About Premium Wuyi Fo Shou (Buddha's Hand)

This Zhen Yan Fo Shou originates from Mi Tuo Yan (Amitabha rock), located inside the Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area in Wuyishan City, Fujian Province, where also belongs to one of the ‘Zhengyan’ tea plantations. The tea produced from ‘Zhengyan’ plantation is considered the premium level due to its special flavour. The rocky surroundings endow the tea with a rich mineral content, which imparts a special mineral taste known as ‘Yanyun’. The lack of fertile soil here also ensures the tea leaves grow very slowly, accumulating a higher content of beneficial substances.
Fo Shou, in Chinese, called ‘Buddha’s hand’. It also has two alternative names called ‘Xiang Yuan’ or ‘Snow Pear’. It is an asexual variety, a shrub-like plant with large leaves. It belongs to the medium-growing species, and the harvesting period is in late April. Its leaves are palm-sized and resemble the shape of a mandarin orange. It was initially planted in a Buddhist temple, hence the name "Buddha's Hand."
Legend has it that in the 29th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, an old monk from Qihu Rock in Anxi successfully grafted tea branches onto a Xiang Yuan tree. In the 43rd year of Kangxi's reign, the tea variety was introduced to Shifeng Village in Dapu, Yongchun. Due to its unique characteristics, it was further introduced to places like Wuyishan, where it merged with the local features and preserved the fragrance of Snow Pear while gaining the distinctive Wuyi rock essence.

Appearance & Taste

Wuyi Fo Shou has tightly twisted lustrous tea leaves and slightly coarse appearance. Its colour of the dry tea leaves is brown with hints of green, and the back of the leaves shows noticeable sand grains. The tea possesses a unique aroma reminiscent of Xiang Yuan. The Xiang Yuan aroma is a fragrant scent similar to that of tangerines, with a slight hint of bitter orange peel flavour. Some people also refer to it as Snow Pear because the tea soup carries a sweet aroma like that of Snow Pear.

When enjoying Wuyi Fo Shou tea, you can taste the sweet Snow Pear flavour combined with the unique characteristics of Wuyi rock tea’s roasting. The distinctive “Snow Pear aroma” offers a sweet and satisfying experience, reminiscent of stewed pears without added rock sugar. When brewing, the aroma of rich floral nectar can be detected when lifting the tea lid. Sipping the tea soup, you will sense the refreshing sweetness of Snow Pear broth, accompanied by a subtle roasted fragrance that adds a warm and mellow touch. As the roasted notes subside, the distinct aroma of Wuyi Fo Shou becomes even more prominent, maintaining its sweetness even after the seventh infusion.

Taste: Bitter, Floral, Rocky, Sweet

Brewing Guide

Tea Cup

2.5 teaspoon(s)

100°C (125ml)

1-2 mins

Enjoy!

Glass

5 tsp

100°C (250ml)

1-2 mins

Enjoy!

Teapot

10 tsp

100°C (500ml)

1-2 mins

Enjoy!

Kongfu Style

Among many tea wares, we recommend you use (Yixing) Clay Teapot or Gaiwan to brew this most characteristic Chinese tea. The clay teapot used to brew Oolong tea in Gongfu style is specifically tiny whose volume is normally around 100ml – 200ml. Or you can also brew it by using normal-sized Teapot with more tea leaves.

For Gongfu Style:

Warm the Gaiwan/tiny teapot with hot water; discard the water afterward.
Add 1g Oolong tea for every 20ml – 30ml of water (recommend 8g tea leaves, adjust by personal taste).
Pour hot water (100 °C) into the clay teapot / Gaiwan, tilt it, slowly rotating it two times and quickly discard the water (this step is for waking up tea leaves and stimulating the special aroma of the oolong tea).
Refill clay teapot/Gaiwan with hot water.
Infuse tea for around 5s for the first 4 brews. After that, extend an extra 5s infusion time for the following brew.
Pour the steeped tea into a serving cup and divided into small teacups and serve.
Repeat around 8-12 times.

Origin

This Zhen Yan Fo Shou originates from Mi Tuo Yan (Amitabha rock), located inside the Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area in Wuyishan City, Fujian Province, which also belongs to one of the ‘Zhengyan’ tea plantations.

Mi Tuo Yan is located north of Zhang Tang Jian within the Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area. It has a relatively small overall area but is open and well-illuminated, allowing ample sunlight to reach the area. The natural vegetation is abundant, ensuring that the sunlight is not too direct and providing a cool environment in summer and a warm environment in winter. The gentle flow of trickling streams within the gullies and the dense vegetation make the environment and microclimate of Mi Tuo Yan equally exceptional, making it highly suitable for tea tree growth. In addition, the soil of Mi Tuo Yan is sandy loam, rich in various minerals, and has a moderate acidity level, which contributes to the formation of substances within the tea plants.