Qimen County, Huangshan

Qimen An Cha is a historic Anhui hei cha (dark tea) unique to Luxi Township in Qimen. Though sometimes grouped with “Liu’an basket teas” in old trade records because both were shipped south in bamboo baskets, An Cha is its own regional tradition, defined by Qimen leaf material, local craft, and a distinctive, gentle post-fermentation designed for long aging.

Sun Yishun, founded in 1725, is one of the tea houses most closely associated with preserving this tradition. For generations, their An Cha was produced specifically for storage and transport to Guangdong and Southeast Asia, where it developed a reputation as a mellow, age-worthy “medicinal” tea that improved steadily over time.

Spring leaves from the local Zhuye population are processed through:

Kill-green → rolling → sun-drying → controlled resting with night-dew exposure → slow baking → basket aging

Rather than modern wet-piling (wo dui), An Cha relies on mild natural post-fermentation initiated through sun, air, and humidity cycles before careful drying and long rest. This stabilizes the tea while preserving clarity and structure for aging.

In the Cup

Soft wood and aged bamboo aromatics

Gentle herbal sweetness

Smooth body that thickens across infusions

Clean, calming finish with no muddiness

Properly stored in a dry, odor-free space, An Cha continues to evolve for many years, gaining roundness and aromatic depth. This 2019 lot shows early maturity while retaining the quiet structure that rewards further aging.

Qimen An Cha sits within the family of Chinese dark teas, yet follows its own path of craft and maturation, distinct from other piled hei cha styles.