Oolong Tea — Between Green and Black, Between Fragrance and Fire

13. 10. 2025

How would you answer a friend who asks: “I like teas with strong aroma — what would you recommend?” When it comes to fragrance, it’s impossible not to speak of oolong tea. Oolong is one of the most intriguing kinds of tea. Many tea lovers drink oolong every day without realizing it. Take Tieguanyin — its emerald liquor often misleads people into thinking it’s a green tea. Or Da Hong Pao, that legendary “Red Robe” from Wuyi Mountain — many assume it’s a black tea. In truth, both are oolongs. Perhaps that’s why oolong’s presence is often subtle: always around us, but seldom recognized for what it truly is.

What Is Oolong Tea?

Oolong, also known as qingcha (青茶), is one of China’s six classic tea types (六大茶类 liù dà chálèi). It is a semi-oxidized tea (半发酵茶 bàn fājiào chá), resting between green (unoxidized) and black (fully oxidized) teas. Oxidation varies widely — from 10% to 70% — giving oolong its breathtaking diversity of flavor and aroma.

Broadly speaking, oolongs fall into three oxidation levels:

Light oxidation (轻度发酵 qīngdù fājiào) – 10%–25%: bright, floral, almost green.
Medium oxidation (中度发酵 zhōngdù fājiào) – 25%–50%: rounder and richer.
Heavy oxidation (重度发酵 zhòngdù fājiào) – 50%–70%: honeyed, deep, amber-toned.

This spectrum is what makes oolong an art of balance between freshness and depth.

Oolong tea is a paradox. Many world-famous teas are oolongs, yet few tea drinkers realize it. Take Tieguanyin (铁观音 Tiěguānyīn) — many mistake it for green tea because of its bright color, but it’s actually an oolong. Or Da Hong Pao (大红袍 Dàhóngpáo) — often thought of as black tea, yet it too is oolong. In a way, oolong hides in plain sight: quietly elegant, endlessly fragrant, and profoundly complex.

Tie Guan Yin and Da Hong Pao

I. Lightly Oxidized Oolongs 轻度发酵乌龙茶

Representative teas: Wenshan Baozhong (文山包种 Wénshān Bāozhǒng) and light-aroma Tieguanyin (清香型铁观音 qīngxiāngxíng Tiěguānyīn). Wenshan Baozhong, with only about 8–10% oxidation, is the most delicate of all oolongs — lightly roasted and fragrant, almost like a green tea, yet with the layered texture of oolong. The light-aroma Tieguanyin (15–20% oxidation) is the classic “清汤绿水 qīngtāng lǜshuǐ” — clear soup, emerald liquor — floral and uplifting.

Wenshan Baozhong comes from the Wenshan area near Taipei, Taiwan, celebrated for its clean floral fragrance and smooth, silky body.

Old package of Wenshan Baozhong

II. Moderately Oxidized Oolongs 中度发酵乌龙茶

Most oolongs belong here: traditional strong-aroma Tieguanyin (浓香型铁观音 nóngxiāngxíng Tiěguānyīn), Wuyi Rock Tea (武夷岩茶 Wǔyí yánchá), and Phoenix Dancong (凤凰单丛 Fènghuáng Dāncóng). They differ greatly from the lightly oxidized styles — visually darker, aromatically richer, and texturally deeper.

Northern Fujian oolongs such as Wuyi Yancha are known for their thick, twisted leaves and amber-orange liquor. The flavor combines floral and fruity notes with a distinct mineral resonance, the so-called “rock rhyme” (岩韵 yányùn) — the heartbeat of Wuyi tea.

Da Hong Pao (大红袍), the “Big Red Robe,” from Wuyi Mountain (武夷山 Wǔyíshān), is the most famous rock tea: a deep orange liquor, floral-mineral fragrance, and smooth, full taste.

Phoenix Oolong

III. Heavily Oxidized Oolongs 重度发酵乌龙茶

The quintessential heavy oolong is Baihao Oolong (白毫乌龙 Báiháo Wūlóng), better known as Oriental Beauty (东方美人 Dōngfāng Měirén) — one of Taiwan’s most celebrated teas. It is oxidized around 60–80%, with silver-tipped leaves and glowing amber liquor. Its fragrance recalls honey and ripe fruit, and the taste is sweet, mellow, and smooth.

