Garden elevation: Range of the zhengyan tea gardens sampled in 2021 (Beidou Peak, Shuiliandong, Niulankeng, Tianxin Temple side, Daoshuikeng, Yingzui Rock, Huiyuan Temple, Liuxiangjian, Zhangtangjian, Matouyan, Wuyuanjian etc.). TeaDB gives ~300–700 m for the mountain generally. The highest peak in the scenic area, Sanyang Peak, is 717.7 m (《维基百科 — 武夷山风景名胜区》).
Location: Centroid of the OSM nature_reserve polygon '武夷山国家级风景名胜区'; bounding box 27.6040–27.7175 N, 117.9177–117.9882 E. Wikipedia zh gives 27°39′N 117°57′E (27.65, 117.95), consistent.

Altitude#

Garden elevations here and in neighbouring places, as sourced.

Terroir#

Rock: Danxia landform: red sandstone beds (砂砾岩, sandstone-conglomerate, in Chinese trade guides) eroded into flat-topped towers with sheer cliffs (the eastern part of the range, where the scenic area lies); the western high range is volcanic/plutonic — tuff, rhyolite, granite.
Soil: Thin, gravelly 'rotten-rock' (烂石) soil from weathered Danxia rock, mineral-rich and free-draining. Trade rule of thumb: zhengyan soil is more than half rock fragments (Jing Tea Shop; also a commercial Jiemian guide gives '砂砾岩、风化土 50% 以上'). Banyan has more ordinary earth; zhoucha deeper alluvial soil.
Slope and light: In the pits (keng) and nests (ke) direct sun arrives late and leaves early, giving long periods of diffuse light, mist and high humidity; cliffs also block winter winds. Stream gorges (jian) are narrower still — Liuxiangjian is said to get direct sun only around noon — and carry rock debris and moving air. Open rocks such as Foguo Yan get much more sun. Aspect varies garden by garden: in Dakengkou tea lines both sides of an east–west canyon.

Wikipedia

Cultivation#

Cultivars grown: Rougui Shuixian Shui Jin Gui Tie Luohan Bai Jiguan Ban Tian Yao Qidan Beidou
Landraces: Hundreds of named bushes (mingcong) are kept in the core valleys; Guidong alone is credited by local lists with more than a dozen named bushes.
Plant age: Old bushes are common in the core valleys (TeaDB); laocong age claims have no standard definition.
Practice: Stone-walled 'potted' terraces in rock clefts (岩岩有茶，非岩不茶); pesticides are not allowed in the reserve (TeaDB). Under the national park, illegal clearing of hillsides for tea is prosecuted (China Daily 2021).

TeaDB

Local words#

正岩 zhengyan 半岩 banyan 洲茶 zhoucha 外山 waishan 三坑两涧 sankeng liangjian 坑涧 ravine 山场 growing site 正山 zhengshan 名丛 mingcong 五大名丛 the Five Famous Bushes 母树 mother bush 大红袍 Da Hong Pao 岩韵 yanyun 岩骨花香 yangu huaxiang 岩茶 yancha 老枞 lao cong 菜茶 caicha

Market#

Trading towns: Wuyishan City · Tianxin village (天心村)
Output: No official tea-garden area or output figure for the scenic area alone was found; city-level figures (e.g. 148,000 mu, 30,000 t maocha in 2024, 《福建日报 — 武夷山茶博会进行时！1分钟让你搞懂母树、纯种和商品大红袍的关系》) belong to wuyishan.
Prices of teas claiming this origin: Shanchang (named-site) teas from the core valleys sell at large multiples of ordinary Wuyi yancha; Xinhua found 'Niulankeng' listings from over 10,000 to over 200,000 yuan/kg in 2018.

Misnaming to watch for: English vendors often say 'National Reserve' for zhengyan. Outside Wuyi 'zhengyan' is sometimes treated as a flavour style rather than a place. Tier definitions differ between writers: one commercial guide places the three pits and two streams as a 'mingcong' tier above 'zhengyan', which it puts along the Nine-Bend River, and counts the rest of the scenic area as banyan — the opposite of the usual usage in which the whole rocky core is zhengyan and banyan is its fringe.

TeaDB

History#

1999Mount Wuyi inscribed as a mixed natural and cultural World Heritage site (99,975 ha), with the scenic area as its eastern core zone.
Wikipedia
2006Wuyishan City government registers '武夷山大红袍' as a geographical-indication certification mark.
Fujian Daily (福建日报)
2006-05Wuyi rock tea (Da Hong Pao) craft listed in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage (No. 413, Ⅷ-63).
China Intangible Cultural Heritage (中国非物质文化遗产网)
2016Wuyishan National Park pilot begins, later merging the scenic area's resource management into a provincial park bureau.
Ministry of Ecology and Environment (生态环境部)
2017World Heritage Committee approves a boundary modification extending the property from Fujian into Jiangxi.
Wikipedia
2021-10-12Wuyishan National Park formally established in China's first batch of national parks (planned area 1,001.41 km², including the scenic area).
Jiemian

Other names and written forms 7#

Chinese variants

景区Jǐng qūscenic area
正岩产区Zhèngyán chǎn qū(zhengyan production area)Trade equivalent for the core; not identical to the administrative scenic area.
武夷山国家级风景名胜区Wǔyíshān guójiājí fēngjǐngmíngshèngqūWuyishan — national scenic and historic interest areaFull official form (national-level scenic and historic interest area); OSM name.

