For those taking their first steps into the world of high-quality Chinese tea and wondering where to begin, this article offers a clear starting point. We have selected teas that are widely regarded in China as some of the country’s most important and distinctive classics, each representing its own origin, tradition, craftsmanship, and recognizable character. Exploring these teas will help you navigate the enormous diversity of Chinese tea, develop your taste, and build a strong foundation for a deeper journey into tea culture.

Shí Dà Míng Chá, commonly translated as the “The Ten Famous Teas of China,” is a concept used to describe a selection of teas considered outstanding representatives of Chinese tea culture. Rather than being a single ancient or permanently fixed list, the Ten Famous Teas should be understood as a cultural canon that developed through different exhibitions, publications, competitions, and public selections during the 20th century. As a result, several versions of the list exist, and their composition can vary depending on the period and source.

What makes the concept important is not the exact ranking, but what these teas represent. The names repeatedly associated with Shí Dà Míng Chá connect some of China's most celebrated tea-producing regions with distinctive cultivars, terroirs, processing traditions, and generations of accumulated craftsmanship. Xihu Longjing, Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun, Huangshan Maofeng, Wuyi Yan Cha, Anxi Tie Guan Yin, Qimen Hong Cha, and other famous teas became reference points through which different expressions of Chinese tea could be understood.

The history behind many of these teas reaches much further back than the modern idea of a “Top Ten.” Some developed reputations over centuries and became associated with imperial tribute, regional trade, literature, local traditions, and particular methods of production. Their later inclusion in famous-tea lists reflected reputations that had often already been established long before such rankings appeared.

It is therefore more accurate to approach Shí Dà Míng Chá not as a competition determining which tea is objectively “number one,” but as an introduction to the extraordinary diversity of Chinese tea. Together, these famous names tell a much larger story about geography, agriculture, craftsmanship, history, and the evolution of taste in China. Today, different versions of the Ten Famous Teas continue to circulate, and new regions and styles have gained national and international recognition. Yet the idea of Shí Dà Míng Chá remains valuable: it offers a starting point for discovering the teas that have helped shape the identity and legacy of Chinese tea culture.

The idea of Shí Dà Míng Chá has never been represented by one permanently fixed list. Different selections published throughout the 20th and 21st centuries included different teas, reflecting changing tastes, regional recognition, historical research, and the development of China's tea industry. For this reason, several remarkable teas have appeared in some versions of the “Ten Famous Teas” while being absent from others.

These teas should not be considered less important simply because they fall outside a particular list of ten. Many have centuries of history, are deeply connected with their places of origin, and preserve distinctive cultivars and processing techniques. Some represent important chapters in the evolution of Chinese green, red, scented, and fermented teas, while others demonstrate regional traditions that cannot be understood through the most famous names alone.

These teas have all contributed in different ways to the development and diversity of Chinese tea culture. Some have appeared in historical or modern versions of the Ten Famous Teas, while others have earned recognition through their craftsmanship, unique processing, cultural importance, and enduring reputation.

Together, they remind us that the significance of Chinese tea cannot be reduced to a ranking. The history of tea in China is the history of countless regions, generations of tea makers, evolving techniques, and local traditions. Exploring these teas alongside the Shídà Míngchá gives us a broader and more complete understanding of one of the world's oldest and most diverse tea cultures.

"You may notice that a significant part of this list belongs to the green tea category. This reflects the historically important position of green tea in China, where it has been produced and appreciated for centuries and remains the country’s dominant tea category by production and consumption. Many famous green teas also developed strong associations with imperial tribute traditions, when exceptional teas from particular regions were selected and presented to the imperial court.

Of course, these teas are far from the complete list of what is worth discovering in China. There are many other remarkable teas produced in smaller quantities with the same precision, respect for tradition, understanding of nature, and mastery of craftsmanship. Some of the teas on this list are also entire worlds of their own, with different cultivars, terroirs, processing styles, and philosophies waiting to be explored.

Think of this selection as a foundation - a starting point for anyone beginning to understand Chinese tea. Experiencing good examples of these classics will help you develop your taste, build a broader sensory palette, and gradually learn to recognize quality, terroir, craftsmanship, and different styles of production.

I sometimes feel a little jealous of those who are only taking their first steps into this world, because there is so much ahead to discover. I hope the knowledge we share on our website will make this journey clearer, more interesting, and help you understand what makes truly good tea special. Enjoy the process, take your time, and welcome to our collection, where we have brought together authentic teas that can become some of your best teachers."

— Andrei Ivanovs, Founder of AN SHIM TEA

The Ten Great Teas of China is a curated subscription set created to introduce you to some of the most famous and essential teas of Chinese tea culture. Each 15 g sample gives you an opportunity to taste, compare, and understand the distinctive character of these celebrated classics. Every tea is accompanied by a QR code providing access to detailed information about its history, terroir, production process, and brewing recommendations, as well as a personal comment from the founder of AN SHIM TEA.

THE TEN GREAT TEAS OF CHINA incudes:

2025 XIHU LONGJING 15g
2026 DONG TING BI LUO CHUN 15g
2026 HUANG SHAN MAO FENG 15g
2026 LU'AN GUA PIAN 15g
2025 XIN YANG MAO JIAN 15g
2025 ANXI TIE GUAN YIN 15g
2024 WUYI YAN CHA 15g
2025 CHOUZHOU CHA 15g
2025 ZHENG SHAN XIAO ZHONG 15g
2025 PU'ER (SHENG) CHA 15g

Learn more about THE TEN GREAT TEAS OF CHINA

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