春茶 (黄芽 / 瓜片)
Mar 28 – May 10
Huoshan Huangya picks early buds around Qingming; Lu'an Guapian waits until around Guyu (~20 April) when shoots open into mature single leaves.
六安市
Lu'an
Prefecture-level city on the northern slope of the Dabie Mountains in western Anhui, encompassing Jinzhai, Yu'an, Huoshan and Shucheng; home to Lu'an Guapian, Huoshan Huangya, Huoshan Huangdacha and Shucheng Xiaolanhua.
- Level
- Prefectureprefecture-level city (地级市)
- Within
- Anhui
At a glance#
Location
- Garden elevation
- Inner-mountain gardens in Jinzhai (Qiyunshan, Xianghongdian), Huoshan, Yu'an (Dushan), and Shucheng sit at 300–900 m along the northern Dabie slopes.
Where it lies#
Tea places nearby, plotted by their coordinates. Only physical positions are shown, no boundaries.
64 places shown Across the view · 672 km
22 places shown Across the view · 396 km
Altitude#
Garden elevations here and in neighbouring places, as sourced.
Picking calendar#
伏片 / 黄大茶夏秋采
Jun 1 – Sep 15
Summer "Fupian" Guapian and mature one-bud-four/five-leaf shoots for Huoshan Huangdacha.
Terroir#
- Rock
- Granite, gneiss, and volcanic-sedimentary rock dissected by the Pihe and Shihe river gorges.
- Soil
- Acidic yellow-brown loam and gravelly granite sand (花岗岩砂质壤土) rich in organic matter, pH 4.5–5.5.
- Slope and light
- Canyon reservoirs and bamboo-clad northern Dabie slopes generate cool, humid microclimates that delay leaf lignification, allowing mature single leaves to remain tender for Guapian.
Cultivation#
- Cultivars grown
- Shuchazao六安群体种 (Lu'an Dabie landrace)
- Landraces
- Dabie Mountain medium- and small-leaf seed populations (六安大别山群体种 / 齐山群体种).
- Practice
- Unique budless, stemless single-leaf picking (扳片) and two-man walking charcoal-fire pulling (拉老火) for Lu'an Guapian; yellow-tea悶黄 for Huoshan Huangya and roasted Huangdacha.
Local words#
| Local words | Dialect | |
|---|---|---|
| 瓜片 Pinyin: guāpiàn | Jianghuai Mandarin (Lu'an) | Local Dabie Mountain descriptive term meaning melon-seed slice, referring to the flat, oval silhouette of single-blade green tea leaves stripped of buds and stems. |
People#
- Dabie Mountain Jianghuai tea growers and charcoal-baking masters 大别山六安茶农与拉老火焙茶师
- Upland cultivators across Jinzhai, Yu'an, and Huoshan perfected single-blade plucking and two-man basket-over-charcoal baking for Lu'an Guapian and Huoshan yellow teas.
Market#
- Primary trade channel
- Village workshops in Yu'an, Jinzhai, Huoshan, and Shucheng process spring leaf for the Lu'an and Huoshan tea markets, with Huangdacha also shipped in volume to Shandong and northern China.
- Trading towns
- Lu'an (Yu'an / Jinzhai) · Huoshan · Shucheng
- Output
- Production across the northern Dabie foothills includes spring single-blade Lu'an Guapian (picked after Guyu when leaves expand), early-bud Huoshan Huangya, and roast-aroma Huoshan Huangdacha.
- Prices of teas claiming this origin
- Inner-mountain (Neishan) provenance—such as Qitou Shan in Yu'an, Xianghongdian in Jinzhai, and Jinzhuping in Huoshan—and frost-edged charcoal roasting drive top prices.
History#
- 760Shouzhou (encompassing modern Lu'an and Huoshan) documented as a major Tang yellow and餅茶 region by Lu Yu.
- 1905Single-leaf de-stemmed Lu'an Guapian craft standardized in Qishan (Jinzhai) and Dushan (Yu'an).
Notes#
Identity and history#
Spread across the northern piedmont and deep valleys of the Dabie Mountains in western Anhui, Lu'an is dissected by the Pi and Shi river systems and cushioned by temperate mountain mists. Its inner mountain belt across Jinzhai, Yu'an, and Huoshan produces Lu'an Guapian—the only classic Chinese green tea crafted entirely from detached single leaf blades without buds or stems, cured over progressive charcoal fires until frosted with a bluish-green bloom. Adjacent valleys in Huoshan and Shucheng are similarly protected for yellow-bud Huoshan Huangya, roast-mellowed Huangdacha, and orchid-shaped Xiaolanhua.
Prices of teas claiming this origin#
International retail
Show as table
| Product | Vendor | Channel | per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jinzhai Huang Da Cha Large-Leaf Yellow Tea | TeaVivre | International retail | $13.19 |
| Award Winning Huo Shan Huang Ya Yellow Tea | TeaVivre | International retail | $30.88 |
| Huo Shan Huang Ya Yellow Tea | Dragon Tea House | International retail | $35.96 |
| Nonpareil Huo Shan Huang Ya Yellow Tea | Dragon Tea House | International retail | $43.96 |
| Huo Shan Huang Ya Yellow Tea | Sazen Tea | International retail | $222.06 |
Listings claiming this origin 5#
Price ranks compare recorded retail offers for the same tea, including offers outside the current delivery filter. Shipping and import charges are excluded.
Prices compared in the selected currency; unknown values appear last.
| Product | Vendor | Price | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
Jinzhai Huang Da Cha Large-Leaf Yellow Tea
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
TeaVivreWorldwide |
$14.90 / 113 g | $13.19 |
Award Winning Huo Shan Huang Ya Yellow Tea
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
TeaVivreWorldwide |
$34.90 / 113 g | $30.88 |
Huo Shan Huang Ya Yellow Tea
Details and price notesCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
Default 25g (0.88 oz) Sample option at USD 8.99; larger pouches up to 500g available |
Dragon Tea HouseWorldwide |
$8.99 / 25 g | $35.96 |
Nonpareil Huo Shan Huang Ya Yellow Tea
Details and price notesCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
Default 25g (0.88 oz) Sample option at USD 10.99; larger pouches up to 500g available |
Dragon Tea HouseWorldwide |
$10.99 / 25 g | $43.96 |
Huo Shan Huang Ya Yellow Tea
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Sazen TeaWorldwide |
€19.80 / 10 g | $222.06 €198.00 / 100 g |
Prices recorded on the dates checked. Conversions use ECB rates dated 2026-10-20; original prices appear alongside. Origin, age and cultivar are stated by the vendor.
Teas associated with this place#
六安瓜片
Lu’an Guapian Lù’ān Guāpiàn
Leaf-only green tea from the Lu’an area of Anhui, with buds and stalks removed before pan work and repeated baking.
reviewed
霍山黄芽
Huoshan Huangya Huòshān Huángyá
Yellow tea associated with Huoshan, Anhui, whose traditional manufacture includes a yellowing stage.
reviewed
霍山黄大茶
Huoshan Huangdacha Huòshān Huángdàchá
Large-leaf yellow tea from Huoshan, Anhui, with substantial leaves and stems and a pronounced roasted character.
reviewed
舒城小兰花
Shucheng Xiaolanhua Shūchéng Xiǎolánhuā
A baked-dry green tea from Shucheng, Anhui, named for its orchid-like appearance and fragrance. The modern Xiaolanhua specification is narrower than the historical Shucheng Lanhua tradition.
reviewed