Bai Lin Gong Fu (白琳功夫, Bái Lín Gōng Fū) is a kind of Chinese black tea and belongs to Gongfu black tea. It is native to the Bai Lin Town of Fuding City, Fujian Province. The processing technology of Bai Lin Gong Fu is an extremely valuable intangible cultural heritage of Fuding City.
Around the 1950s, many tea merchants in Fujian City dealt black tea, and Bailin Town was the distribution center. At that time, Bai Lin Gong Fu was sold overseas and became famous.
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History of Bai Lin Gong Fu
According to the historical records, in 1759, at least at that time, Bai Lin Town was famous for producing tea and was recorded by local officials.
The unique geographical conditions and cultures of Bai Lin Town reveal the historical background of Bai Lin Gong Fu. Bai Lin Town developed land and water transportation to other cities, which facilitates the exchanges between tea merchants.
At the beginning of each year, many tea merchants from Quanzhou, Guangzhou, Xiamen, and Hong Kong came to Bai Lin Town and set up a tea shop with local tea merchants to make and sell tea. At that time, there were as many as 24 formal tea shops producing and selling tea.
During the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912), Bai Lin Gong Fu was processed by hand and existed in the form of tea workshops set up by folk farmers and tea sellers.
After 1953, they advocate mechanized production and mainly produced Bai Lin Gong Fu. Since then, the production and quality of Bai Lin Gong Fu have had a qualitative leap. In 1959, Bailin Kungfu won the National Black Tea Excellence Award.
Characteristics of Bai Lin Gong Fu
The tea garden of Bai Lin Gong Fu is located in the hilly area with an altitude of 650-850 meters around the Taimu Mountain, which is on the verge of the East China Sea.
The mountain is high and steep; the climate is warm and humid; the rainfall is abundant; the fog is diffuse in the morning and evening; the soil is fertile. Tea trees are moistened by sunshine, rain, and dew. The buds and leaves are rich in aromatic substances.
As the quality of Bai Lin Gong Fu has special requirements, tea farmers should pay attention to the picking standard that requires picking fresh and tender leaves, otherwise, the quality of Bai Lin Gong Fu will be greatly affected.
The shape of Bai Lin Gong Fu is tight and beautiful, covered with orange-yellow hairs. The color of the tea liquid is bright red or orange-red. Bai Lin Gong Fu is honored with the title “Beautiful Queen” due to its unique shape, elegant fragrance, and mellow taste.
Benefits of Bai Lin Gong Fu
- Diuretic
- Refresh
- Antibacterial
- Help digestion
- Nourish stomach
- Increase appetite
- Anti-inflammatory
- Improve blood circulation