Fang Ting’s search for a modern classic in the mountains of Anxi
For years, Fang Ting has been returning to Anxi County in southern Fujian, drawn by the intricate aromas of Tieguanyin. This spring, she spent three weeks in Xiping, a village renowned for high-mountain tea gardens that catch sea mist from the coast. Working closely with a family-run cooperative, she followed each phase of the modern green style — a technique pioneered in the 1990s that shortens oxidation and lowers finishing temperatures to lock in the leaf’s natural florals.
Fang Ting cupped through more than a dozen lots, seeking a tea that balanced vivid fragrance with daily-drinking ease. Most cuvées were good, but one shone: a batch from a 600-metre slope with sandstone-rich soil and morning fog that slows leaf growth. The leaves had been picked by hand at the moment buds swelled to their aromatic peak, then gently bruised and pan-fired to fix the bright green colour. After rolling, the tea was dried at low heat, preserving an unmistakable orchid core that carried through every infusion.
“This is Tieguanyin at its most welcoming,” Fang Ting says. “No heavy roast, no astringency — just a clean, floral cup that you can enjoy all afternoon.” She booked the entire lot for worldtea.shop, confident that it would charm both newcomers and seasoned oolong drinkers. With only 75 grams in this small batch, each packet captures the fleeting freshness of a single spring morning in Xiping.