Phoenix Dancong 凤凰单枞茶: Seven Centuries of Fragrance and Craft

16. 10. 2025

It is widely known that Phoenix Mountain (凤凰山) in Chaozhou, eastern Guangdong Province, is the home of Chinese oolong tea and the birthplace of Phoenix Dancong (凤凰单枞茶). The region has cultivated and processed tea for over 700 years, earning renown both within China and abroad.

As early as 1956, the Shiguping Oolong Tea from Phoenix Town was recognized as a nationally acclaimed tea. In 1988, Japanese tea scholar Matsushita Satoshi traveled repeatedly across the sea to Phoenix Town to study its long history of oolong cultivation and its unique production techniques. His field investigations deepened international understanding of this exceptional tea.

The purpose of writing this paper is to promote the integration of the tea industry, tea culture, and tourism economy — to actively develop tea-culture tourism, enhance the fame of Phoenix Dancong, expand its market influence, and polish its “golden nameplate.” Ultimately, it aims to strengthen the brand effect of Phoenix tea, one of China’s celebrated heritage teas.

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1. Geographic and Environmental Conditions

Phoenix Town, located in the northern mountainous region of Chao’an County, is the oldest tea-producing area in Guangdong Province and the authentic origin of Phoenix Dancong.

Producing top-quality tea requires not only mastery of refined processing skills, but also a terroir suited to the delicate needs of tea plants. The Phoenix Mountain range consists of numerous peaks and rolling hills that embrace the valleys in a beautiful natural amphitheater. The landscape is dotted with lush vegetation, streams, and waterfalls.

The area includes the Fengniaoji Peak (凤鸟髻山)—the highest mountain in eastern Guangdong—and Wudongshan (乌岽山), which holds one of China’s rarest “four generation-old sky ponds.” Elevation ranges from 320 to 1,498 meters, with higher terrain to the north and east and gentler slopes in the central and western areas.

The climate is subtropical monsoon, mild and humid. The local saying goes:

“High mountains shorten sunlight, mists and rain are abundant, winter and spring arrive early, and the spring chill lingers late.”
These conditions—plentiful rainfall, diffused light, and frequent clouds—create the ideal microclimate for producing fragrant, elegant teas with deep, long-lasting aromas.

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2. Tea Production in the Phoenix Region

The proverb “Famous mountains produce famous teas” fits Phoenix Mountain perfectly. Tea cultivation here dates back centuries, and a 600-year-old Song-era tea tree (宋种茶树) still thrives as a living testament to this heritage.

By the 1930s, tea production already reached about 300,000 jin (≈150 tons) annually, even though it relied purely on natural cultivation without chemical fertilizers. Tea gardens were concentrated in Wudongshan, Niaojishan, and other high-mountain zones, where the terroir—fertile soil, cool temperatures, mist, and mineral water—fostered slow, rich growth and distinctive fragrance.

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3. The Concept of Phoenix Dancong (单枞)

Originally, the term Dancong (“single bush”) referred to a quality grade within Phoenix tea. A tea qualified as Dancong only if it was:

• harvested from an individual bush with distinct traits,

• processed separately (not mixed with other bushes), and

• met high standards of shape, color, aroma, taste, and liquor clarity.

Over time, Dancong came to designate an entire style of tea.
Phoenix Dancong refers to the outstanding individual tea bushes and their vegetatively propagated offspring selected from the Shuixian (水仙) varietal under the natural ecological conditions of Phoenix Mountain. Through careful processing, these teas reveal a spectrum of natural floral fragrances and unique mountain charm (山韵)—making them some of China’s most complex and expressive oolong teas.

Classification of Phoenix Dancong

Phoenix Dancong teas can be categorized through several different systems, depending on botanical traits, cultivation timing, and sensory characteristics. While various schemes exist, the most widely recognized classification today is based on the aroma type (香型) of the finished tea — that is, the dominant fragrance that emerges naturally from the leaf after processing.

Below are the principal methods of classification, as described in the source text.

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1. By Leaf Size (按叶片大小分)

Phoenix Dancong varieties can be divided into:

• Large-leaf type (大叶种) — typically vigorous growth, rich body, and deep flavor.

• Medium-leaf type (中叶种) — balanced structure, moderate aroma and liquor strength.

• Small-leaf type (小叶种) — finer texture, delicate fragrance, lighter taste.

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2. By Leaf Color (按叶色分)

The appearance of the leaves, especially young shoots, varies by variety:

• Dark leaf (乌叶) — deep green or dark bronze, often producing teas with strong body.

• Red leaf (赤叶) — reddish or copper-toned leaves, giving sweet, mellow liquor.

• White leaf (白叶) — lighter green or pale leaves, yielding softer aroma and bright color.

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3. By Harvesting Period (按采摘期分)

Phoenix Dancong cultivars differ in their sprouting time:

• Very early sprouting (特早芽种)

• Early sprouting (早芽种)

• Mid-sprouting (中芽种)

• Late sprouting (迟芽种)

The timing of the first flush strongly influences aroma expression and processing rhythm; early buds tend to yield fresher, livelier teas, while late sprouting cultivars give heavier, deeper liquors.

