茶路 · Tea Path
Hénán · 河南省
Growing region · Xinyang Maojian · One of the 10 Great Teas

Hénán

河南省 · Hénán

Where mountains give birth to mist, tea acquires its soul

信阳毛尖

Henan — the cradle of Chinese civilization and homeland of Xinyang Maojian, 1 of the 10 great teas. 'Five Clouds, Two Ponds, One Fortress, One Temple' (五云两潭一寨一寺). The northern boundary of China's tea belt. Route: Xinyang → Shangcheng mountains → Tongbai ridge → Shaolin Monastery.

Teas of this area

Синьян Маоцзянь 信阳毛尖

1 of the 10 great teas. Small-leaf green tea. Chestnut aroma, fresh bitterness, long aftertaste. 'Five Clouds' — 5 legendary tea mountains.

Золотой чай 黄金茶

Yellow-leaf cultivar from Shangcheng and Guangshan. Elevated amino acid content.

Route by days

  1. Дни 1–3

    Синьян 信阳市

    Maojian · 'Five Clouds'

    Shihe District (浉河区) — the core of Maojian. 'Five Clouds' (五云): Cheyun, Jiyun, Yunwu, Lianyun, Tianyun. 'Two Ponds': Black and White Dragon Ponds. Hejiazhai (何家寨). Lingshansi Temple. Mountains at 300–800 m — mountainous subtropical microclimate. Luoshan, Guangshan, Shangcheng counties — extended zone.

    Farmhouse stay in the Shihe mountains

  2. День 3

    Шанчэн 商城县

    High-mountain · Geopark

    Jingangtai Geopark (金刚台) — Xihe zone. 10 000 mu base of Wanggang–Hancun. Gufan Golden Tea (顾畈黄金茶). High-altitude cluster on the border with Anhui.

    Mountain guesthouse in Shangcheng

  3. День 4

    Наньян · Тунбай 南阳·桐柏

    Tongbai Mountains

    Tongbaishan Cha — a classic of southern Henan. Chengwan–Liziyuan (程湾栗子园). Neixiang and Xixia — deep-mountain zone of Funiushan, 'One hundred li of tea countryside' (百里茶乡).

    Mountain lodge in Tongbai

  4. День 5

    Пиндиншань 平顶山

    Linglongshan White Tea

    Wugang (舞钢) — Linglongshan Baicha (灵珑山白茶). Miaojie village–Rentoushan. The 'Jiulong Tea Country' zone (九龙茶乡景区).

    Hotel in Pingdingshan

  5. День 6

    Чжумадянь 驻马店

    Lantouzhai

    Queshan–Wagang–Lantouzhai (确山瓦岗狼头寨). Qingfengyuan Tea Garden (青风园茶园).

    Hotel in Zhumadian

  6. День 7

    Чжэнчжоу 郑州

    Shaolin · Finale

    Shaolin Monastery — martial arts. Final tasting. Cuisine: noodles, dumplings, fried bread.

Planning

Transport
Fly into Zhengzhou (CGO). Trains + minibus. ~1200 km.
Climate
Moderate subtropical, 15–30°C. Cooler in the mountains.
What to bring
Comfortable footwear, layers, thermal food bag.
Buying tea
Maojian: from 400 ¥/jin (ming qian). Golden: pricier, rare.