Called Wuyishan's largest tea factory by Jiemian and China Daily. Founded 2001 by businessman He Yixin; took over the city's state rock-tea corporation and tea institute in 2003.
Wuyi Star itself was a privately funded start-up (Haixia Liaowang: sole-investor founding; Jiemian: 18 million yuan of He Yixin's own money). Its 'state' connection is the March 2003 reorganisation of the state 武夷山市岩茶总公司 and 武夷山市茶叶科学研究所, which brought the mother-tree management rights and the institute's gardens. The 2006 date sometimes attached to the company is its first profitable year and the year of its Diaoyutai and organic milestones, not its founding.
The company site (2026) claims 7,600+ mu of gardens. China Daily (2021) describes a 万亩 (ten-thousand-mu) estate. The 2015 Haixia Liaowang interview gives 2.95万亩 (29,500 mu, 'about 28% of the Wuyishan tea area') for the Xingyuan group. These figures probably count different things (owned, managed or contracted land) and cannot be reconciled from the sources.
He Yixin (何一心), a businessman with auto-parts and property interests in Hong Kong, moved into tea after a 1999 visit to Wuyishan. Jiemian reports that he arrived on 12 September 2001 with 18 million yuan. The predecessor 星愿（武夷山）茶业有限公司 was named on 11 October 2001, and Fujian Daily dates the 武夷星 brand to the same month. The 2015 Haixia Liaowang interview describes 星愿（中国） as the parent, registered in October 2001, with 武夷山武夷星茶业有限公司 as a subsidiary, and says He was the sole investor. In March 2003 Xingyuan reorganised two state units, 武夷山市岩茶总公司 (Wuyishan Rock Tea General Corporation) and 武夷山市茶叶科学研究所 (the city tea research institute).
Jiemian says this made it the government-authorised sole manager and processor of the Dahongpao mother trees, and China Daily also mentions the institute acquisition. A refining and blending line opened in November 2003. The company lost money until 2006. ISO 9001/HACCP came in 2005 and US/EU/Japan organic certification in 2006. The same year its Dahongpao became a supply tea of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, and in 2010 it was the Wuyi yancha of the Fujian Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo. The company lists titles including 农业产业化国家重点龙头企业 and 中国驰名商标, but no years for them were found. Headquarters: 旗山科技工业园区, Wuyishan.
The company site lists gardens at 九龙窠 (birthplace of the Dahongpao mother trees) and at the 茶科所 garden on the Yuan-dynasty imperial tea garden (御茶园) site. Products include the 五香大红袍 series and a 故宫贡茶 series made with the Palace Museum. The 2015 interview says the company reported Dahongpao fakes in the Shantou/Chaoyang area to the local authorities there.
