China

正岩百年老丛水仙 · 千川
Zhengyan Bai Nian Lao Cong Shui Xian · “Qian Chuan”

Among the rarest expressions of Wuyi rock tea, this Shui Xian is made from a single grove of 120-year-old bushes in Huiyuan Keng (慧苑坑), one of the celebrated “Three Pits and Two Streams” at the heart of the Zhengyan core.

Its name, Qian Chuan (千川), “a thousand rivers,” comes from the words of Lu Yu, the Tang dynasty sage whose Classic of Tea (茶经) is inscribed on the box. Lu Yu wrote of ancient tea trees in the mountains and river gorges of the south, so great that two people could not embrace them, and observed that “the finest tea grows in broken rock.” More than twelve centuries later, his words still describe the rocky gullies of Huiyuan Keng.

Shui Xian bushes of great age are honored as lao cong (老丛), “old bushes.” Those that pass a century are called bai nian (百年), “hundred-year,” and their character grows deeper still. Such bushes are exceedingly rare today. Over the past decades, many old Shui Xian were uprooted and replanted with newer, higher-yielding cultivars, and only a few groves like this one survive.

In the cup, it arrives with commanding presence and weight, yet remains in perfect balance. Florals, sweetness, structure, aroma, and finish move together from the first sip to the last. Drinking it brings a deep sense of calm, like the steady flow of a mountain stream.

This tea comes from Yan Zhu (岩主, “Master of the Rock”), the tea house of Master Ye Ruyu, sister of Master Ye Qitong (叶启桐), and is handcrafted under her supervision.

In 2026 we celebrate our ninth year working with the Ye family of Wuyishan: Master Ye Qitong, who led the creation of the national standard samples for Wuyi Yancha, and his sister Master Ye Ruyu, founder of Yan Zhu. We are honored to serve as the first exclusive international ambassador of Master Ye Qitong’s brand.

Studio:

Yan Zhu 岩主 (Ye family)

Origin:

Wuyi, China

Cultivar:

Shui Xian, 120-year-old trees from Huiyuankeng

Flavor Profile:

Candied fruit and caramel unfolding into a floral garden; deep plum with an undertone of moss and aged wood; weighty yet perfectly balanced, with layer upon layer in every sip. A long finish gives way to a deep, calming cha qi that settles over the whole body.

Servings:

Box – 6 x 8.3g or

Sample – 1 x 8.3g

Net weight:

50g Original Gift Box or 8.3g Single Serving Sample