Junshan Yinzhen Tea

Junshan Yinzhen(literally "Silver Needle of the Gentleman Mountain") is a rare and precious Yellow tea from Junshan Island of Hunan Province in China. It is honored as the king of Yellow teas and ranks among the rarest of China's famous teas. Its limited growing area and painstakingly complex skill required by the production restrain the annual output of authentic Junshan Yinzhen to only five hundred kilograms. Although the same kind of tea trees are also planted around Dongting Lake, where Junshan Island is located, those teas should not be called Junshan Yinzhen. The tea resembles the White tea Yinzhen known as Bai Hao Yinzhen. As a rare tea, Junshan Yinzhen is allegedly the preferred tea of Chairman Mao.

History
The history of Junshan Yinzhen can go back to Tang Dynasty.It was said that during Tang Dynasty, Wencheng princess selected the Junshan Yinzhen Tea as one of her trousseau when she was married to Tibet. Junshan Yinzhen became the tribute to emperors after Tang Dynasty.
In 1956, Junshan Yinzhen won the Gold Prize at the Leipzig Expo. Its beautiful appearance and complex tasting note get a favorable opinion by the tea experts.
In 1972, When China resumed its legitimate seat in the United Nation, Junshan Yinzhen became the only tea to serve the Prime Ministers and Diplomatic Envoys from various countries.
In 1982, it was appraised as the top quality tea by the Commercial Section in China.
In year 2006, Junshan Yinzhen has been selected by the China Commercial Affairs Department and Foreign Affairs Ministry as the National Gift Tea to Russia President Vladimir Putin.

Production Area
Jun Shan is in fact an island on Dong Ting Lake in Hunan Province. On the island, fertile soil takes on the summer floodwaters of the Yangzi river leaving it rich in silt. Throughout the year the island's climate remains enrobed in moisture, its air famously thick with fog and mist. These conditions are considered ideal for tea cultivation and contribute to the unique of Junshan Yinzhen.

Appearance and Taste
JunShan Yinzhen tea leaves are picked 7-10 days around QingMing Festival (usually early April in the Chinese lunar calendar). Hand-plucking is carried out under very strict criteria. Processing this yellow tea requires great skill and effort.
 
The leaves of the finished product is featured by strongness, needle-shape, uniform length and size, golden inner side and white floss outer side. The appreace of it looks like silver needle. So it got its name “Jun Shan Yin Zhen”.

When infused, Junshan Yinzhen produces bright, straw colored liquor, freshing and intriguing flavor, somehow deeper and fruitier than green tea, with abundant hints of smoke and an ethereally sweet finish.

In Hunan people like to steep this tea in tall glasses to enjoy the sight of a "floating forest of needles," which is the way the leaf looks as it "stands up" rank above rank during infusion. A rare pleasure indeed.

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