Summer in Wuyi: Unveiling the "Heart" Journey of Rock Tea's Birth

As the birthplace of black tea and oolong tea in the world, Wuyi Mountain harvests tea only once a year in spring. During this time, the bustling scene of everyone picking and making tea is like a grand party 🎉. After the sleepless busy nights of May, tea makers can finally take a breather and welcome visitors from all directions. I was incredibly lucky to receive an invitation from Culture and Tourism to experience firsthand the hard work of tea makers during the scorching summer. In the morning, I began the experience with Master Li Yang from Huanxi Tea House. When picking tea, we had to pluck the top one bud with three or four leaves from the new shoots. Wuyi rock tea emphasizes "picking deep, not shallow," and must include the stem to facilitate fermentation. After a morning under the sun, I tanned two shades darker 😭, but seeing the baskets full of fresh leaves gave me an immense sense of accomplishment. In the afternoon, we moved the tea leaves into the factory for withering, followed by Master Li Yang teaching us the manual shaking process. This step seemed simple but was incredibly challenging in practice—truly "easy to learn, hard to master." The magical part was how visibly the tea leaves transformed during shaking, with the aroma evolving layer by layer. The first shake released a fresh fragrance, the second a light floral scent, the third a rich rose aroma, and the fourth (machine-shaken) brought out a green apple fragrance. Witnessing the tea's aroma gradually unfold was an indescribable achievement. I used to think spring tea could be enjoyed right after picking, but little did I know it undergoes numerous steps from harvest to market, with the earliest availability in autumn or winter. This experience gave me a deep appreciation for the dedication of tea makers—every leaf and every sip of rock tea is infused with their heart and soul 💕. From now on, I’ll cherish every cup of tea even more!