Lichuan Black Tea: The Honey Glow of Enshi’s Mountains
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From the misty ridges of western Hubei, where clouds linger over terraced fields, comes a tea that glows like amber in a glass cup.
Lichuan Black Tea, locally called Lichuan Hong, carries the warmth of Enshi’s mountains , soft honey aroma, clean sweetness, and a story shaped by centuries of craftsmanship.
1. A Legacy from the Old Tribute Routes
Tea has been part of Lichuan’s soil for over a thousand years.
During the Tang and Song dynasties, the region,then known as Tingzhou and Shizhou,supplied tea to the imperial court. Records from local archives show that wild tea trees were already cultivated on the slopes of the Duting Mountain, where Buddhist temples once used tea for offerings and meditation.
By the Ming dynasty, Wudong and Longqu teas from today’s Lichuan and Enshi were listed among Hubei’s famed tribute teas. In the late Qing and Republican periods, as the nearby Yihong (Yichang–Hongjiang) teas gained fame in the global market, Lichuan became one of the mountain sources feeding that export system. The deep valleys and selenium-rich red soil gave its leaves a richer body and long sweetness ,a balance of mountain intensity and floral gentleness.
2. Craft of the Honey Glow
Lichuan Black Tea belongs to the Gongfu Hongcha family , “gongfu” meaning both skill and patience like Qimen Black Tea.
Fresh leaves are picked in early spring and laid out in the air to lose their green smell. When the air is right, the leaves are rolled by hand. This is hard work, but it lets the juice come out and meet the air. That is where the red color starts to grow.
Fermentation here is not from any outside microbe. It is the leaf itself breathing. When done right, the leaf turns a soft red and smells of fruit and honey. After cooling, the tea liquor becomes thick and clear, with a light golden cream on the surface. People here call it cream-down tea. It happens naturally, like the mountain mist that settles after rain.
After the tea cools, the liquor thickens and turns slightly cloudy, giving the cup a golden, creamy hue. It’s a natural transformation that no machine can fake.
3. Stories of the Masters
In Lichuan, every good tea carries the mark of its maker.
Among them are the stories passed through generations — small workshops, family kilns, and friendships that define the region’s identity.
Sixth Brother’s Tingzhou Ancient Tea began with one man’s return to his hometown, clearing wild hills to revive forgotten tea fields. He named his tea after the old prefecture of Tingzhou. His red tea is strong and sweet, full of the taste of wild trees and clean rainwater. It combine the strength of wild leaves with the delicacy of hand-rolled craft — firm, honeyed, and deeply local.
Brother Kun’s Cat Red (Mao Hong) came from a valley called Mao Wan, or Tiger Bay.y. He says the name is lucky. His tea room stands among old trees, where you can smell both wood smoke and flowers. His black tea is known for its gentle sweetness, like honey left in a clay jar.
Sister Nina’s Fotián Old Tea represents a new generation of women tea makers in Enshi. Her workshop stands high above the Duting River valley, where she crafts both green and red teas. Her style is meticulous and poetic; her teas are named with words like “Listening to Rain at the Eaves” and “Spring Hidden in the Cup.” She believes tea is a form of self-cultivation — “to make tea is to understand time.”
4. Revival and Modern Craft
Modern Lichuan Hong grew from these roots.
In the 1980s, small farmers began to reopen tea fields. The soil here is rich in selenium, the air is clean, and the altitude is just right. More people began to make tea again, still by hand, still by feeling the leaf instead of the clock.The Enshi region — with its selenium-rich red soil and mountain climate between 800–1,200 m — proved ideal for producing both black and green teas.
Today, many Lichuan producers continue to ferment tea by natural air, allowing oxidation to unfold slowly overnight. The result is a tea with a glossy, twisted leaf, a crimson liquor, and aromas of wild honey, malt, and orchid.
The flavor profile stands between Yihong and Keemun(Qimen): sweet but not heavy, floral yet balanced, with a creamy aftertaste that lingers like the mist over the valley. It's also sweet as Jinjunmei.
5. Taste Notes
Dry Leaves: dark brown to auburn, with golden tips and soft floral scent.
Liquor: glowing red-gold, smooth texture with natural “cold cream” clarity.
Aroma: wild honey, cocoa, dried apricot.
Palate: balanced sweetness, clean finish, cooling aftertaste.
It pairs beautifully with desserts like dark chocolate, baked pear, or aged cheese — all of which bring out the tea’s warm sweetness and mineral tone.
6. The Meaning of Revival
The revival of Lichuan Black Tea is more than an industrial success.
It is the rediscovery of a cultural identity — one rooted in the balance between craft and nature.
From ancient tribute routes to modern co-ops, from stone mills to stainless steel, the spirit remains the same: tea is a conversation between mountain, maker, and time.
Today, as more tea lovers around the world rediscover Enshi’s hidden mountain teas, Lichuan Black Tea stands as the honey glow of Enshi’s mountains — warm, deep, and quietly alive.
This article is part of the Enshi Tea Encyclopedia by FlowInverseTea, a project dedicated to preserving Enshi’s tea heritage and culture.