China is a country with a large production of tea. There are more than a thousand kinds of distinct teas in China. The top ten best and most well-known teas are Longjing (Dragon Well), Biluochun, Huangshan Maofeng, Lushan Yunwu (cloud-fog), Junshan Yinzhen (silver needle), Qimen Black Tea, Liuan Guapian, Xinyang Maojian, Wuyi Rock Tea and Anxi Tieguanyin.
Biluochun
It is produced on the Dongting Mountain beside Taihu Lake in Wu County of Jiangsu Province. It is made in spring with the tea buds by frying. Half a kilogram of the good dry Biluochun usually contains sixty to seventy tea buds. The dry tea leaves are compressed tightly just like small snails, hence its name.
Longjing (Dragon Well)
It is produced at Longjing Village near West Lake, in Hangzhou , Zhejiang province. It was historically divided into four kinds, namely, 'lion', 'dragon', 'cloud' and 'tiger'. The best Longjing tea is produced on the Lion Mountain, and is named Lion Peak Longjing Tea. A kind of green tea, Longjing wins its fame by its four characteristics: green color, sweet aroma, mellow taste and beautiful shape. Good tea needs good water to infuse, and the water of the Running Tiger Spring in Hangzhou is the most excellent choice for brewing tea. Longjing Tea and Running Tiger Spring water are regarded as two of the most superb natural resources of Hangzhou.
Huangshan Maofeng
It is produced on Mt. Huangshan of Anhui Province. The tea trees there are moistened by the clouds and the fog and since their position protects them from extreme weather, they give birth to good tea leaves. Huangshan Maofeng is made with thin and flat tea leaves which are shaped like the tongues of sparrows, smell like white orchids, and taste mellow and sweet after being brewed.
Lushan Yunwu
It is a kind of green tea produced on Lushan Mountain of Jiangxi Province. On the southern bank of the Yangtze River and close to the Poyang Lake in the south, Lushan Mountain has favorable conditions for tea trees. The tea leaves produced there are thick with distinct fuzz and the liquid is clear with a strong fragrance.
Junshan Yinzhen
It is a traditional famous tea produced on the Qingluo Island of Yueyang Dongting Lake. It is made with the tips of the buds. Its liquid is orange-yellow. Junshan Silver Needle tastes sweet and pure even if it has been stored for a long time. The tips of the tea leaves will stand upright in the water at first and then sink gradually during the first three brews.
Liuan Guapian
It is produced in the Dabie Mountains of west Anhui Province, among which those produced in Liuan, Jinzhai and Huoshan counties are the best. It gets its name from the tea leaves, which are melon-seed-shaped. It is emerald in color, smells purely fragrant and can be brewed time and again. It can not only relieve heat and quench thirst, but also helps digestion and cures some illnesses.
Xinyang Maojian
It is also a kind of green tea produced on Dabie Mountain of Xinyang City, Henan Province. The liquid of Xinyang Maojian is bright and pure green and tastes like cooked chestnuts. Different from most of the other teas, the harvest of the tea leaves usually begins in mid or late April, and there are altogether 90 days divided into 20 to 25 times for picking. The leaves are picked every two to three days, and different leaves are made into different grades of teas.
Wuyi Rock Tea
It is a kind of half-fermented tea produced on Mt. Wuyishan. It is made without fresh flowers, but there is a strong aroma of fresh flowers when it has been brewed. It spread into Europe in the 1970s and won fame as 'the medicine of hundreds of illnesses'.
Anxi Tieguanyin
It is produced in Anxi County of southern Fujian Province. It is made with complicated working procedures, sand green and tightly compressed. After being steeped in water, it will give out a natural fragrance of orchids. It is warmly welcomed in Japan and Southeast Asia.
Qimen Black Tea
It is produced in Qimen County, southwest Anhui Province. The climate there is mild with plenty of rain and moderate sunshine. As a result, the tea leaves are tender and contain rich water-soluble materials. The tea leaves picked in August are the best. The liquid is bright red and tastes and smells of honey. It can be drunk alone or with milk.