Wuyuan Mingmei is from Wuyuan village in Jiangxi, which has been crowned China’s most beautiful village. It is famous for its local Huizhou culture and idyllic scenery (images). Due to the remoteness of the village and inconvenient transportation links, the village has retained its architectural charm (structures were built in 740 during the Tang Dynasty) and traditional lifestyle.

I did not do this tea justice. The 29 RMB price tag for 50 grams should have been a clear sign that this vendor was selling a lower grade tea. On arrival, the cheap packaging and the broken tea leaves only further reinforced the impression of poor quality. Comparing my purchase to the images on this page, I clearly bought poorly. While this points to one of the potential pitfalls of ordering tea on Taobao without seeing it in person, the price tag should have been a clear indication to what I was buying. It is also a good lesson that to fully enjoy the tea experience and have a good first impression one should buy high quality tea!

More Information (from Baidu Baike):

Wuyuan mingmei is a type of green tea native to Wuyuan County in Jiangxi Province. The village is widely hailed as the most scenic of China’s countryside. The name mingmei literally means “eyebrow tea”. It describes the shape of the tea, which resembles a beautiful woman’s eyebrow, long and thin with a perfect arch. Wuyuan mingmei has a very thin layer of white hair on the surface. Once brewed, the liquid is a light green with a tinge of golden sheen. The taste is fresh and somewhat intense, but not bitter. The finish is refreshing and crisp.

View Larger Map

Other Sources & Links:

• The Story of Tea
• Taobao Vendor
• Dragon Tea House