The origin of Baihao Yinzhen is the two cities of Fuding and Zhenghe in Fujian Province. During the Qing Jiaqing period (1796 AD), Fuding used the strong buds of ‘cai tea’ as raw material to develop Baihao Yinzhen. Around 1857, the variety of Fuding Da Bai Cha tea oil trees was successfully bred in Fuding City, so from 1885 onwards, the strong buds of Fuding Da Bai Cha tea oil trees were used as raw material, and ‘cai tea’ was no longer used due to its fine buds. Zhenghe County bred the variety of ‘Zhenghe Da Bai Cha’ tea oil trees in 1880, and began to produce Mao Zhen in 1889. It is famous for its white color like silver, needle-like appearance, beautiful appearance, plump buds, clear and white soup color of silver needle tea, and light aroma and taste, and is one of the top ten famous teas in China.

Baihao Yinzhen, commonly known as Mao Zhen, also known as Baihao, belongs to the only white peony tea variety. It has the reputation of ‘beautiful woman in tea’ and ‘king of tea’.

It is a top-grade product among the teas, and is known in the world along with Junshan Yinzhen. In the book ‘Jiuquan Xiaopin’ by Tian Yiheng in the Ming Dynasty, it is said: ‘Tea is made by fire as the second choice, and sun-dried is the best, which is also more in line with nature, and less smoky.’ This shows the excellent quality of white tea. The name ‘Baihao Yinzhen’ comes from the fact that its finished product often has bud tips, covered all over with white down, dry tea brown and white like silver, slender and needle-like in appearance, hence the elegant name.

Baihao Yinzhen was developed in 1889 and is the founder of the contemporary white peony tea. The standard for picking the tea leaves for Baihao Yinzhen is the bud and one leaf of the new tea shoot, and after picking, the seedling and fish leaf should be gently separated with the fingers.

The tea buds of Baihao Yinzhen are plump and look like needles, covered with white down, with fresh and bright color, shimmering like silver. The leaves are long and straight, the soup color is light yellow, clear and transparent, with a fresh and fragrant aroma, and the taste is slightly different due to the different origins: the Baihao Yinzhen produced in Fuding has a fresh and delicious taste, with a smooth aftertaste; the Baihao Yinzhen produced in Zhenghe has a mellow soup taste and a fresh fragrance.

Baihao Yinzhen is a unique tea in Fujian Province, originating from Fuding County, and its key production areas are now concentrated in Fuding and Zhenghe. Zhenghe County bred the variety of ‘Zhenghe Da Bai Cha’ tea oil trees in 1889, and then began to produce Baihao Yinzhen using this variety. The Baihao Yinzhen produced in Fuding, using Fuding Da Bai Cha and Fuding Da Mao Cha, is known as ‘Donglu Mao Zhen’. The Baihao Yinzhen produced in Zhenghe is known as ‘Dadao Bei Mao Zhen’.