The Origin of Fenghuang Dancong
Dancong, a type of semi-fermented oolong tea, is one of the four major oolong teas and represents Guangdong oolong tea. It is renowned for its complex production process, pronounced aroma, natural floral fragrance, mellow sweetness, and resilience to multiple infusions.
The primary production areas of Dancong are Fenghuang (凤凰, Phoenix) in Chaozhou(潮州) and Lingtou(岭头) in Raoping(饶平). Lingtou's Dancong mainly consists of Baiye Dancong(白叶单丛), which was actually propagated from the Shuixian(水仙) tea from the Fenghuang Commune. Therefore, overall, Fenghuang Dancong enjoys greater fame, and Fenghuang Town in Chaozhou was recognized as the "Hometown of China's Oolong Tea (Famous Tea)" in 1995.
1. The Origin of Fenghuang and Oolong Tea
Some books and research papers on tea suggest that Fenghuang Town is the origin of oolong tea. Of course, you might have heard another theory: that Wuyi in Fujian is the origin of oolong tea.
In fact, when discussing the origin of oolong tea, I think we must address two concepts: first, the origin of the tea plants and varieties, and second, the origin of the tea-making processes.
Oolong tea belongs to the tea genus of the Camellia family, an angiosperm in the Theales order. Those who believe Wuyi is the origin of oolong tea point to the Beiyuan tea(北苑茶) of the late Tang and early Song dynasties, with records in the *Mintongzhi(《闽通治》)* dating back to 977 AD.
Those who claim Fenghuang is the origin of oolong tea reference the She ethnic group(畲族), who were cultivating tea trees as early as the Sui dynasty in Feng Niao Ji(凤鸟髻) and Gou Wang Liao(狗王寮). Later, due to earthquakes and mountain fires, tea cultivation was confined to the Wudong Mountain(乌岽山) and Daizhao Mountain(待诏山) areas. As the She people migrated eastward, they brought oolong tea to regions like Fujian and Zhejiang.
The *Collected Famous and High-Quality Chinese Teas*(《中国名优茶选集》) compiled by the Agricultural Technology Extension Station of the Ministry of Agriculture mentions that Huiming tea(惠明茶) originated from a She elder named Lei Taizu(雷太祖) who, along with his four sons, fled from Guangdong to Fujian and finally to Zhejiang, where the monks of Huiming Temple(慧明寺) invited them to stay and grow tea. This, in turn, gave birth to Huiming tea(惠明茶). According to the *Jingning County Chronicles*《景宁畲族自治县志》, “During the Dazhong period of the Tang dynasty (847–859), tea trees were already being planted in Jingning(景宁).”
This migration story of Lei Taizu aligns closely with the She people's migration route as understood by academia. The She people migrated south to Fenghuang before the Sui dynasty and later moved east from Feng Huang in Chaozhou to Fujian and Zhejiang. Feng Huang (Phoenix) Mountain itself is considered the birthplace of the She ethnic group. Scholars who support Feng Huang as the origin of oolong tea often argue that the spread of oolong tea is closely linked to the She people's migrations.
As for tea-making techniques, opinions are numerous. However, among the records uncovered so far, the closest accounts of modern oolong tea-making involve Wuyi Mountain, with mentions in the 1717 *Sequel to the Classic of Tea*《续茶经》, quoting Wang Caotang's *Treatise on Tea*王草堂《茶说》. The first recorded methods related to Phoenix Mountain date back to 1582 in Guo Zizhang’s *Miscellaneous Notes on Chaozhou*郭子章《潮中杂记》, which describes methods for making yellow tea. The “yellowness-processing” steps for this yellow tea suggest a prototype for Phoenix oolong tea-making methods, then known as Fengshan Yellow Tea(凤山黄茶). By 1687, during the 26th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, the *Raoping County Chronicles* 《饶平县志》documented tea-making techniques that are nearly identical to modern methods.
That said, whether discussing the tea trees or tea-making techniques, the earliest recorded times cannot conclusively prove the paths of dissemination. The debate about whether Fenghuang Mountain is the actual origin of oolong tea remains unresolved in academia, and I won’t delve further into it here.
2. From Fenghuang Tea to Fenghuang Dancong
We generally refer to tea produced in Feng Huang(Phoenix) as Feng Huang(Phoenix) Tea. So, what’s the relationship between Phoenix Tea and Phoenix Dancong?
Dancong Tea is actually a relatively modern concept. Tea cultivation and production in Chaoshan(潮汕) can be traced back over a thousand years. Originally, the Chaoshan area had only two types of tea trees: oolong and Hongyin(红茵).
Oolong refers to the oolong tea trees mentioned earlier. Currently, in Feng Huang, only Shiguping Village(石古坪村) still cultivates these trees, preserving two varieties: broadleaf and fine-leaf.
Hongyin, on the other hand, refers to wild tea trees native to Feng Huang. It is the precursor to cultivated Bird's Beak Tea(鸟嘴茶) and gets its name from the mottled tips of its new leaves. Hongyin tea has an intense aroma, a taste that is both sweet and bitter, a strong aftertaste, and great resilience to multiple infusions.
