In the misty hills of Dakeng Village in Shitan Town, Qingxin District, Qingyuan, tea pickers move swiftly through rows of lush green bushes, gathering tender leaves during the spring harvest period.
This is the core growing region of Pukeng tea, a rare dark tea originating from Pukeng Village in Shitan Town. With over 500 years of cultivation history, the tea once reached markets in Hong Kong and Macao as early as the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Its traditional processing techniques were listed as a municipal-level intangible cultural heritage in 2017.
Local conditions, including frequent mist, significant day-night temperature differences, and sandy alkaline soil, give Pukeng tea its distinctive mellow aroma. The tea's production features a unique "re-steaming" process, in which partially processed leaves are softened with steam and reshaped into a tight, refined form. The tea is then aged naturally, with longer storage enhancing its depth and value.
Freshly brewed Pukeng tea offers a bright amber infusion with a light floral aroma, while aged tea develops a deeper color and richer flavor, with richer roasted and woody aromas, and subtle notes of medicinal herbs and dried red dates.
Today, Shitan Town has over 9,000 mu (about 600 hectares) of tea plantations, supporting hundreds of local farming households. The industry now generates an annual output of 694 tonnes and a total output value of about 230 million yuan.
Author | Huang Xinying
Photo | Nanfang Plus
