Fuding - a legendary white tea place.

Steep mountain slopes with spectacular rock formations, remote caves in the fog and a real legend surround this beautiful place: Welcome to Fuding - without a doubt the home and capital of white tea. Since 2005 it has officially been given the right to use this geographical indication as a seal of quality. By definition, only the buds are used for the highest class of white tea, and these are only withered and dried. Not more.

Back to the center: The landscape around Fuding presents itself high in the east and low in the west: vast chains of hills with gentle heights (500-800 meters), plus many brooks, the surface of which reflects the sun's rays. A picturesque sight, especially since the area is covered with up to 70% forest. Beautiful.

The legendary Taimu Mountain rises from the mountain range high into the misty sky. A backdrop as if created for a legend: Once during the war, the girl Lange fl ee into a mountain cave. There she discovers a tea tree and gets to know it. In the spring, silver hairs cover its buds. When an epidemic breaks out in the village (measles), she prepares a drink from the leaves - and thus successfully conquers the disease.

Just a legend? Zhou Lianggong, an author of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), writes that the silver needle tea originally came from Fuding's Taimu Mountains. This tea has cooling, medicinal properties and can even cure measles. There is at least a piece of traditional truth in the story.

In 2009, Chinese archaeologists found white tea leaves in an old tomb, stored in a small bowl. The investigation shows that the leaves are old white Bai Hao Yin Zhen tea, i.e. silver needle tea. The special thing about it: the grave was over 1,000 years old. So much for the scientifically proven facts. Some traditions go further and believe that the medicinal properties of white tea have been known for over 4,000 years. Who knows, there may be evidence of this in the future.