Production is rare because the tea leaves must be bitten by the small green leafhopper (小绿叶蝉 xiǎo lǜyè chán) — the insect that triggers the tea’s signature honeyed aroma. Among the bitten cultivars, Qingxin Damao (青心大冇 Qīngxīn Dàmǎo) yields the finest results.

The best Baihao Oolong comes from Hsinchu 新竹, Beipu 北埔, and Miaoli 苗栗 in northern Taiwan.

Regional Families of Oolong 按产地划分的乌龙茶

Oolong teas can be grouped into four great regions: Southern Fujian (闽南 Mǐnnán), Northern Fujian (闽北 Mǐnběi), Guangdong (广东 Guǎngdōng), and Taiwan (台湾 Táiwān).

Southern Fujian Oolongs 闽南乌龙茶

Produced mainly in Anxi 安溪, Yongchun 永春, Nan’an 南安, and Tong’an 同安, these include Tieguanyin 铁观音, Huangjingui 黄金桂, Yongchun Buddha’s Hand 永春佛手, and Zhangping Shuixian 漳平水仙.

Anxi Tieguanyin — one of China’s top ten teas, famous for its orchid fragrance (兰花香 lánhuā xiāng) and enduring sweetness.
Huangjingui (“Golden Osmanthus”) — made from the Huangdan cultivar; its golden liquor and osmanthus-like aroma give it its name.
Yongchun Buddha’s Hand — named for its finger-like leaves and citrusy scent, full-bodied and golden-red in cup.
Zhangping Shuixian — a compressed oolong, rare and unique, with floral fragrance and a mellow, smooth mouthfeel.

Northern Fujian Oolongs 闽北乌龙茶

The pride of the north is Wuyi Rock Tea 武夷岩茶, rich yet clear, sweet yet strong — the essence of yan yun (rock charm). Wuyi Mountain grows countless varieties:

Five Famous Bushes (五大名丛 wǔ dà míngcóng): Da Hong Pao 大红袍, Tie Luohan 铁罗汉, White Cockscomb 白鸡冠, Golden Turtle 水金龟, Half Sky Demon 半天妖.
Many Wuyi Qizhong (奇种) single-bush varieties — wild, complex, and full of mineral character.

Da Hong Pao remains the icon — glossy dark leaves, amber liquor, and an aroma of minerals and orchids. Since 2006, the original mother trees (母树 mǔshù) have been protected; modern Da Hong Pao is made either as pure-strain (纯种 chúnzhǒng) or blended (拼配 pīnpèi) — the latter representing 99% of the market.

Other classic Wuyi teas include: Wuyi Shuixian 武夷水仙 — mellow and fragrant; Wuyi Rougui 武夷肉桂 — spicy and floral, with the saying: “No tea is smoother than Shuixian; none more fragrant than Rougui.”

Guangdong Oolongs 广东乌龙茶

In Guangdong, especially in Chaozhou 潮州 and Shantou 汕头, oolong is both a drink and a way of life — the home of Gongfu tea (工夫茶 gōngfū chá). The most famous is Phoenix Dancong (凤凰单丛 Fènghuáng Dāncóng), grown on Phoenix Mountain (凤凰山 Fènghuáng Shān).

Each old tree is picked separately — one bush, one fragrance (一树一香 yī shù yī xiāng). Dancong teas have sturdy, yellow-brown leaves and a natural orchid or honey aroma, smooth and resonant, with the mountain’s wild energy. They are known as “green leaf with red edges (绿叶红镶边 lǜ yè hóng xiāng biān)” — a hallmark of Phoenix tea.

Phoenix Oolong (Honey Orchid Fragrance)

Taiwanese Oolongs 台湾乌龙茶 — Island of Fragrance and Cloud

Few tea regions in the world evoke such poetic images as Taiwan — an island of steep mountains, shifting mists, and a culture where tea is both livelihood and art. Taiwanese oolongs (台湾乌龙茶 Táiwān Wūlóng chá) embody this spirit: delicate yet profound, traditional yet experimental, each leaf shaped by wind, altitude, and human patience.

From Fujian to Formosa — The Birth of Taiwanese Tea

Tea arrived in Taiwan from Fujian (福建 Fújiàn) during the Qing dynasty (清朝 Qīngcháo), around the late 18th century. Immigrants from Anxi and Zhangzhou brought with them both the tea plants and the craft of oolong making. The humid mountains and volcanic soils of northern Taiwan proved ideal for these new gardens. By the 1860s, Taiwan was exporting what foreigners called “Formosa Oolong” through the port of Taipei (then known as Tamsui 淡水), captivating the Western market with its honeyed fragrance and golden liquor.

