World-class intangible cultural heritage project – Tanyang Gongfu tea production skills

June 10, 2023 is China’s “Cultural and Natural Heritage Day”. In order to further enhance the people’s awareness of the protection of intangible cultural heritage, inherit and carry forward the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and create a good social atmosphere for the protection of intangible cultural heritage, the Cultural and Natural Heritage Day [Fu'an Intangible Cultural Heritage] is specially launched to appreciate the beauty of intangible cultural heritage, Feel the fun of intangible heritage.

Let’s learn about the world-class intangible cultural heritage project – Tanyang Gongfu tea production skills!

Tanyang Gongfu black tea was founded in 1851 and has been passed down for more than 160 years. It ranks first among the three “Fujian red” black teas. From primary processing to refined screening, more than a dozen production processes and techniques are formed with six cores of “shaking, separating, scooping, sieving, winnowing, and drifting”. Bright red with golden rings, mellow and fresh taste, with special “longan fragrance”, the unique quality characteristics of bright red and tender leaf bottom.

The raw material of Tanyang Gongfu is “Tanyang Vegetable Tea”. The buds are fat or short and have hairs. The black tea made from it has the characteristics of high flavor and strong fragrance. Nature. From green leaves to black tea, through many complex processes such as “Wohong”, depending on the sky to make tea, the techniques are fickle. The original “withering method” and refined screening method that changed the single type into a compound type have perfected a set of scientific ” The unique skill of kneading tea, that is, “light~heavy~light~and slow~fast~slow~shaking loose”, repeated three times to make the best rope. There are tricks in every process, which are wonderful. Qing Xianfeng entered the international tea market and enjoyed a high reputation in the upper class of Europe and America. It has been prosperous for a long time and lasted for a hundred years. Tanyang Gongfu production skills will be included in the representative list of national intangible cultural heritage in 2021. The protection unit is Fu’an Tea Industry Association. Currently, there are 1 provincial-level inheritors, 7 Ningde city-level inheritors, and Fu’an city-level inheritors 6 people.

On November 29, 2022, the 17th regular session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO passed the review, and the “traditional Chinese tea-making skills and related customs” including the production skills of Tanyang Gongfu tea were included in the list of human beings. Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, this is also the 43rd project in my country to be included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. At the same time, Tanyang Gongfu Tea is also a product protected by geographical indications in China and a well-known trademark in China.