茶路 · Tea Path
Ānhuī · 安徽省
Growing region · Maofeng · Houkui · Qimen · Guapian

Ānhuī

安徽省 · Ānhuī

Huangshan dissolves into mist, leaving its fragrance behind

黄山云雾

Anhui is the province with the most 'great teas': Maofeng, Houkui, Qimen (Keemun), Guapian, Huangya. A route from the cloud-wrapped UNESCO peaks of Huangshan, through the black tea Qimen, to the selenium-rich mountains of Shitai. Huangshan — granite peaks in the clouds, one of the most beautiful mountain landscapes in the world.

Teas of this area

Хуаншань Маофэн 黄山毛峰

'Downy Peaks' — one of the 10 greats. Fuxi (富溪) area, 700+ m. Orchid fragrance, sweet aftertaste.

Тайпин Хоукуй 太平猴魁

'Monkey Leader' — a giant flat leaf, 5–7 cm. The largest leaf green tea. The most photogenic.

Цимэнь Хунча 祁门红茶

Keemun — beloved tea of the British Crown. 'Qimen xiang': rose, fruit, a light smokiness. One of the 3 great red teas of the world. 17 processing stages.

Луань Гуапянь 六安瓜片

'Melon Seeds' — the only tea without buds or stems, only leaf.

Хошань Хуанъя 霍山黄芽

Yellow tea. Honey sweetness. Rare.

Route by days

  1. Дни 1–2

    Хуаншань 黄山

    Maofeng · Houkui

    Huangshan (黄山) — UNESCO, granite peaks in the clouds. Maofeng: Fuxi area, 700+ m, orchid. Houkui: Houkeng village, Taiping Lake, giant leaf 5–7 cm. Tasting: Maofeng vs Houkui — two styles from the same mountains.

    Mountain lodge — awakening above the clouds

  2. День 3

    Цимэнь 祁门县

    Keemun

    Qimen Hongcha (1875) — beloved tea of the British Crown. 'Qimen xiang': rose, fruit, smoke. The base for Earl Grey and Royal Blend. Factory: 17 processing stages.

    Qimen Tea House

  3. День 4

    Луань 六安

    Guapian

    Lu'an Guapian — the only tea without buds, only leaf. Youfangdian area (油坊店, Jinzhai). Fired in large bamboo baskets.

    Lu'an Hotel

  4. День 5

    Хошань 霍山

    Huangya

    Huoshan Huangya — yellow tea, honey sweetness. Rare. Mountains 600–1000 m.

    Huoshan Mountain Lodge

  5. День 6

    Шитай 石台县

    Selenium Tea

    Shitai — selenium-rich soil. Xianyu (仙寓镇) village of longevity — one of the 'valley' secrets of health.

    Xianyu Guesthouse

  6. День 7

    Хэфэй 合肥

    Finale

    An overview of all the great teas of Anhui. The province with a record number of famous teas.

Planning

Transport
Arrive via Huangshan (TXN) or Hefei (HFE). Minibus. ~1200 km.
Climate
15–28°C. Mountains: 8–20°C, cloudy. Mists — excellent for tea.
What to bring
Trekking shoes (Huangshan!), warm layers, camera, thermal bag.
Buying tea
Maofeng: from 500 ¥/jin. Houkui: from 800 (authentic). Qimen: from 300.