Translations and trade names

core scenic area
zhengyan area
National ReserveEnglish vendor shorthand (e.g. TeaDB) for zhengyan land.
Wuyishan National Scenic AreaName used for the 7,000 ha eastern core zone of the World Heritage property.

Names and ambiguities#

What counts as 'zhengyan'

Narrowly, zhengyan means the 'three pits and two streams' (三坑两涧). More broadly it covers the rocky scenic core, which one source puts at roughly 70 km², and some extend it along the Nine Bends River. Before official mapping, growers judged it by soil: more than half rock fragments counted as zhengyan. None of these meanings is a legal grade under GB/T 18745, so vendors use 'zhengyan' freely as a price signal.

15 17 21 22

Three areas, three numbers

70 km² (scenic area), 999.75 km² (World Heritage property) and 1,001.41 km² (national park, Fujian, planned) describe different units. Many tea texts write 'Wuyishan scenic area, 999.75 km²', conflating the heritage area with the scenic area.

3 4 8

Which valleys are the 'three pits'

Most lists (TeaDB, many Chinese guides) give Niulankeng, Huiyuankeng and Daoshuikeng. Jing Tea Shop gives Niulankeng, Huiyuankeng and Dakengkou instead, and a Jiemian guide lists all four pits together with the two streams.

1 15 17

Notes#

Often cited as roughly 70 km². Treating the whole scenic area as zhengyan is a simplification — many writers reserve "zhengyan" for the inner valleys and call the edges banyan. Child regions carry their own terroir_class where it differs.

"Three pits, two streams" (三坑两涧) names the most prized valleys. The usual list: Niulankeng 牛栏坑, Huiyuankeng 慧苑坑, Daoshuikeng 倒水坑 (the three keng), and Liuxiangjian 流香涧, Wuyuanjian 悟源涧 (the two jian). Some lists add Dakengkou 大坑口. Record this as contested rather than picking one list.

Prices of teas claiming this origin#

International retail

Show as table

Product	Vendor	Channel	per 100 g
China Fujian Zhengyan Lao Cong Shui Xian Oolong Tea	What-Cha	International retail	$20.09
China Fujian Zhengyan Da Hong Pao Oolong Tea	What-Cha	International retail	$20.09
China Fujian Fragrant Shui Xian Oolong Tea	What-Cha	International retail	$24.82
Wu Yi Old Bush Shui Xian Oolong	Chawangshop	International retail	$32.00
China Fujian Zhengyan Shui Xian Oolong Tea	What-Cha	International retail	$38.04
China Fujian Zhengyan 'Rou Gui' Oolong Tea	What-Cha	International retail	$43.11
Wuyi Rock Oolong - Shui Xian	Beautiful Taiwan Tea Company	International retail	$43.99
First Prize Shui Xian	Wuyi Origin	International retail	$52.80
Qing Shiyan Rou Gui	Wuyi Origin	International retail	$59.40
Wuyi Rock Oolong - Shui Xian	Beautiful Taiwan Tea Company	International retail	$61.32
Tie Luo Han - Iron Arhat	Wuyi Origin	International retail	$64.00
Chunzhong Da Hong Pao	Old Ways Tea Company	International retail	$77.04
Chunzhong Da Hong Pao	Old Ways Tea Company	International retail	$77.04
Wu Yi Handmade Rou Gui Oolong	Chawangshop	International retail	$80.00
Lotus Peak Cinnamon Rougui Oolong	Moychay.nl	International retail	$80.52
Wuyi Lao Cong Shui Xian Oolong Tea	Chawangshop	International retail	$96.00
House Rou Gui Wuyi Yancha	The Essence of Tea	International retail	$100.00
Master Xu's Rou Gui	Postcard Teas	International retail	$106.44
Master Xu's Rou Gui	Postcard Teas	International retail	$173.17
Master Xu's Ancient Tree Shui Xian	Postcard Teas	International retail	$173.17
Ma Tou Yan Chunzhong Da Hong Pao	Old Ways Tea Company	International retail	$194.33
100 years Lao Cong Shui Xian	The Essence of Tea	International retail	$275.00
Ma Tou Yan Rou Gui	Old Ways Tea Company	International retail	$300.17
Wuyi Rou Gui - Niu Lan Keng	iTeaworld	International retail	$319.80

Listings claiming this origin 24#

Price ranks compare recorded retail offers for the same tea, including offers outside the current delivery filter. Shipping and import charges are excluded.

