Why do Chinese teas have so many different names?

Tieguanyin, Iron Goddess, 鐵觀音, Anxi Tieguanyin — same thing or different?

Same tea, multiple labels: the Chinese characters (鐵觀音), pinyin romanization (Tieguanyin), poetic English translation (Iron Goddess of Mercy), and sometimes a region prefix (Anxi = the county in Fujian where it's made). Add cultivar names (Jin Xuan, Mao Xie), grade words (Special, Premium), and harvest seasons (spring, autumn) and the same leaf can have 5–6 descriptors. Learn to read the Chinese name — it's the most precise identifier. English names vary by translator; pinyin doesn't.

— Yurii — 931 Tea, 931 Tea

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