--- title: "Bǎojìng huáng jīn lǜchá" url: https://thetea.app/article/baojing-huang-jin-lucha lang: en updated: 2026-04-08 source: THE TEA — encyclopedia of Chinese tea (https://thetea.app) --- # Bǎojìng huáng jīn lǜchá (保靖黄金绿茶) Bǎojìng Huáng Jīn Chá (保靖黄金茶, Bǎojìng Huángjīn Chá — "Golden Tea from Baojing") — a legendary Húnán green tea (绿茶), nicknamed "tea that can be drunk like a museum artifact" (可以喝的文物, kěyǐ hē de wénwù). This is the only tea in China whose name is connected to actual gold: in 1539, Míng inspector Lù Jié (陆杰, Lù Jié), poisoned along with his retinue by mountain miasmas in the depths of mountainous Xiangxi, was healed by tea from century-old trees of a Miao village — and in gratitude bestowed upon the elderly woman a gold ingot (一锭黄金), naming the village "Huangjincun" (黄金村, "Golden Village"). Since then — "one liang of gold for one liang of tea" (一两黄金一两茶). Modern analyses confirm the legend: amino acid content reaches **7.47%** — one of the highest indicators in the world. In the ancient tea gardens of Huangjincun, **2,057 trees from the Ming and Qing eras** are preserved, the oldest being **417 years old**. **1. Classification and Origin:** * **Type:** Green tea (绿茶) (non-oxidized). By shape — needle-like (针芽状, for premium grade) and eyebrow-shaped (眉形, for first grade). By technology — pan-fired with charcoal drying. * **Category:** National Geographical Indication Product (国家地理标志产品, 2010). In 2020 — inclusion in the list of mutually recognized China-EU geographical indications. Gold award at China Green Tea Forum (2008). "Four highs and four perfections" (四高四绝, sì gāo sì jué) — official quality formula. Cultivar "Huangjin 1" (黄金1号) — **national superior variety** (国家优良品种). * **Origin:** China, Húnán Province (湖南, Húnán), Xiāngxī Tujia and Miáo Autonomous Prefecture (湘西土家族苗族自治州), Bǎojìng County (保靖县, Bǎojìng Xiàn). GI zone — entire county. Terroir core: **Huluzhen Township (葫芦镇), Huangjincun Village (黄金村, "Golden Village")** — historical birthplace of the tea, location of discovery of 2,057 ancient trees; **Lüdongshanzhen Township (吕洞山镇)**. By 2022 — 155,000 mu (10,333 hectares), total value — 23.16 billion yuan. * **Geographic coordinates:** 109°12′—109°33′ East longitude, 28°24′—28°36′ North latitude. **2. History and Cultural Significance:** * **History:** **Legend of 1539 (明嘉靖十八年):** Governor-General of Hu and Guang provinces **Lù Jié (陆杰, 都御史)**, conducting an inspection, ventured deep into the Xiangxi mountains. More than one hundred people from his retinue fell ill with "mountain fever" (瘴气, zhàngqì — malaria or similar tropical diseases). A Miao elderly woman from a mountain village brewed leaves from a century-old tea tree and gave the sick to drink — all were healed. The astonished Lu Jie bestowed upon the elderly woman a gold ingot, sent the tea to court as tribute (贡品), and named the village "Golden" (黄金村). Thus was born the formula **"一两黄金一两茶" — "one liang of gold for one liang of tea"**. **Modern history:** In 1994, agronomist **Zhāng Xiāngshēng (张湘生, Zhāng Xiāngshēng)** made a breakthrough: first applied asexual reproduction technology (无性繁殖) to the ancient tea trees of Huangjincun, developing cultivars **"Huangjin 1" (黄金1号)** and **"Huangjin 2" (黄金2号)** — solving the problem of genetic preservation that had persisted for decades. In 2008 — gold at Green Tea Forum. In 2010 — GI protection. In 2020 — inclusion in China-EU GI list. By 2022 — 155,000 mu, value — 23.16 billion yuan. * **Name:** * "Baojing" (保靖) — name of the county in mountainous Xiangxi. * "Huangjin" (黄金) — "gold": direct reference to the legend of the gold ingot bestowed upon the Miao elderly woman. * "Cha" (茶) — "tea". * **Cultural significance:** Baojing Huang Jin Cha — tea of the **Miáo people (苗族, Miáozú)**, one of the most ancient peoples of southwestern China. The legend of healing inspector Lu Jie — not merely a beautiful story, but a symbol of