Oolong — Tie Guan Yin
Anxi Tieguanyin Cooperative
安溪鐵觀音 · Ānxī Tiě Guānyīn
A collective of small-plot producers in Anxi County, Fujian — the birthplace and legal home of Tie Guan Yin oolong, one of China's top ten most famous teas.
What they're known for
- ▸ Tie Guan Yin (鐵觀音, 'Iron Goddess of Mercy') originates from Anxi County and has been made here since at least the 1720s.
- ▸ Anxi holds China's National GI for Tie Guan Yin — the name cannot legally be used for oolong from other regions.
- ▸ Qingxiang (清香, green/floral) and Nongxiang (濃香, roasted) are the two main styles, both from Anxi terroir.
- ▸ The 'Yin Yun' (音韻, 'Iron Goddess rhyme') aftertaste is the defining quality marker for genuine Anxi TGY.
Tie Guan Yin (鐵觀音, 'Iron Goddess of Mercy') is one of China's ten most famous teas and the oolong style most people in the world encounter first. It originates from Anxi County in southern Fujian Province and has been made there since at least the 1720s. Anxi holds the National Geographical Indication for the name: Tie Guan Yin from anywhere else is legally required to say so on the packaging.
The production is labour-intensive. After picking, the fresh leaf goes through alternating sun-drying and indoor withering cycles — called 'sun-withering' (曬青) — to begin the oxidation. The leaf is then bruised in a drum to spread the oxidation from the edges inward, rolled under heavy presses into the characteristic tight pellets, and finally fired to stop oxidation and lock the flavour.
Two main styles have developed. Qingxiang (清香, 'clear fragrance') uses lighter firing to preserve the fresh floral and orchid aroma that made Tie Guan Yin famous. Nongxiang (濃香, 'rich fragrance') uses heavier roasting to produce a more caramelised, deeper cup with less delicacy but more body. Both styles share the same 'Yin Yun' (音韻, 'Iron Goddess rhyme') aftertaste — a sweet, mineral finish that lingers after the sip.
Teas from Anxi Tieguanyin Cooperative
鐵觀音 Tie Guan Yin Premium
2025 · Anxi Tieguanyin Cooperative 2025 · Anxi Tieguanyin Cooperative · Anxi County, Fujian Province
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