ANXI TIE GUAN YIN
Grown among the mountains of Anxi in southern Fujian, Tieguanyin is one of China’s most celebrated wulong teas, shaped by its distinctive terroir and a highly refined tradition of craftsmanship. These teas are prized for their elegant floral aroma, rich texture, lingering sweetness, and the distinctive character traditionally associated with the Tieguanyin cultivar.
At AN SHIM TEA, we are proud to present a carefully selected collection of authentic Anxi Tieguanyin, sourced from respected production areas and crafted in both traditional and modern styles by skilled tea makers preserving the character of this historic tea tradition.
At AN SHIM TEA, we are proud to present a carefully selected collection of authentic Anxi Tieguanyin, sourced from respected production areas and crafted in both traditional and modern styles by skilled tea makers preserving the character of this historic tea tradition.
ABOUT
The Anxi region, located in southern Fujian province, is one of the most important historical centers of wulong tea production in China and the birthplace of Tieguanyin. Tea cultivation here has developed over many centuries, shaped by a mountainous subtropical environment, abundant rainfall, frequent mist, and acidic soils rich in weathered rock and minerals. Tieguanyin, named after Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, became the region’s most celebrated tea and is today recognized as one of the great representatives of southern Fujian wulong.
Tieguanyin developed into a distinctive style through the refinement of wulong processing techniques, particularly during the Qing dynasty. Its production traditionally involves sun withering, indoor withering, repeated shaking and resting to promote controlled oxidation, fixation, rolling, and drying or roasting. This complex sequence allows the leaves to develop their characteristic fragrance while preserving freshness and structure. Depending on the degree of oxidation and roasting, Tieguanyin can range from intensely floral and fresh to deeper, warmer profiles with ripe fruit, honey, roasted, and mineral nuances.
Today, Anxi remains the center of Tieguanyin production, with quality determined by cultivar, terroir, season, leaf maturity, and especially the precision of processing. Modern lightly oxidized styles emphasize freshness, vivid floral aromas, and a bright green character, while traditional Tieguanyin generally undergoes greater oxidation and additional roasting, producing a deeper, warmer, and more structured infusion. At its best, authentic Anxi Tieguanyin combines a powerful yet refined aroma with a dense texture, lingering sweetness, and the distinctive varietal character.
TYPES OF TIEGUANYIN
Tieguanyin is both the name of a tea plant cultivar and the name of the wulong tea traditionally produced from it. Originating in Anxi, Fujian, the cultivar is valued for its distinctive floral fragrance and dense texture. At the same time, the name Tieguanyin is sometimes used more broadly for teas made according to Tieguanyin-style processing, particularly in Taiwan, so the cultivar and the finished tea style should not always be treated as synonymous.
QING XIANG TIEGUANYIN - “CLEAR / FRESH AROMA”
Qing Xiang represents the lighter and fresher expression of modern Anxi Tieguanyin. It is generally produced with relatively light oxidation and minimal final roasting, preserving the vivid aromatic qualities of the leaf. The infusion is bright and clean, with pronounced orchid and fresh floral notes, gentle vegetal nuances, sweetness, and a refreshing finish. This style became particularly influential in Anxi during the late 20th century and today represents one of the most recognizable expressions of Tieguanyin.
NONG XIANG TIEGUANYIN - “RICH AROMA”
Nong Xiang is a deeper and more traditional expression, in which processing and subsequent baking create greater body, warmth, and aromatic depth. Compared with Qing Xiang, the infusion is usually fuller and rounder, combining floral and ripe-fruit characteristics with honeyed, nutty, toasted, and sometimes gently caramelized notes. Importantly, Nong Xiang is not simply “heavily roasted Tieguanyin”: its character results from the relationship between oxidation, initial processing, refining, and baking. Chinese standards distinguish Qingxiang, Nongxiang, and aged Chenxiang as recognized categories of Anxi Tieguanyin.
TAN BEI TIEGUANYIN - CHARCOAL-ROASTED TIEGUANYIN
Tan Bei refers specifically to charcoal roasting rather than to a separate cultivar or fundamental category of Tieguanyin. Carefully roasting finished Tieguanyin over charcoal transforms its aromatic profile and structure, bringing greater warmth, depth, and stability while preserving the underlying character of the tea. Depending on the roasting level and the skill of the tea maker, the profile may develop notes of roasted nuts, warm grain, ripe fruit, honey, wood, and minerals while retaining floral nuances underneath. High-quality Tan Bei requires considerable control: the purpose is not to cover the tea with a strong roasted flavor, but to integrate the fire with the original character of the leaf.