intercultural dialogue: Miao wisdom (knowledge of tea's healing properties) saved the lives of Han officials, and in gratitude the tea received its name and gold. **2,057 ancient trees** (7 gardens from Ming and Qing eras, oldest — 417 years) — a living open-air museum, hence the nickname "可以喝的文物" — "tea that can be drunk like a museum artifact". **3. Botanical Description and Raw Material:** * **Variety / Cultivar:** Foundation — **Bǎojìng Huangjincha Quntichong (保靖黄金茶[群体种](https://thetea.app/article/qunti-zhong))** — indigenous small-leaf variety *Camellia sinensis* var. *sinensis* of sexual reproduction. High resistance to adverse conditions. Clonal cultivars: * **Huangjin 1 (黄金1号)** — national superior variety. Ultra-early. Amino acids — **7.47%** — one of the highest indicators in the world. * **Huangjin 2 (黄金2号)** — high "tenderness retention". For rolled forms. * **Huangjin 168 (黄金168号)** — promising. * **Harvest:** Spring. Three grades: * **Tèjí (特级):** Full buds (≥90%). Thin, dense, downy. Chestnut aroma. Amino acids ≥6%. * **Yījí (一级):** One bud with one leaf (≥80%). Water extract ≥45%. * **Èrjí (二级):** One bud with two leaves. Endurance ≥4 infusions. **4. Terroir and Cultivation:** * **Location:** Center of Wǔlíng Mountain range (武陵山脉腹地) — the same range as Guzhang Mao Jian, but different county. * **Growing altitude:** 300–1,200 meters above sea level. Core — 500–800 m a.s.l. * **Climate:** Average annual temperature — 16.1°C, annual precipitation — 1,400 mm, average annual number of foggy days — >180. Daily temperature variations — >10°C. Diffused light stimulates record accumulation of amino acids. * **Soils:** Red-yellow soils (红黄壤), pH 4.5–5.5. Organic content — >2.0%. Naturally enriched with **selenium (0.82 mg/kg)** and zinc. Forest coverage — **70.27%**. Negative air ion concentration — 13,000/cm³. County certified as "China's Natural Oxygen Bar" (中国天然氧吧). * **Formula "四高" (Four Highs):** Amino acids (7.47%), polyphenols (20%), water extract (≈50%), chlorophyll (50%+ above normal) — all four indicators significantly exceed averages. **5. Production Technology:** Technology — pan-fired with charcoal drying. Complete ban on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. * **Spreading (摊放 — tānfàng):** 6–8 hours — extended, for deep development of amino acid precursors. * **Kill-green (杀青 — shāqīng):** At 130°C, with tossing and shaking (抛抖结合). * **Rolling (揉捻 — róuniǎn):** Light, 4–8 minutes. * **Primary drying (初烘 — chū hōng):** At 100°C. * **Final charcoal drying (复烘 — fù hōng):** At 60°C over charcoal. Moisture content — ≤7%. * **Specialty:** Original "rolled" shaping (独创卷曲型工艺塑形) — not standard straight or flat, but spiral, emphasizing the tenderness and downiness of shoots. **6. Organoleptic Characteristics:** "Four perfections" (四绝, sì jué): **rich aroma (香气浓郁), emerald liquor (汤色翠绿), fresh taste (入口清爽), sweet aftertaste (回味甘醇).** * **Dry leaf appearance:** Thin, dense, slightly curved shoots (条细匀紧、翠绿稍弯), covered with silvery down (显毫). Color — bright emerald green. * **Dry leaf aroma:** Pure (清香) — main note. Tender chestnut (嫩栗香) — in spring tea. Chestnut (栗香) — in premium grade. * **Liquor aroma:** Persistent, chestnut-fresh. * **Taste:** Fresh (鲜爽) — amino acids up to 7.47%, one of the highest in the world. Sweet and mellow (甘醇). Returning sweetness — stable and long-lasting. "Pure fresh, sweet and brisk" (清鲜甘爽, qīng xiān gān shuǎng) — premium grade formula. * **Liquor color:** Tender green, bright and clear (嫩绿明亮). * **Spent leaves:** Tender green, uniform shoots with pronounced buds (嫩绿匀整显芽). **7. Chemical Composition:** "Four highs" (四高) determine uniqueness: * **Amino acids:** **7.47%** — one of the highest indicators among green teas worldwide. For comparison: average — 3–4%, Anji Bai Cha — 6–7%, Yuexi Cui Lan — 6.3%. Baojing — absolute record. * **Polyphenols:** **20%** — moderate content ensuring balance without harsh