2026 First Prize Shui Xian （一等奖水仙）
Tea Profile
Type: Wuyi Yancha (Rock Tea)
Location: Shui Lian Dong 水帘洞, Wuyishan National Park, Fujian, China
Growing Area: Zhengyan, Wuyishan core rock tea area
Harvest Date: May 2026
Cultivar: Shui Xian 水仙
Age of Tea Bushes: Approx. 40–50 years
Roasting Level: Medium-light roast 中轻火, roasted twice
Award: First Prize, 2026 Wuyishan Spring Tea Competition
The Story of This Tea
Every year, we begin processing Wuyi Rock Tea at the end of April, with production continuing until around the middle to the end of May. In mid-July, the Wuyishan Tea Bureau holds its annual Spring Tea Competition, bringing together newly produced teas from the season for professional evaluation.
This 2026 Shui Xian from Shui Lian Dong was awarded First Prize in this year’s Spring Tea Competition.
Of course, winning First Prize does not mean that a tea is somehow “magical.” Rather, the award recognises a tea made to a very high standard of craftsmanship from raw material of equally high quality. For us, what matters most is still what can be found in the cup.
Personally, I think this is a very good Shui Xian. The floral aroma is particularly pronounced, while the tea liquor is clear, rich and substantial. It has excellent depth and remains persistent through many infusions. It is the kind of tea where, as soon as you open the lid after brewing, you can immediately tell that you are drinking something of exceptional quality.
The tea comes from approximately 40–50-year-old Shui Xian bushes growing at Shui Lian Dong in Wuyishan’s Zhengyan core area. It has currently received two roastings, resulting in a medium-light roast that preserves the cultivar’s vivid floral character while giving the liquor enough depth, structure and maturity.
If you would like to understand what a high-quality, floral-style Shui Xian can taste and feel like, this is one we highly recommend experiencing.
Aroma and Flavour
This Shui Xian demonstrates why the cultivar has become one of the benchmarks of Wuyi Rock Tea. From the first infusion, it releases layers of floral sweetness, with orchid and magnolia rising clearly from the cup. Honeyed sweetness and lightly toasted wood sit underneath the flowers, while the liquor carries the mineral depth and structure of its Zhengyan origin.
The floral character fills the mouth rather than remaining only in the aroma. The liquor is clear yet substantial, silky in texture and full-bodied without any green sharpness. Through successive infusions, the fragrance remains persistent, gradually revealing a deeper mineral sweetness and the lingering rock charm known as yanyun 岩韵.
- Aroma: Rich orchid, magnolia, honey and toasted wood
- Flavour: Floral and sweet, with smooth minerality, full body and no green sharpness
- Texture: Silky, rounded, rich and satisfyingly substantial
- Aftertaste: Lingering orchid fragrance, clean mineral sweetness and persistent yanyun 岩韵
- Steeping Endurance: 10–12 infusions with strong persistence through the session
Brewing Guidelines
Gong Fu Style
- Teaware: Zhuni 朱泥 or Hongni 红泥 Yixing teapot, or porcelain gaiwan
- Ratio: 6–7 g per 100 ml water
- Water: 95–100 °C, ideally soft spring water
- Infusions: Quick rinse; begin with 5–8 seconds for the first three infusions and gradually extend from the fourth infusion onwards
Western Style
- Teaware: Porcelain or glass teapot
- Ratio: 3–4 g per 250 ml water
- Water: Around 95 °C
- Steeping: 2–3 minutes for the first infusion; resteep 2–3 times, adding approximately 30 seconds each time
Why Choose This Tea
This 2026 Shui Lian Dong Shui Xian has been recognised by a professional panel of tea experts, receiving First Prize in the Wuyishan Spring Tea Competition. The award reflects the combination of high-quality raw material and highly accomplished processing, but the tea’s character in the cup remains the most important reason to experience it.
Floral, mineral, rich and remarkably persistent, it captures the classic balance of a high-quality Zhengyan Shui Xian. The medium-light roast allows its orchid and magnolia fragrance to remain vivid, while the approximately 40–50-year-old bushes provide a substantial liquor with depth, sweetness and enduring rock character.
For anyone wishing to understand the essence of a high-quality floral Shui Xian, this tea offers an excellent reference point. Try it alongside our Wu Sandi High Mountain Shui Xian to explore two very different expressions of the same cultivar: the deep rock rhyme of Zhengyan yanyun 岩韵 and the lifted high-mountain character known as gaoshan yun 高山韵.