Where is Fujian white tea produced? Introduction to the main production areas
White cabbage is one of China's six major tea types. Besides containing the nutrients inherent to other teas, it also contains active enzymes essential to the human body. Its main production area is in China's Fujian Province, so which counties and cities are the Fujian white tea production areas specifically distributed across?
The main production areas of Fujian white tea include Zhenghe County and Songxi County in Nanping City, Jianyang City, and Fuding in Ningde City, among others.
1. Northern Fujian production area — Songxi County, Zhenghe County and Jianyang City in Nanping City, Fujian Province
Mostly mountainous with hilly terrain, the average altitude is around 800 m, the average annual temperature is around 16°C, annual precipitation is above 1600 mm, and the soil is mainly red and yellow soil.
The Songxi and Zhenghe area is mostly mountainous and hilly terrain, high in the north and low in the south, with altitudes mostly between 400 and 1000 m. The highest peak reaches over 1300 m. The tea areas in the northeast are red soil types; the moderately sloped hilly land mostly belongs to red soil and young red soil. The lower parts of hills or slopes are mostly podzolized red soil. The soil layer is 100 to 150 cm deep, and the texture is mostly loamy clay, clay loam and sandy loam. Porosity is above 50%. pH is 5 to 6. Organic matter content is moderate. Fertility is fairly consistent between the surface and lower layers, and tea roots penetrate deep into the lower layers. The mountainous areas in the northwest mostly belong to yellow soil types, with a deep soil layer of around 100 cm; the texture is mostly similar to red soil but relatively loose, with surface porosity above 53% and lower-layer porosity below 50%.
pH is 5.5 to 6.4. The surface layer is relatively fertile. Due to soil development and the influence of human cultivation, yellow soil, podzolized yellow soil and others have formed, among which podzolized yellow soil has a soil layer reaching 150 cm deep and is rich in organic matter.
2. Eastern Fujian production area — Fuding City in Ningde City, Fujian Province
Fuding City has a subtropical monsoon climate, with ample rainfall, mountains behind and the sea beside it, mostly at an altitude of 500-800 m, an average annual temperature of 18.5°C, average annual rainfall of 1669.5 mm, and soil mainly of red and yellow soil. Fuding City is also a famous tourist city with a beautiful environment.
Fuding is one of the coastal counties in northeastern Fujian Province, located between 26°52' and 27°26' north latitude and 119°55' and 120°43' east longitude. It borders the East China Sea to the southeast, Cangnan County of Zhejiang Province to the northeast, Taishun County of Zhejiang Province to the northwest, Zherong County to the west, and Xiapu County to the south. Its total land area is 1461.7 sq km and its sea area is 14959.7 sq km. The entire territory is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with mountains and hills accounting for 91.03% of the total land area and basins, valleys and plains accounting for 8.97%. The area has a pronounced maritime climate, dense vegetation and abundant non-metallic mineral deposits.
Within the territory, the red soil area is 1.4502 million mu, accounting for 66.14% of the total land area, mainly distributed in hilly and mountainous areas below 700 m, with tuff and granite as the main parent rocks. The soil body shows an acidic reaction and the soil layer is deep. Yellow soil is mainly distributed in mountainous areas above 700-800 m in altitude, with an area of 39,000 mu. The county has 12,600 mu of purple soil, mainly distributed in some hilly areas of towns such as Guanling, Qianqi, Tongcheng, Diantou and Guanyang. Purple soil is mostly a lithological soil developed from purple or purplish-red tuff, relatively clayey in texture and poor in organic matter content, but rich in available potassium.
The most distinctive feature of Fujian white tea is its silvery-white down, long known for the beauty of being “dressed in green with a plain wrap.” When brewed and tasted, the flavor is fresh, mellow and pleasant, and it can also have pharmacological effects. Friends who are interested can brew a pot themselves to drink.