MUZHA TIEGUANYIN - TAIWAN
Tieguanyin also has an important history outside Anxi. The cultivar was introduced from Anxi to northern Taiwan during the late Qing/Japanese colonial period and became particularly associated with Muzha, today part of Taipei's Wenshan District. Over generations, Taiwanese producers developed their own interpretation, generally characterized by greater oxidation and substantial roasting, resulting in a deeper, warmer, fruitier, and more roasted profile than contemporary Qing Xiang Anxi Tieguanyin.
Zhengcong Tieguanyin refers to tea actually produced from the original Tieguanyin cultivar. Because this cultivar is comparatively difficult to cultivate and produces relatively low yields, some Taiwanese teas made in the Tieguanyin style use other cultivars. Taiwan's Tea Research and Extension Station therefore distinguishes between Tieguanyin produced from the Tieguanyin cultivar and teas produced from other cultivars using Tieguanyin processing.
TIEGUANYIN BEYOND ANXI
Although Anxi remains the historical homeland and reference point for Tieguanyin, the cultivar and its processing traditions have gradually spread far beyond southern Fujian. Today, Tieguanyin cultivar and Tieguanyin-inspired processing can also be encountered in other Asian tea-producing countries. During our travels, we have come across examples in Vietnam and Thailand, where local producers cultivate Tieguanyin or apply processing techniques influenced by the Anxi tradition to locally grown material.
This distinction is important when evaluating a tea: Tieguanyin can describe genetics, origin, or processing style, and these are not necessarily the same thing. An authentic Anxi Tieguanyin combines the Tieguanyin cultivar with its geographical origin and local craftsmanship; a Taiwan-grown Zhengcong Tieguanyin uses the same historical cultivar but expresses a different terroir and processing tradition; while some teas called Tieguanyin may use other cultivars processed according to a Tieguanyin-inspired method. Understanding these differences reveals how remarkably diverse a single tea tradition can become.
ANXI TEA CULTURE
Tea in Anxi is more than an agricultural product; for centuries, it has been closely connected with the social life, economy, landscape, and identity of the region. Tea cultivation in Anxi has a history extending back many centuries, while the development of wulong processing and the discovery of the Tieguanyin cultivar established the region as one of the most influential centers of Chinese tea culture. Anxi tea and its craftsmanship also travelled beyond Fujian through maritime trade, contributing to the spread of southern Fujian tea traditions across Southeast Asia and, eventually, around the world.
Anxi tea culture is particularly closely connected with the skills of the tea farmer and tea maker. Knowledge of the mountain environment, season, weather, cultivar, maturity of the leaves, oxidation, shaking, roasting, and refinement has traditionally been transmitted through generations. Unlike a fixed recipe, traditional wulong production requires constant adjustment according to the condition of the fresh leaves. This accumulated knowledge became one of Anxi's most important cultural legacies and helped shape the development of wulong tea as we know it today.
Tea also plays an important role in local hospitality and social relationships. Preparing and sharing Tieguanyin provides an opportunity for family members, friends, farmers, merchants, and guests to gather around the tea table. The small teapot or gaiwan, small cups, concentrated infusions, and repeated brewing characteristic of the southern Fujian Gongfu Cha tradition are particularly well suited to Tieguanyin, allowing its fragrance, texture, and aftertaste to develop gradually through successive infusions.
Another distinctive element of Anxi tea culture is the tradition of comparing and evaluating teas. Local tea competitions developed as opportunities for farmers and tea makers to exchange knowledge, compare craftsmanship, and identify exceptional batches. This tradition continues today through Tieguanyin competitions and so-called Tea King competitions, where teas are evaluated according to appearance, aroma, taste, liquor, and infused leaves. Such events have helped maintain a strong culture of sensory evaluation and continuous refinement of tea-making skills.
The importance of this living tradition was internationally recognized in 2022, when the Anxi Tieguanyin Tea Culture System was designated a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The recognition encompasses not only Tieguanyin itself, but also the traditional knowledge of cultivation and propagation, wulong processing techniques, biodiversity, tea-growing landscapes, and the social customs that developed around tea.
