold by Bajiao tea merchants to Xiangfan and Laohekou in northern Hubei and Nanyang in Henan, among other places. The Enshi Yulu making craft has a long history and exceptionally refined technique. It showcases the superb skill and remarkable wisdom of tea artisans, enriches the connotation of Chinese tea culture, and holds considerable historical, economic, scientific-technological, and cultural value.

Documented Process Records

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Enshi Yulu grows under distinctive natural ecological conditions; its 'pine-needle shape and enduring delicate fragrance' make it a surviving steamed, needle-shaped green tea in China. Locally, a new variety suited to making Enshi Yulu, 'Echa 14,' has been bred, and four new needle-shaped green tea styles have been created.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

This heritage item has always been transmitted generation to generation through the apprenticeship system and the family system. Yang Shengwei (official archive record of the associated inheritor): Male, Miao ethnicity, born in June 1937, a native of Enshi City, Hubei Province. Representative inheritor of the fifth national-level batch of the intangible cultural heritage item 'Green Tea Making Craft (Enshi Yulu Making Craft).' Enshi Yulu green tea-making technician. Since 1958 he studied the Enshi Yulu making craft under Xiao Zhizheng and Long Xianlu, attaining consummate skill. He has taught more than six hundred apprentices. The theory and technological procedure of the Enshi Yulu making craft that he summarized over decades of tea-making practice have been compiled into such works as 'Tea Production and Primary Processing,' 'Records of Famous Chinese Teas,' 'The Classic of Chinese Tea,' and 'Science of Tea Manufacturing,' and he also published the book 'Enshi Yulu.' He participated in CCTV programs such as 'Asking About Tea at Qingming · Enshi Yulu' and took part in events including the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo, the Shanghai World Tea Expo, and the Yellow Crane Tower Cup Hubei Tea-Tasting Competition. He has obtained one national utility model patent.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗

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