Sort by Prices compared in the selected currency; unknown values appear last.

Product	Vendor	Price	Per 100 g
China Fujian Zhengyan Da Hong Pao Oolong Tea sold outLower quarter of 43 Da Hong Pao Stated year: 2014 Claimed origin: Shuiliandong Details Compare 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. Roast heavy (roasted four times in 2014) Area as stated Shui Lian Dong (Water Curtain Cave), Zhengyan	What-Cha Selected destinations UK · USA · Norway Shipping policy	£15.05 / 100 g	$20.09 £15.05 / 100 g ≈ $1.61 a session
China Fujian Zhengyan Lao Cong Shui Xian Oolong Tea sold outLowest of 17 Lao Cong Shuixian Stated year: 2013 Claimed origin: Huiyuankeng Details Compare 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. Cultivar Shuixian Roast high (roasted four times in 2013) Area as stated Hui Yuan Keng, Zhengyan; picked May 10, 2013 Tree age / type about 80 years	What-Cha Selected destinations UK · USA · Norway Shipping policy	£15.05 / 100 g	$20.09 £15.05 / 100 g ≈ $1.61 a session
China Fujian Fragrant Shui Xian Oolong Tea sold outLowest of 16 Wuyi Shuixian Stated year: 2017 Claimed origin: Daoshuikeng Details Compare 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. Cultivar Shuixian Roast low to medium, twice roasted Area as stated Dao Shui Keng; autumn, picked October 20, 2017	What-Cha Selected destinations UK · USA · Norway Shipping policy	£18.60 / 100 g	$24.82 £18.60 / 100 g ≈ $1.99 a session
Wu Yi Old Bush Shui Xian Oolong Lower quarter of 17 Lao Cong Shuixian Stated year: 2015 Claimed origin: Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area Details Compare 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. Cultivar Shuixian Roast medium-light (three bakes) Area as stated Zhuke (竹窠), zhengyan Tree age / type about 50 years, labelled "Gao Cong"	Chawangshop Worldwide Worldwide Shipping policy	$8.00 / 25 g	$32.00 ≈ $2.56 a session
China Fujian Zhengyan Shui Xian Oolong Tea sold outMid-range of 16 Wuyi Shuixian Stated year: 2020 Claimed origin: Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area Details Compare 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. Cultivar Shuixian Roast medium, triple roasted Area as stated Lian Hua Peak, Zhengyan; picked May 5, 2020	What-Cha Selected destinations UK · USA · Norway Shipping policy	£28.50 / 100 g	$38.04 £28.50 / 100 g ≈ $3.04 a session
China Fujian Zhengyan 'Rou Gui' Oolong Tea sold outLower quarter of 35 Wuyi Rougui Stated year: 2020 Claimed origin: Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area Details Compare 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. Cultivar Rougui Roast triple roasted Area as stated Bi Shi Yan (碧石岩), Zhengyan; picked May 5, 2020	What-Cha Selected destinations UK · USA · Norway Shipping policy	£32.30 / 100 g	$43.11 £32.30 / 100 g ≈ $3.45 a session
Wuyi Rock Oolong - Shui Xian Mid-range of 16 Wuyi Shuixian Stated year: 2025 Claimed origin: Huiyuankeng Details Compare 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. Cultivar Shuixian	Beautiful Taiwan Tea Company Worldwide USA · Canada · Worldwide Shipping policy	$32.99 / 75 g	$43.99 ≈ $3.52 a session
First Prize Shui Xian Mid-range of 16 Wuyi Shuixian Stated year: 2026 Claimed origin: Shuiliandong Details Compare 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. Cultivar Shuixian Roast medium-light (中轻火), roasted twice Tree age / type about 40–50 years	Wuyi Origin Worldwide Worldwide · Mainland China Shipping policy	$26.40 / 50 g	$52.80 ≈ $4.22 a session
Qing Shiyan Rou Gui Mid-range of 35 Wuyi Rougui Stated year: 2026 Claimed origin: Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area Details Compare 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. Cultivar Rougui Roast medium; charcoal-fired three times Area as stated Qing Shiyan (青狮岩), about 600 m Tree age / type about 40 years	Wuyi Origin Worldwide Worldwide · Mainland China Shipping policy	$29.70 / 50 g	$59.40 ≈ $4.75 a session
Wuyi Rock Oolong - Shui Xian Lower quarter of 17 Lao Cong Shuixian Stated year: 2024 Claimed origin: Huiyuankeng Details Compare 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. Cultivar Shuixian	Beautiful Taiwan Tea Company Worldwide USA · Canada · Worldwide Shipping policy	$45.99 / 75 g	$61.32 ≈ $4.91 a session

All listings (24)

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.