To understand Anxi Tieguanyin fully, therefore, it is useful to see it not simply as a famous type of wulong tea, but as the product of an entire tea culture. Cultivar, mountain terroir, craftsmanship, brewing, hospitality, trade, and generations of accumulated knowledge all come together in the cup, forming a tradition that continues to evolve while remaining deeply connected to its place of origin.
The Anxi region, located in southern Fujian province, is one of the most important historical centers of wulong tea production in China and the birthplace of Tieguanyin. Tea cultivation here has developed over many centuries, shaped by a mountainous subtropical environment, abundant rainfall, frequent mist, and acidic soils rich in weathered rock and minerals. Tieguanyin, named after Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, became the region’s most celebrated tea and is today recognized as one of the great representatives of southern Fujian wulong.
Tieguanyin developed into a distinctive style through the refinement of wulong processing techniques, particularly during the Qing dynasty. Its production traditionally involves sun withering, indoor withering, repeated shaking and resting to promote controlled oxidation, fixation, rolling, and drying or roasting. This complex sequence allows the leaves to develop their characteristic fragrance while preserving freshness and structure. Depending on the degree of oxidation and roasting, Tieguanyin can range from intensely floral and fresh to deeper, warmer profiles with ripe fruit, honey, roasted, and mineral nuances.
Today, Anxi remains the center of Tieguanyin production, with quality determined by cultivar, terroir, season, leaf maturity, and especially the precision of processing. Modern lightly oxidized styles emphasize freshness, vivid floral aromas, and a bright green character, while traditional Tieguanyin generally undergoes greater oxidation and additional roasting, producing a deeper, warmer, and more structured infusion. At its best, authentic Anxi Tieguanyin combines a powerful yet refined aroma with a dense texture, lingering sweetness, and the distinctive varietal character.
TYPES OF TIEGUANYIN
Tieguanyin is both the name of a tea plant cultivar and the name of the wulong tea traditionally produced from it. Originating in Anxi, Fujian, the cultivar is valued for its distinctive floral fragrance and dense texture. At the same time, the name Tieguanyin is sometimes used more broadly for teas made according to Tieguanyin-style processing, particularly in Taiwan, so the cultivar and the finished tea style should not always be treated as synonymous.
QING XIANG TIEGUANYIN - “CLEAR / FRESH AROMA”
Qing Xiang represents the lighter and fresher expression of modern Anxi Tieguanyin. It is generally produced with relatively light oxidation and minimal final roasting, preserving the vivid aromatic qualities of the leaf. The infusion is bright and clean, with pronounced orchid and fresh floral notes, gentle vegetal nuances, sweetness, and a refreshing finish. This style became particularly influential in Anxi during the late 20th century and today represents one of the most recognizable expressions of Tieguanyin.
NONG XIANG TIEGUANYIN - “RICH AROMA”
Nong Xiang is a deeper and more traditional expression, in which processing and subsequent baking create greater body, warmth, and aromatic depth. Compared with Qing Xiang, the infusion is usually fuller and rounder, combining floral and ripe-fruit characteristics with honeyed, nutty, toasted, and sometimes gently caramelized notes. Importantly, Nong Xiang is not simply “heavily roasted Tieguanyin”: its character results from the relationship between oxidation, initial processing, refining, and baking. Chinese standards distinguish Qingxiang, Nongxiang, and aged Chenxiang as recognized categories of Anxi Tieguanyin.
TAN BEI TIEGUANYIN - CHARCOAL-ROASTED TIEGUANYIN
Tan Bei refers specifically to charcoal roasting rather than to a separate cultivar or fundamental category of Tieguanyin. Carefully roasting finished Tieguanyin over charcoal transforms its aromatic profile and structure, bringing greater warmth, depth, and stability while preserving the underlying character of the tea. Depending on the roasting level and the skill of the tea maker, the profile may develop notes of roasted nuts, warm grain, ripe fruit, honey, wood, and minerals while retaining floral nuances underneath. High-quality Tan Bei requires considerable control: the purpose is not to cover the tea with a strong roasted flavor, but to integrate the fire with the original character of the leaf.