astringency. Free radical neutralization efficiency — 10 times higher than vitamin C. * **Water extract (水浸出物):** **≈50%** — exceptionally high indicator (usually 32–40%). This means almost half the mass of dry tea dissolves during brewing — hence richness and flavor persistence. * **Chlorophyll:** **50% higher** than normal — explains intense emerald color of liquor. * **Selenium:** **0.82 mg/kg** — significant content from selenium-rich soils of Wuling Mountains. * **Alkaloids:** Caffeine — moderate content. **8. Health Properties:** * **Antioxidant action:** Polyphenols 20% — efficiency 10 times higher than vitamin C. * **Control of "three highs" (降三高):** Polyphenols reduce lipids, catechins regulate sugar — 30% more effective than ordinary green tea. * **Stimulating effect (提神醒脑):** High amino acids + caffeine — enhanced concentration. * **Important:** not medical recommendation. **9. Brewing:** * **Water temperature:** 80–85°C; for premium (单芽) — 75°C. * **Tea quantity:** 3 g per 150 ml (1:50). * **Vessel:** Glass cup or gàiwǎn (盖碗). * **Process:** For premium — 上投法 (water first, then tea). For first grade — 中投法. For second grade — 下投法. First infusion — 30 seconds, +15 seconds thereafter. **10. Storage:** * Airtight, refrigerator at 0–5°C. Freshly purchased — "air out" for 3 days. After opening — 1 month. **11. Price and Counterfeits:** Buy with GI marking; verify origin from Baojing County; evaluate record freshness and sweetness; suspiciously low price — counterfeit. **12. Interesting Facts:** * **"一两黄金一两茶" — "one liang of gold for one liang of tea"** — the 1539 legend became a value formula: inspector Lu Jie literally paid with gold for tea that saved his retinue. * **2,057 ancient tea trees** from Ming and Qing eras (7 historical gardens), oldest — **417 years** — largest collection of living tea "museum artifacts" in Hunan. * **Amino acids 7.47%** — one of the absolute world records among green teas. For comparison: Japanese gyokuro, record holder among Japanese teas — 5–7%. * **Water extract ≈50%** — almost half the mass of dry tea dissolves in water. This explains exceptional richness and flavor persistence. * Breakthrough by agronomist Zhang Xiangsheng (1994) — first application of asexual reproduction technology to ancient Baojing trees, saving the gene pool from extinction. * Inclusion in **China-EU GI list** (2020) — protection of "保靖黄金茶" brand in EU territory. **13. Comparison with Other "Record" Amino Acid Green Teas:** * **Ānjí Bái Chá ([安吉白茶](https://thetea.app/article/anji-baicha)):** From Zhejiang. Albino shoots, amino acids 6–7%. Anji — "pure sweetness", without down; Baojing — "golden sweetness", with down and historical legend. * **Yuèxī Cuì Lán ([岳西翠兰](https://thetea.app/article/yuexi-cui-lan)):** From Anhui. Amino acids ≥6.3%. Yuexi — "orchid sweetness"; Baojing — "chestnut-fresh sweetness" with record water extract. * **Gǔzhàng [Máo Jiān](https://thetea.app/article/mao-jian) ([古丈毛尖](https://thetea.app/article/guzhang-mao-jian)):** Fellow from Xiangxi. Endurance up to 15 infusions. Guzhang — champion in endurance; Baojing — champion in amino acids (7.47%). * **Japanese gyokuro (玉露):** Steamed, shaded. Amino acids 5–7%. Gyokuro — "oceanic umami"; Baojing — "mountain fresh" with different aromatic palette. **In Conclusion:** Baojing Huang Jin Cha — tea for which gold was paid. The 1539 legend, 2,057 ancient trees, record amino acids (7.47%) and the formula "four highs, four perfections" — all this creates tea unparalleled in the combination of historical depth and chemical perfection. The Miao elderly woman who healed the Ming inspector did not know the words "L-theanine" and "water extract" — but she knew her tea saved lives. Five centuries later, science confirmed her wisdom with numbers: 7.47% amino acids, 50% water extract, 50%+ chlorophyll. One liang of gold for one liang of tea — and to this day this remains a fair price.