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4. By Aroma Type (按成茶的香型分)

This is the most popular and practical classification method, used by both producers and consumers.
The names of these types come from the natural floral or fruity aromas naturally present in the finished tea, without any scenting or flavoring.

The Ten Classic Aroma Types (十大香型) are:

1. Gardenia Fragrance (黄枝香 / 黄栀花香)

2. Orchid Fragrance (芝兰花香)

3. Magnolia Fragrance (玉兰花香)

4. Honey Orchid Fragrance (蜜兰花香)

5. Almond Fragrance (杏仁香)

6. Ginger Flower Fragrance (姜花香)

7. Cinnamon Fragrance (肉桂香)

8. Osmanthus Fragrance (桂花香)

9. Tuberose or Night-Blooming Jasmine Fragrance (夜来香)

10. Jasmine Fragrance (茉莉花香)

In addition, there are several less common aroma types (其他香型), including:

• Orange Blossom (橙花香)

• Bayberry (杨梅香)

• Bitter Dancong (苦种单枞)

• Yellow Tea Fragrance (黄茶香)

• Other minor aromatic lines and hybrids

Among all classification approaches, the aroma-type system is considered the most practical and widely accepted for modern Phoenix Dancong evaluation, because fragrance is the tea’s most distinctive and celebrated feature.

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What you should know about Phoenix Dancong Tea

1 · Quality Characteristics of Phoenix Dancong Tea (凤凰单枞茶的品质特点)

Phoenix Dancong possesses an unmistakable sensory identity that distinguishes it among all Chinese oolong teas.

(1) Appearance 外形
The finished leaves are tightly twisted and heavy, firm to the touch. Their color varies from dark brown to yellow-brown or grey-brown, always with a soft, oily luster. The strip shape is even and elegant, reflecting careful hand-rolling.

(2) Aroma 香气
The fragrance is high, pure, and long-lasting, delicate yet penetrating. Each aroma-type (香型) expresses its own distinctive natural floral or fruity note — from gardenia to orchid, magnolia, honey-orchid, almond, ginger blossom, cinnamon, osmanthus, night-flower, or jasmine — each with a personality all its own.

(3) Liquor 汤色
The infusion color ranges from bright golden yellow to rich orange-amber, clear and limpid, with sparkling transparency that reveals excellent leaf integrity and roasting control.

(4) Taste 滋味
The flavor is sweet, mellow, and refreshing, simultaneously brisk and smooth. It offers pronounced hui gan (回甘) — a lingering returning sweetness — and maintains excellent performance through many infusions. The balance between floral fragrance, smooth body, and mineral depth gives Phoenix Dancong its celebrated “mountain rhythm” (山韵).

(5) Leaf Base 叶底
After infusion, the leaves unfold soft, bright, and even, often displaying the hallmark reddish edge (红镶边) typical of semi-oxidized oolong craftsmanship.

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2 · Chemical Composition and Physiological Functions (凤凰单枞茶的物质成分和作用)

Laboratory analyses show that Phoenix Dancong contains a rich array of bio-active substances, comparable to or exceeding those of other high-mountain oolongs.

Because of this complex chemistry, Phoenix Dancong exhibits the remarkable combination of lofty, lasting natural fragrance, mellow sweetness, bright liquor, and exceptional endurance in multiple infusions.

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3 · Health and Wellness Benefits recognized by the Traditional Chinese Medicine (保健功效)

Aged of existence by this very tea helped the Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors to recognize its major fuctions for a human body. The abundant active compounds give Phoenix Dancong not only sensory excellence but also notable health-supporting effects. Regular consumption is believed to:

• Invigorate and refresh the mind (兴奋提神)

• Quench thirst and relieve greasiness (解渴 解腻)

• Aid digestion (助消化)

• Promote urination and relieve diarrhea (利尿 止痢)

• Assist weight control and lipid reduction (减肥 降血脂)

• Help prevent vascular sclerosis and arteriosclerosis (防止血管硬化、动脉粥样硬化)

• Exert anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects (消炎 抑菌)

• Provide protection against radiation exposure (防辐射)

• Offer anticancer potential due to the presence of organic selenium (有机硒), an element known for its protective role against cell oxidation.

Thus, Phoenix Dancong Tea stands as a product that unites aesthetic enjoyment and wellness value — a beverage to savor for both pleasure and vitality.

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With its centuries-old heritage rooted in Phoenix Mountain, the art of single-bush selection (单株采制), and its array of natural floral aromas unmatched anywhere in the tea world, Phoenix Dancong represents the pinnacle of Chaozhou’s oolong tradition.

From the mist-wrapped peaks of Wudong, generation after generation of tea growers have preserved ancient mother trees and refined intricate processing skills. Each cup carries the history, craftsmanship, and soul of the region — a tea of individuality, depth, and enduring fragrance, celebrated both as a cultural treasure and a living expression of the harmony between nature and human art.