Green Tea Processing Craftsmanship

01 · Historical Records

The traditional Mengshan tea-making craft began in the Han dynasty and flourished through the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties; it has been transmitted and developed to this day through the master-apprentice method, in the process of oral instruction and practical comprehension.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

The traditional Mengshan tea-making craft refers to the hand craft of using Mengshan-region tea leaves, traditional implements, and traditional processes and techniques to make Mengshan tea; it is one of the representatives of China's green tea-making crafts. The craft is practiced in Mingshan District, Ya'an City, Sichuan Province; the core areas are mainly Mengding Mountain in Mingshan, Mengyang Town, Zhongfeng Township and other townships, and temples such as Yongxing Temple, Qianfo Temple, and Zhiju Temple, as well as Bifengxia Town and Beijiao Township in Yucheng District. Ya'an City lies on the southwestern edge of the Sichuan Basin, in the transition zone from the Chengdu Plain to the western Sichuan plateau. Mengshan, also called 'Mengding Mountain,' belongs to the mid-latitude inland subtropical monsoon humid climate zone; the area is dominated by high-mountain hilly terrain, the soil is mostly acidic or slightly acidic, with relatively high humus and phosphorus-potassium content and loose, deep soil layers, offering superior natural conditions for tea growth. The traditional Mengshan tea-making craft centers on Mengding Ganlu, and includes the green tea-making craft of Mengding Shihua, Wanchun Yinye, and Yuye Changchun, and the yellow tea-making craft of Mengding Huangya; its main characteristics are as follows: first, according to the season of the bud-leaf raw material, the time of harvest, and the water content, it upholds the generationally transmitted maxim 'make tea according to the tea.' Second, the kill-green temperature is high, judged entirely by experience from the color of the wok and the feel of the hand. Third, it is made entirely by hand, with main techniques such as holding, throwing, pulling, pressing, scattering, pushing, and kneading. Fourth, a specially assigned 'fire alchemist' (huo dan shi) is responsible for wok temperature, working in tacit cooperation with the tea maker. Mengding Ganlu tea is curled with visible down, tender green and oily, with a tender aroma, green liquor, and a refreshing, sweet aftertaste; Mengding Huangya has plump, neat buds, a bright yellow color, oily with golden down, and a sweet, honey-like fragrance; Mengding Shihua is a finished tea that is flat, straight, and neat, with silver peaks sharp and upright, sweet, fresh, fragrant, and pure. Overall, Mengshan tea made by traditional craft is characterized by beautiful shape, green liquor, tender aroma, and a refreshing sweetness. Bai Juyi left the enduring famous line, 'In music I know only Green Water; in tea my old friend is Mengshan.' The traditional Mengshan tea-making craft carries rich tea-culture information; beyond tea making, it also includes tribute tea, tea tasting, sacrifice, and the tea-horse trade—of long standing and far-reaching influence. With the transmission of the traditional Mengshan tea-making craft, the making craft, tea-art activities, and related trade have reached the southwestern provinces, becoming an important component of Chinese tea culture and a vivid witness to the unity and exchange of multiple ethnic groups, with significant historical, cultural, and economic value.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

The Mengshan tea name is attached to Mingshan District, Ya'an City; the Mengding Mountain area is the core, and Mengyang Town, Zhongfeng Township, and temples such as Yongxing, Qianfo, and Zhiju also each have transmission points; the craft has also expanded outward with trade to Bifengxia Town and Beijiao Township in Yucheng District. The varieties center on Mengding Ganlu, with additional green teas such as Mengding Shihua, Wanchun Yinye, and Yuye Changchun, and the line of yellow tea Mengding Huangya. In technique it stresses the maxim-transmitted 'make tea according to the tea'; the high kill-green wok temperature is judged entirely by wok color and hand feel for the firing moment, and a dedicated 'fire alchemist' is set apart to manage wok temperature.

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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

At present, all nine representative inheritors of this item are in Mingshan District, Ya'an City, mainly engaged in tea processing, production, and management; there are also more than 220 other inheritors who transmit the craft in production and practice centered on Ya'an, Sichuan, radiating to the surrounding areas of Ya'an.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

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

• Yang Jichang 03-1418
• Xie Sishi 03-1419
• Chu Zhaowei 04-1904
• Fang Jifan 04-1905
• Shi Yuewen 05-2842
• Zheng Funian 05-2843
• Liao Yongchuan 05-2844
• Fang Genmin 05-2845
• Zhou Zuhong 05-2846
• Yang Shengwei 05-2847
• Zhang Ziquan 05-2848
• Fan Shenghua
• Chen Shengfeng
• Chen Dayou
• Zhang Yuehua
• Liu Wenxin

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

1. Green Tea Processing Craftsmanship (Yaan, Sichuan) · China ICH Official Project Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