MUZHA TIEGUANYIN - TAIWAN
Tieguanyin also has an important history outside Anxi. The cultivar was introduced from Anxi to northern Taiwan during the late Qing/Japanese colonial period and became particularly associated with Muzha, today part of Taipei's Wenshan District. Over generations, Taiwanese producers developed their own interpretation, generally characterized by greater oxidation and substantial roasting, resulting in a deeper, warmer, fruitier, and more roasted profile than contemporary Qing Xiang Anxi Tieguanyin.
Zhengcong Tieguanyin refers to tea actually produced from the original Tieguanyin cultivar. Because this cultivar is comparatively difficult to cultivate and produces relatively low yields, some Taiwanese teas made in the Tieguanyin style use other cultivars. Taiwan's Tea Research and Extension Station therefore distinguishes between Tieguanyin produced from the Tieguanyin cultivar and teas produced from other cultivars using Tieguanyin processing.
TIEGUANYIN BEYOND ANXI
Although Anxi remains the historical homeland and reference point for Tieguanyin, the cultivar and its processing traditions have gradually spread far beyond southern Fujian. Today, Tieguanyin cultivar and Tieguanyin-inspired processing can also be encountered in other Asian tea-producing countries. During our travels, we have come across examples in Vietnam and Thailand, where local producers cultivate Tieguanyin or apply processing techniques influenced by the Anxi tradition to locally grown material.
This distinction is important when evaluating a tea: Tieguanyin can describe genetics, origin, or processing style, and these are not necessarily the same thing. An authentic Anxi Tieguanyin combines the Tieguanyin cultivar with its geographical origin and local craftsmanship; a Taiwan-grown Zhengcong Tieguanyin uses the same historical cultivar but expresses a different terroir and processing tradition; while some teas called Tieguanyin may use other cultivars processed according to a Tieguanyin-inspired method. Understanding these differences reveals how remarkably diverse a single tea tradition can become.
ANXI TEA CULTURE
Tea in Anxi is more than an agricultural product; for centuries, it has been closely connected with the social life, economy, landscape, and identity of the region. Tea cultivation in Anxi has a history extending back many centuries, while the development of wulong processing and the discovery of the Tieguanyin cultivar established the region as one of the most influential centers of Chinese tea culture. Anxi tea and its craftsmanship also travelled beyond Fujian through maritime trade, contributing to the spread of southern Fujian tea traditions across Southeast Asia and, eventually, around the world.
Anxi tea culture is particularly closely connected with the skills of the tea farmer and tea maker. Knowledge of the mountain environment, season, weather, cultivar, maturity of the leaves, oxidation, shaking, roasting, and refinement has traditionally been transmitted through generations. Unlike a fixed recipe, traditional wulong production requires constant adjustment according to the condition of the fresh leaves. This accumulated knowledge became one of Anxi's most important cultural legacies and helped shape the development of wulong tea as we know it today.
Tea also plays an important role in local hospitality and social relationships. Preparing and sharing Tieguanyin provides an opportunity for family members, friends, farmers, merchants, and guests to gather around the tea table. The small teapot or gaiwan, small cups, concentrated infusions, and repeated brewing characteristic of the southern Fujian Gongfu Cha tradition are particularly well suited to Tieguanyin, allowing its fragrance, texture, and aftertaste to develop gradually through successive infusions.
Another distinctive element of Anxi tea culture is the tradition of comparing and evaluating teas. Local tea competitions developed as opportunities for farmers and tea makers to exchange knowledge, compare craftsmanship, and identify exceptional batches. This tradition continues today through Tieguanyin competitions and so-called Tea King competitions, where teas are evaluated according to appearance, aroma, taste, liquor, and infused leaves. Such events have helped maintain a strong culture of sensory evaluation and continuous refinement of tea-making skills.
The importance of this living tradition was internationally recognized in 2022, when the Anxi Tieguanyin Tea Culture System was designated a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The recognition encompasses not only Tieguanyin itself, but also the traditional knowledge of cultivation and propagation, wulong processing techniques, biodiversity, tea-growing landscapes, and the social customs that developed around tea.
To understand Anxi Tieguanyin fully, therefore, it is useful to see it not simply as a famous type of wulong tea, but as the product of an entire tea culture. Cultivar, mountain terroir, craftsmanship, brewing, hospitality, trade, and generations of accumulated knowledge all come together in the cup, forming a tradition that continues to evolve while remaining deeply connected to its place of origin.
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