明前 / 雨前毛尖
Mar 28 – May 5
Spring harvest graded into Dashan (high mountain) Mingqian and Yuqian flushes.
国家质量监督检验检疫总局 / 国家标准化管理委员会 (AQSIQ / SAC)
信阳信陽
Xinyang
Prefecture-level city in southern Henan between the Tongbai and Dabie mountains and the Huai River; protected origin of Xinyang Maojian green tea.
- Level
- Prefectureprefecture-level city (地级市)
- Within
- Henan
At a glance#
Garden elevation
150–850 m
国家质量监督检验检疫总局 / 国家标准化管理委员会 (AQSIQ / SAC)
Rainfall
1,150 mm a year
国家质量监督检验检疫总局 / 国家标准化管理委员会 (AQSIQ / SAC)
Mean temperature
15.2 °C
国家质量监督检验检疫总局 / 国家标准化管理委员会 (AQSIQ / SAC)
Mean relative humidity
76 %
国家质量监督检验检疫总局 / 国家标准化管理委员会 (AQSIQ / SAC)
Fog days
115 a year
国家质量监督检验检疫总局 / 国家标准化管理委员会 (AQSIQ / SAC)
Location
- Garden elevation
- Core Shihe and Pingqiao mountain villages (Cheyunshan, Jiyunshan, Yunwushan, Tianyunshan, Lianyunshan, Heilongtan, Bailongtan, Dongjiazhai) sit at 300–800 m.
Where it lies#
Tea places nearby, plotted by their coordinates. Only physical positions are shown, no boundaries.
55 places shown Across the view · 672 km
33 places shown Across the view · 396 km
Altitude#
Garden elevations here and in neighbouring places, as sourced.
Picking calendar#
白露秋茶
Aug 25 – Oct 5
Autumn Bailu flush.
Terroir#
- Rock
- Granite, gneiss, and quartz-mica schist of the Dabie Mountain range.
- Soil
- Deep, acidic yellow-brown gravelly loam rich in腐殖质 (humus), pH 4.5–6.0.
- Slope and light
- Situated along the Qinling–Huaihe climatic boundary; cool northern mountain springs and abundant stream mist produce thick, pectin-rich leaves with pronounced white down.
国家质量监督检验检疫总局 / 国家标准化管理委员会 (AQSIQ / SAC)
Cultivation#
Local words#
| Local words | Dialect | |
|---|---|---|
| 毛尖 Pinyin: máojiān | Central Plains / Jianghuai Mandarin (Xinyang) | Regional southern Henan term meaning downy tip, highlighting the abundant white trichomes preserved on tightly rolled spring green-tea buds. |
People#
- Dabie and Tongbai mountain tea cooperatives and pan-firing artisans 信阳大别山茶社先驱与毛尖炒制技师
- Late-Qing gentry-led tea societies and highland village pan-firers revitalized southern Henan's ancient tribute tea tradition into the modern hand-swept craft of Xinyang Maojian.
Market#
- Primary trade channel
- Core-mountain cooperatives and smallholder workshops sell spring Maojian through Xinyang's municipal tea markets and direct brand storefronts to buyers across Henan and northern China.
- Trading towns
- Shihe · Pingqiao · Dongjiahe
- Output
- Prefectural output is heavily weighted toward the spring green-tea flush across Shihe and Pingqiao districts, with summer and autumn flushes increasingly processed into Xinyang Hong black tea.
- Prices of teas claiming this origin
- Pre-Qingming shoots from the high-elevation Five Clouds (Cheyun, Jiyun, Yunwu, Tianyun, Lianyun), Two Pools (Heilongtan, Bailongtan), and Zhenleishan core peaks command the highest prices.
History#
- 1913Local tea associations in Shihe/Cheyunshan standardize the modern needle-shaped Xinyang Maojian craft.
- 2003Xinyang Maojian approved as a national Geographical Indication product.国家质量监督检验检疫总局 / 国家标准化管理委员会 (AQSIQ / SAC)
Notes#
Identity and history#
Straddling the upper Huai River and the northern slopes of the Tongbai and Dabie mountains in southern Henan, Xinyang occupies a high-latitude ecological niche characterized by porous mountain soils and slow spring shoot growth. Within the statutory geographical-indication area of Shihe and Pingqiao districts, the historical Five Cloud, Two Tarns, and One Zhai mountain villages represent the premier terroir for Xinyang Maojian. Traditional processing uses twin iron woks and bamboo sweeping brooms to fix, roll, and draw the buds into fine, white-tipped needles finished over slow charcoal embers.
Prices of teas claiming this origin#
International retail
Show as table
| Product | Vendor | Channel | per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xin Yang Mao Jian Green Tea | TeaVivre | International retail | $22.92 |
| Wu Hu Xin Jian Zi Xinyang Maojian | Dragon Tea House | International retail | $24.50 |
Listings claiming this origin 2#
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Xin Yang Mao Jian Green 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 |
$25.90 / 113 g | $22.92 |
Wu Hu Xin Jian Zi Xinyang Maojian
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.
200 g pack at USD 48.99 |
Dragon Tea HouseWorldwide |
$48.99 / 200 g | $24.50 |
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#
信阳毛尖
Xinyang Maojian Xìnyáng Máojiān
Fine, straight green tea from Xinyang in Henan, traditionally shaped through successive pan-working and drying stages.
reviewed
信阳红
Xinyang Hong Xìnyáng hóng
Modern regional black tea from Xinyang, Henan, developed as a counterpart to the area’s green tea.
reviewed
Sources#
- GB/T 22737-2008 地理标志产品 信阳毛尖茶 (Product of geographical indication — Xinyang Maojian tea)