Harvest Date: 2026 End of March/ early April Growing
Harvest Location: Wuling Mountain, Hunan
Elevation: 1200m (3,937ft)
Cultivar: Seed Growing Fuding Xiao Ye
 
This rare high-mountain Bi Luo Chun is grown at approximately 1,200 meters elevation—an uncommon altitude for a tea traditionally associated with lowland lake gardens. The later, cooler spring at this elevation delays the harvest slightly, with plucking beginning toward the end of March.
 
Bi Luo Chun is celebrated as one of China’s “Ten Famous Teas” and is historically linked to the lake region of Dongting Mountain (Dongting Shan) in Suzhou, where it was originally produced in orchard-style gardens among fruit trees near Taihu Lake. While this tea is grown outside that classic lowland terroir, the high-elevation environment contributes exceptional clarity, fragrance, and delicacy to the finished cup.
 
The garden follows natural farming practices. Leaves are entirely hand-picked, and no synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used.
 
Craft and Appearance
Early spring buds and the first leaf are carefully plucked at peak tenderness. The tea is crafted through traditional steps:
 
Plucking → Pan-firing (kill-green) → Gentle rolling → Hand-shaping into tight spirals → Baking and drying
 
The finished leaves are small, tightly curled spirals covered in fine white down, a hallmark of careful early picking. In the cup, the tea is floral, tender, and sweet, with a mellow body and a clean, lingering finish.
 
High elevation slows leaf growth, concentrating aromatic compounds and amino acids. The result is a Bi Luo Chun with notable fragrance, softness, and purity, expressing both the classic style of this famous tea and the refinement brought by mountain cultivation.