Shui Jin Gui, "Golden Water Turtle", is a legendary tea grown along the cliffs of Mount Wuyi. Cultivated since the Ming dynasty, this mounding plant is said to resemble a turtle as it ages. This cultivar is roasted less than other Wuyi teas, which brings out lighter, fruitier notes, combining magnificently with the deep mineral complexion of rock grown yancha. Grown along the Zhong Gu Yan cliffs within Wuyishan Ecological Preserve, where natural farming is protected by law. Using the tradtional method, this tea was roasted by hand with lychee wood charcoal three times, being allowed to rest extensively between roastings.
The Shin Jin Gui culitivar is party to one of China's oldest legal battles. The original plants were growing on a cliff by the Tian Xin Temple, hanging above the Niu Lan Hollow. During a ferocious thunderstorm, the ground softened, and the embankment holding the plants slid down into the hollow. As the plants moved, they are said to have resembled giant turtles swimming through the muddy water.
Langu Cliff Tea Factory owned the hollow, and immediately built retaining walls around the trees to claim them, and began tending to them. A long legal battle ensued between the two property owners, and the courts eventually sided with the Langu Cliff Tea Factory. The original plants are still alive to this day, located at the bottom of Niu Lan Hollow.
2021 harvest. 75 grams, tin canister.