The name “Formosa Oolong” became synonymous with refinement. British merchant John Dodd and tea master Li Chun-sheng 李春生 played key roles in introducing these teas abroad, establishing Taiwan as a name of prestige in the international tea world.

Over two centuries, Taiwan’s tea artisans adapted oolong techniques to their island’s unique environment. In Fujian, roasting and oxidation tended to be heavier; in Taiwan, the cooler climate and high elevations inspired **lighter, more fragrant teas** that emphasized clarity and floral elegance. Today, Taiwanese oolongs are known for their clean aromas, silky mouthfeel, and sweet aftertaste (回甘 huí gān).

Major Regions and Famous Teas

Wenshan Baozhong 文山包种 — The oldest style of Taiwanese oolong, produced near Taipei. Lightly oxidized and gently twisted, it captures the fragrance of spring: lilac, orchid, and sweet grass. Locals describe it as “the tea of mist and dew”.
Dong Ding Oolong 冻顶乌龙 — The first great mountain oolong of Taiwan, born in the 19th century when a scholar named Lin Feng-chi 林凤池 brought tea seedlings from Fujian’s Wuyi region to his hometown, Lugu 鹿谷 in Nantou. The plants thrived on the slopes of Dong Ding Mountain 冻顶山. Traditional Dong Ding is tightly rolled, medium-roasted, with a golden amber liquor rich in roasted nuts, ripe fruit, and honey. It became the prototype for modern “high mountain” oolongs.
High Mountain Oolongs 高山乌龙 — Teas grown at altitudes above 1,000 meters — such as Ali Shan 阿里山, Li Shan 梨山, and Shan Lin Xi 杉林溪. Thin air, fog, and dramatic temperature shifts slow leaf growth, creating teas with ethereal florals, creamy texture, and lingering sweetness. These are sometimes called “cloud teas,” as if the flavor itself were distilled from mist.
Oriental Beauty 东方美人 (Baihao Oolong 白毫乌龙) — The jewel of northern Taiwan. Legend says Queen Victoria once named it “Oriental Beauty” after tasting its honey-fruity aroma. Its unique character arises from the bite of the small green leafhopper (小绿叶蝉 xiǎo lǜyè chán), which triggers natural fermentation within the leaf. Each sip carries honey, peach, and muscat notes — gentle yet dazzling.
Jin Xuan 金萱 (Milk Oolong) — A relatively modern cultivar (No. 12, released in 1980) developed by the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station (茶业改良场 Cháyè Gǎiliángchǎng). Its hallmark is a smooth, creamy texture and a faint milky aroma — naturally derived from the leaf, not added flavoring.
Qing Xin 青心乌龙 — Often called the “heart of Taiwan oolong,” this traditional cultivar gives exceptional fragrance and balance. Many high-mountain teas use Qing Xin as their base.

Taiwanese Tie Guan Yin

In Taiwan, tea is woven into daily life — morning and night, in homes, temples, and mountain lodges. The island’s gongfu style (功夫茶 gōngfū chá) emphasizes precision and mindfulness: multiple short infusions, small cups, and attention to aroma rising from the pot. It is as much meditation as beverage.

Taiwanese tea culture also mirrors the island’s identity — blending Chinese roots with modern creativity. Farmers constantly refine roasting methods, experiment with altitude and cultivar, and even revive ancient processing techniques such as charcoal roasting (炭焙 tànhuī). Each generation leaves its fragrance in the leaves.

Today, Taiwanese oolongs inspire tea makers across Asia. Many regions — from Yunnan to Thailand — now emulate the “high mountain” style that Taiwan perfected. Yet the essence of Taiwanese oolong remains unique: a harmony of mountain, mist, and mastery. To drink it is to taste patience, precision, and the gentle persistence of people who turn weather and leaf into art.

“In every cup of Taiwanese oolong,” writes one modern tea poet, “lies the taste of mountain rain — quiet, luminous, and eternal.”

Each leaf tells a story — of wind, fire, and patience; of transformation caught between light and shadow. If you love tea for its fragrance, complexity, and living spirit, then oolong is your realm — a dance of leaf and flame, mountain and mist, discipline and delight.