Through cultivation, Hongyin tea gave rise to a new variety called Bird’s Beak Tea. Some say it is named for its tip’s resemblance to a bird’s beak, while others claim it originates from a legend: during the Song dynasty, Emperor Zhao Bing(赵昺), fleeing from Yuan soldiers, was offered tea by a phoenix bird carrying a tea branch. By the Hongzhi period of the Ming dynasty, tea from Daizhao Mountain(待诏山) in Feng Huang had become a tribute tea called "Daizhao Tea." (待诏茶)
By the Republic of China era, Bird’s Beak Tea was gradually renamed Shuixian(水仙).In 1956, it was officially designated as Fenghuang(Phoenix) Shuixian.
So, how does this tie to Dancong? Dancong is essentially a selection of superior individual Phoenix Shuixian plants. According to the *Comprehensive Guide to Famous Chinese Teas*《中国名茶志》, “Phoenix Dancong refers to the superior individual trees of the Fenghuang Shuixian variety, each with unique traits that constitute its cultivar group. These are harvested and processed individually, hence the name ‘Dancong’ (single bush).”
In other words, Fenghuang Dancong is the collective term for all the outstanding individual trees of the Fenghuang Shuixian variety. Before differentiating into today’s numerous aroma types, from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China era, any high-quality Phoenix Shuixian processed and stored as a single bush was called Dancong. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the government established standards and grading systems for these teas, dividing Phoenix Shuixian into three grades: Shuixian(水仙), Langcai(浪菜), and Dancong(单丛). Shuixian generally skips the Langqing(浪青) (tossing and bruising) step, so its edges do not turn red; Langcai(浪菜) undergoes the Langqing(浪青) step but does not ferment to produce floral aromas; Dancong undergoes Langqing and develops floral fragrances.
Later, with the development of cutting and grafting techniques in the 1990s, asexual propagation became widespread, allowing exceptional single bushes to be cloned into bush groups. Today, Dancong no longer strictly refers to single-bush harvesting and processing. It more broadly refers to these previously selected superior cultivars. While some uniquely outstanding bushes are still individually processed, most Dancong teas are now harvested and processed from cultivars grown under similar conditions within the same tea garden. Because there are so many Dancong cultivars, processing is still quite complex even when not done on a single-bush basis.
In summary, Phoenix Tea evolved from the initial oolong and Hongyin cultivars, with Hongyin leading to Bird’s Beak Tea, then Shuixian, and then separating into various grades of Shuixian, Langcai, and Dancong, followed by Dancong’s division into different aroma types and widespread propagation into modern Dancong cultivars. This reflects the lineage of tea tree cultivation.
On the tea-making side, Fenghuang's early tea-production methods evolved from raw frying practices into Fengshan Yellow Tea (an early form of yellow tea processing), followed by roasted yellow teas and finally into the Dancong production techniques of today. Together, these cultivation and processing advancements define the trajectory that led to the Fenghuang Dancong we know today.
Some scholars have compared oolong teas from Guangdong, Fujian, and Taiwan and found significant genetic similarities between Fujian and Taiwan’s oolong teas. However, Guangdong’s oolong teas, particularly Fenghuang Dancong, exhibit some genetic differences, likely because Fenghuang Dancong originates from Fenghuang’s Hongyin rather than its oolong variety. Visually, the differences are quite apparent as well. Dancong tea trees are usually arbor or small arbor types, similar to tea trees in southwestern Yunnan. However, unlike southwestern Yunnan, Fenghuang practices single-bush processing. While Wuyi in Fujian also produces single-bush teas, its tea plants are generally shrub-like, making them distinct from Dancong. Arbor-like tea trees that undergo single-bush processing and selection only apply to Dancong.
Over time, the term “Dancong” transitioned from indicating a quality grade to being both a cultivar name and a commercial term. Nowadays, the term is rarely used to refer to grades of Fenghuang Shuixian. Langcai has also become scarce; Shuixian teas that do not ferment floral aromas are processed without the Langqing step. As a result, roasted Shuixian teas require aging for six months or more before consumption, reducing the bitterness and roasted flavors while enhancing the tea's depth over time. Shuixian tea is typically made from older tea trees and, after aging, develops a rich “clump flavor.”
Dancong, on the other hand, undergoes the Langqing step, so its edges usually display the characteristic “green base with red margins,” a hallmark of their more complex production process. Dancong’s deeper fermentation level ensures that high-quality Dancong teas lack the bitterness often found in fresh Shuixian teas, making them enjoyable to drink even in the same year they are produced. Each Dancong cultivar also develops a distinctive and complex natural floral fragrance, which is why they are harvested and processed on a single-bush basis, sometimes even receiving unique names.
The selection and processing of individual bushes are both labor-intensive and meticulous, leading to the intricate naming conventions for Dancong teas. Popular types include Yellow Gardenia(黄栀香), Orchid(芝兰香), Cinnamon(肉桂香), and more, each of which is further subdivided into numerous variants. Currently, there are over 160 documented Dancong names, many of which feature quirky titles like Duck Shit Aroma(鸭屎香), Oufu Hou(凹富后), Xiongdi Zai(兄弟仔), or Judo Zai(锯朵仔).
This complexity often makes selecting Dancong tea challenging for many, as it’s difficult to directly compare teas based on descriptions alone. Even for a tea labeled as “Honey Orchid Aroma,” factors such as altitude, tree age, and harvest time can lead to noticeable quality differences. Without a deep understanding of Dancong tea or repeated tasting and comparison, navigating through the options can be daunting—hence the reason for this article.