Teablog_Craftfolio_Master Huang

Zhizheng huang 黃志政

The Youngest Rock Tea Certified Inheritor

Standing With My Mountain

I entered the world of tea at a time when Wuyi Rock Tea was facing doubt. It was 2007. I had just graduated with a degree in tea science, yet the market had already moved on. Black tea dominated the shelves, and Wuyi Rock Tea had slipped from people’s attention. Many believed the craft had no future, and even my family urged me to reconsider. But I am from Wuyi, a mountain town where tea shapes the rhythm of every season. When harvest arrives, restaurants and barbershops close as the town moves into the gardens. I grew up in this world, and Wuyi Rock Tea had already taken root in me. It was the culture that raised me and the land that shaped me, and I could not bear to watch it fade. I often say it was not I who chose Wuyi Rock Tea; it was my hometown that chose me.

A group of children and an adult gather around a table, with the adult demonstrating how to process tea leaves on a woven tray.

People imagine tea making to be gentle, yet it is far from romantic. Sun withering, hand tossing and roasting require endurance and complete focus. Every step carries uncertainty, and a small shift in timing or pressure can change the tea entirely. Still, the complexity steadied me. I learned from old masters and studied the details they guarded. Whenever I believed a batch was good, I sought out someone more skilled, tasted their work, listened to their critique and began again. Progress came slowly, through seasons of repetition.

A person holds a bundle of green leafy vegetables over a counter, surrounded by others working in a kitchen setting.

In time, my work began to speak for itself, and I became the youngest inheritor of Wuyi Rock Tea. As people rediscovered this tradition, the tea rose again, and I found my place within it. This tea once had no future. Today, it supports my family, my team and the life built through seasons of quiet work. I remain here for the same reason I began: the belief that Wuyi Rock Tea deserves to be seen, understood and remembered.

The Art of Balance in Da Hong Pao

Three black and white line drawings: hands sifting leaves through a mesh, a leaf being split, and a sprig with three leaves.

The mark of great Wuyi Rock Tea is the appearance known as “green leaf with red edges.” During the shaking stage, the leaf surface is lightly bruised, allowing oxidation to begin along the rim while the center remains greener and less fermented. Achieving this state of partial oxidation is rare, and when done correctly, it gives the tea both the richness of black tea and the freshness of green tea.

This balance depends on hand tossing performed with precise timing, strength and rhythm. Each movement influences how far oxidation progresses. Afterward, the leaves pass through several rounds of roasting, with heat adjusted carefully at each stage to build fragrance, stabilize the structure and deepen the tea’s character.

Da Hong Pao is defined by this equilibrium. Its beauty lies in guiding oxidation and fire toward a point where fragrance, depth and clarity coexist in a single cup.