Changning Black Tea (Changninghong)

Changning Black Tea
Changning Black Tea is a specialty of Changning County, Yunnan Province, and a product protected by China’s National Geographic Indication. Within Changning County, over 200,000 ancient tea trees have been preserved, some of which are over a thousand years old, making it a true “Millennium Tea Homeland.” The unique geographical advantages and excellent ecological environment provide ideal conditions for tea cultivation. Through years of production practice, high-quality tea varieties have been cultivated, and a mature tea processing technique has been developed. This gives Changning Black Tea its bright color, sweet and smooth taste, making it an important part of Dianhong (Yunnan Black Tea). On June 19, 2015, the former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine approved the protection of “Changning Black Tea” as a geographical indication product.

Product Characteristics
Changning Black Tea is characterized by plump, tight strips with prominent tips. The color is dark brown and oily, with a golden hue. The aroma is sweet and strong, the taste is fresh, rich, and mellow, with a bright red liquor and a golden ring. The leaves are tender, with multiple buds, red, uniform, and bright. The tea is mainly harvested in spring, with a smaller portion harvested in autumn. The processing follows traditional methods, particularly focusing on a light fermentation process, which enhances the freshness and brightness. As a result, Changning Black Tea has a rich, mellow taste with mild bitterness and a lasting sweet aftertaste, strongly exhibiting the characteristics of black tea.

According to the identification of Changning tea tree varieties and germplasm resources by the Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changning tea leaves are thick and soft, with abundant leaf bud hair. The water extract content is over 45%, with 2.87% amino acids, 4.29% caffeine, and 32.31% tea polyphenols, all higher than those in other tea-producing regions. Using this raw material to produce Changning Black Tea results in plump, tight strips with a sweet and strong aroma, making it one of the finest black teas in the world.

Environmental Background
Changning is located on the banks of the Lancang River in western Yunnan Province, at the junction of Dali, Lincang, and Baoshan Prefectures, under the jurisdiction of Baoshan City. Established in 1933 from parts of Yongchang (now Longyang District of Baoshan City) and Shunning (now Fengqing County of Lincang City), the county’s name is derived from characters symbolizing prosperity and peace. Changning is a historic tea-producing area, a key stop on the ancient Tea Horse Road in southwest China, and an important base for producing high-quality tea and promoting tea culture. The county’s elevation ranges from 608 meters to 2,876 meters above sea level, with an average annual temperature of 15.3°C, average annual rainfall of 1,242.7 mm, and a forest coverage rate of 60.43%, earning it the nickname “Green Pearl of Western Yunnan.” The superior soil and climatic conditions contribute to the unique quality of Changning Black Tea.

Historical Background
Changning is a millennium-old tea homeland, with numerous ancient tea trees scattered throughout areas at altitudes of 1,400 to 2,500 meters, demonstrating the development history of Changning tea. Surveys indicate that the area covered by ancient tea trees over 100 years old spans 36,900 mu (approximately 2,460 hectares), with 154,000 trees, producing 300 tons of ancient tea leaves annually. Of these, 82,000 trees are cultivated, 72,000 are wild, and 31,000 trees have a base diameter circumference of more than 50 cm.

Many historical records also mention Changning tea. For instance, the Yunnan Tujing Zhi Shu from the Ming Dynasty states, “The fine tea produced in Mengtong Mountain (now Mengtong) is known as Wandian Tea, and the best is harvested before the Grain Rain season,” providing strong evidence of its long history.

Compared to the long history of Changning tea, Changning Black Tea is relatively young. In 1938, after the experimental tea factory in Shunning (now Fengqing) began producing Dianhong, tea farmers in the tea-growing areas bordering Changning and Fengqing gradually started exploring black tea production, though they did not achieve significant breakthroughs initially.

In 1955, the China Tea Company and Yunnan Province Company officially sent personnel to negotiate with Changning on turning green tea into black tea. They also invited and dispatched technicians from Anhui and Fengqing to train and guide the production of Changning Black Tea. Within a year, 21 black tea primary processing plants were established in places such as Mangshui, Wenquan, Youdian, and Dabing, marking the formal beginning of Changning Black Tea production.

In 1958, the Changning County Black Tea Factory adopted a simultaneous construction and processing approach, producing 2,463 dan (approximately 123 tons) of refined black tea within the year, marking the first export of Changning Black Tea and truly initiating its production history.

Production Situation

In 2014, approximately 44,000 households involving 200,000 people in Changning County were engaged in tea cultivation. The area under tea cultivation reached 250,300 acres, with 238,000 acres in active production. The area designated as pollution-free tea gardens was 137,000 acres, with 13,000 acres of green food tea gardens and 8,500 acres of organic tea gardens. There were 28 tea companies certified with QS certification. Tea farmers earned an average income of 3,100 yuan per person from tea.

