About Dongting Mountains Pi Lo Chun (Bi Luo Chun) 2023

Biluochun is one of the top-ten Chinese teas. It grows in the mountains of West and East Dongting in Suzhou and is made using a bud with a single leaf. Good-quality Biluochun leaves look like birds' tongues; the dry leaves are tightly curled and silvery green with fuzzy white hair.
Our special Biluochun is picked before Pure Brightness （Apr.4th, 5th, or 6th）, and is also called ‘Mingqian Biluochun’. It tastes extraordinarily delicate and fresh – like the earliest spring day on the tip of the tongue.

Appearance & Taste

Dongting Mountain Pi Lo Chun (Bi Luo Chun)

Two Main Categories of Spring Tea

Tea picked before the end of May is known as spring tea. After one year of rehabilitation, the buds of the plant are stout and strong in the spring, with delicate leaves and rich white fuzz. The tea leaves contain rich effective substances. Spring tea is regarded as having the best quality compared to tea picked in the summer or autumn. Depending on the precise growth period, spring tea can be divided into Mingqian tea and Yuqiang tea.

Good-quality Biluochun leaves look like birds’ tongues; the dry tea leaves are tightly curled and silvery green with fuzzy white hair.

Our Biluochun is Mingqian tea. See below the taste differences between Mingqian and Yuqian teas.

1. Mingqian tea

Mingqian tea is made from leaves picked before Pure Brightness (Apr.4th, 5th, or 6th). Tea workers only pick very recent buds; these comprise almost 100% of the raw material for Mingqian tea. However, because of the low temperatures before Pure Brightness, these buds are limited, and due to the low growth rate of the plant, the yield is usually very small. There is therefore a saying:‘Mingqian tea is as expensive as gold’. It is regarded as the highest grade of Biluochun.

Taste: Mingqian tea has an extraordinarily delicate and fresh taste –like the earliest spring day on the tip of the tongue.

2. Yuqian tea

Yuqian tea is made from tea picked before the Grain Rain (19, 20 or 21 April). During this period, the temperature is moderate and the rainfall is abundant, and the first tea leaves appear. One bud with the first leaf provides the raw material for making Yuqian tea.

Although Yuqian tea is not as delicately flavoured as Mingqian tea, it has a stronger taste and can be brewed longer and more times. This is because the temperature is higher during the picking period for Yuqian tea, which causes the tea leaves to grow relatively fast; the accumulated substances in the tea leaves are also richer.

Taste: Yuqian tea is very fresh with a strong aroma. It has a robust flavor, a sweet, lingering fragrance and an invigorating taste.

Taste: Floral, Fresh, Fruity, Sweet

Brewing Guide

Tea Cup

2 teaspoon(s)

80°C (125ml)

1 mins

Enjoy!

Glass

4 tsp

80°C (250ml)

1 mins

Enjoy!

Teapot

8 tsp

80°C (500ml)

1 mins

Enjoy!

Kongfu Style

Top-drop Method:

Warm the teaware with hot water. Discard the water afterward
Pour hot water (80°C) into the teaware until it is seven-tenths full
Add 2 teaspoons of tea for teacup/gaiwan (125ML), 4 teaspoons for glass (250ML) and 8 teaspoons for teapot (500ML)
Infuse tea for around 1 minute for the first brew, if using gaiwan gongfu, the first brew can be around 45s, the second time is around 1 min, then gradually increase steeping time for subsequent brewing
Drink until 1/3 of the tea is left before refilling
Repeat a total of 3 times – different aromas will be released with each brew
Gradually increase steeping time for subsequent brews.

Bottom-Drop Method:

Warm the teaware with hot water. Discard the water afterward
Add 2 teaspoons of tea for teacup/gaiwan (125ML), 4 teaspoons for glass (250ML) and 8 teaspoons for teapot (500ML)
Pour hot water (80°C) into the teaware until it is one-third full
Tilt the glass cup, slowly rotating it two times (this is to ensure a better infusion)
Pour hot water (80°C) into the teaware until it is seven-tenths full
Infuse tea for around 1 minute, if using gaiwan gongfu, the first brew can be around 45s, the second time is around 1 min, then gradually increase steeping time for subsequent brewing
Drink until 1/3 of the tea is left before refilling
Repeat a total of 2-3 times
Gradually increase steeping time for subsequent brews.

Origin

Biluochun green tea is grown in the mountains of West and East Dongting in Suzhou, Jiangsu. The climate there, affected by Taihu Lake, is mild and humid. Combined with the loose soil texture, this makes the Dongting area quite suitable for tea cultivation.

Tea trees and fruit trees such as loquat, orange and red bayberry trees are interplanted, which gives the tea a natural floral and fruity aroma.

Origin: Jiangsu

Picking & Production

Ingredients: Our Biluochun is made using a bud with single leaf; only the most delicate are picked.

Picking Time: Picking begins around the Spring Equinox ((Mar.20^th, 21^th, 22^th) and ends around the Grain Rain (Apr.19th, 20th, or 21th). Tea made from the leaves picked between the Spring Equinox (Mar.20^th, 21^th, 22^th) and Pure Brightness （Apr.4th, 5th, or 6th）is called ‘Mingqian tea’, which is considered to have the best quality and is sold at the highest price on the market.

8 reviews for Dongting Mountains Pi Lo Chun (Bi Luo Chun) 2023

Rated 5 out of 5
slin7424 – 08/03/2023
Amazing tea, reminds me what authentic Chinese green tea taste like.
It’s light and such a joy to drink.
Rated 5 out of 5
Brayden – 12/04/2021
This tea has a really authentic flavour, easy to see why it’s so popular
Rated 5 out of 5
Zoe – 07/03/2021
It’s easy to see why this is such a favourite of tea drinkers worldwide. I keep this on the shelf always. It’s my go-to green tea.
Rated 4 out of 5
Mingmei Z. – 20/01/2021
Beautiful tea that reminds me of home. It has a very authentic flavour.
Rated 5 out of 5
Madeleine B. – 03/11/2020
An absolute stand out tea for me, one to sip and savour. Unpretentious but complex, this is lovely when you really feel like a dose of positivity and freshness.
Rated 5 out of 5
nickyzhang24 – 16/09/2020
清甜可口，香气浓郁，很好喝。
Rated 5 out of 5
angjiancong – 07/07/2020
This tea has a really mild yet rich flavour, with a sweet aftertaste, even after three brews in a teapot! The leaves are also fresh and fragrant – good value for money.
Rated 5 out of 5
Charlotte L. – 12/12/2019
Product improvement is something that I believe is a continuous process that goes along as the brand develops. As such, they are developing day by day. I am a huge fan of your teas and tried your multiple teas.
I’m loving it.