During the 2015 spring tea season, 455 tea processing stations in Changning County were operational, accounting for 95.8% of the county’s 475 tea processing stations. The county purchased 43,338,500 kilograms of fresh tea leaves, an increase of 53.36% year-on-year. The total output of dried tea reached 11,965,900 kilograms, an increase of 8,443,000 kilograms, or 41.73% year-on-year. The county sold 11,390,700 kilograms of dried tea, an increase of 38.95% year-on-year. The total output value of the tea industry reached 573 million yuan, an increase of 75 million yuan, or 15.11% year-on-year.

In 2016, Changning County had 313,300 acres of tea gardens, including 264,300 acres of ecological tea gardens. The total output of dried tea that year was 24,220,600 kilograms, with a comprehensive tea production value of 2.23 billion yuan. The average income per tea farmer was 3,826 yuan.

In 2017, Changning County had a total tea garden area of 310,000 acres, including 260,000 acres of ecological tea gardens. The total output of dried tea was 25,000 tons, with a comprehensive tea production value of 2.2 billion yuan. The average income per tea farmer was 3,826 yuan.

In 2018, Changning County completed the construction of 62,433 acres of standardized tea gardens and renovated 41,097 acres of low-yield tea gardens. A total of over 50 standardized tea processing stations were built, each with a production capacity of over 30 tons. The county established 155,000 acres of pollution-free tea gardens, 40,000 acres of Rainforest Alliance-certified tea gardens, 16,000 acres of green food tea gardens, and 3,750 acres of organic food tea gardens.

Product Honors

In 1986, Changning County was named one of the first batches of national high-quality tea production base counties.

On October 20, 2014, at the 2014 China Tea Industry Economic Annual Conference held in Wuzhou, Guangxi, Changning County was named one of the top ten ecological tea-producing counties in China by the China Tea Circulation Association.

On June 19, 2015, the former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine of China approved the implementation of geographical indication product protection for “Changning Black Tea.”

Geographical Indication

Protected Area

The protected area for Changning Black Tea includes the current administrative regions of 10 towns and townships in Changning County, Yunnan Province: Tianyuan Town, Mangshui Town, Datianba Township, Kejie Town, Gengga Township, Mengtong Town, Wenquan Township, Jifei Township, Wengdu Township, and Goujie Township.

Quality and Technical Requirements

  1. Variety
    The large-leaf tea varieties from Yunnan, including those selectively bred to be suitable for Changning Black Tea.
  2. Site Conditions
    The tea is grown at altitudes ranging from 1,600 to 2,200 meters, in red soil or yellow-red soil with a pH value between 4.5 and 6.5. The soil organic matter content is ≥1.5%, with a soil layer thickness of ≥100 centimeters.
  3. Cultivation Management
    • Seedling: Vegetative propagation is used.
    • Planting: Planting takes place from June to late August, with a planting density of ≤25,000 plants per hectare.
    • Fertilization Management: Organic fertilizer application is ≥3.0 tons per hectare annually, with chemical fertilizers ≤1.2 tons per hectare.
    • Environmental and Safety Requirements: The use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers must comply with national regulations and must not pollute the environment.
  4. Harvesting
    Fresh leaves are picked in March each year, focusing on one bud or one bud with one or two leaves.
  5. Processing Technology Process
    • Process Flow: Withering → Rolling → Fermentation → Drying → Refining.
    • Processing Technology Requirements:
      1. Withering: The withering trough is controlled at ≤35°C with a relative humidity of 65%-75%. The leaf thickness should not exceed 20 centimeters. For natural indoor withering, the temperature is maintained at 20°C-22°C, with less than 1 kilogram of leaves per square meter. Withering is stopped when the leaf moisture content is controlled between 58%-62%, and a slight fragrance appears.
      2. Fermentation: The temperature is controlled at 25°C-28°C, with a relative humidity of 80%-90%. Fermentation is stopped when the grassy smell disappears, a fruity aroma emerges, and the leaf tissue shows a reddish-yellow color when observed against light.
      3. Drying: Drying is divided into primary drying and final drying. The primary drying temperature is 110°C-120°C, reducing the tea’s moisture content to 20%-25%. The final drying temperature is 90°C-100°C, reducing the tea’s moisture content to 6%.
  6. Quality Characteristics
    • Sensory Characteristics: The appearance is oily and shows golden hairs, with plump, tightly rolled strips. The aroma is sweet and rich, the taste is mellow with a lasting sweetness, the liquor is bright red, and the leaves are tender and bright red with many buds.
    • Physicochemical Indicators: Water extract ≥38%.
    • Safety and Other Quality Requirements: Product safety and other quality requirements must comply with national regulations.

Use of Special Markings

Producers within the geographical production area of Changning Black Tea may apply to the Changning County Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision for the use of the “Geographical Indication Product Special Mark.” After being reviewed by the Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision and approved by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine, the use of the special marking is publicly announced. The testing institutions for Changning Black Tea are selected by the Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision from those meeting the qualification requirements.