Fo Shou 佛手 (2016)
Tea Profile
Type: Wuyi Yancha (Rock Oolong)
Location: Da Shui Keng 大水坑, Wuyishan, Fujian Province
Altitude: Around 800 m
Harvest Date: Spring 2016
Cultivar: Buddha’s Hand 佛手
Roasting Level: Triple charcoal roast (no roasting since 2016)
The Story of This Tea
This 2016 Buddha’s Hand tea has travelled a long way with me. I produced it from our family’s large-leaf Buddha’s Hand plants in Da Shui Keng, a cultivar originally introduced from Yongchun and known for its unusually big leaves, said to be “as large as a Buddha’s hand.” The tea was roasted three times in 2016 and then sold to a customer in Beijing, where it remained untouched in a dry warehouse for nearly a decade. In February 2025, I bought the tea back, together with the 2010 Meizhan. This is not a story for marketing. It is simply the truth of how these teas left Wuyi, aged quietly far from home, and returned to me years later.
Between 2011 and 2015, most farmers in Wuyishan cut down their Buddha’s Hand trees in favour of more profitable cultivars like Rougui. For this reason the Buddha’s Hand variety is now rare, and most of what exists today was planted only within the last few years. Our garden in Da Shui Keng still preserves old Buddha’s Hand bushes that many early WuyiOrigin customers have seen during their visits. The tea from 2016 represents a moment in time before the decline of this cultivar, and only 3 kg remain. I prepared it specifically for Black Friday this year. First come, first served.
Aroma and Flavour
After nearly ten years of clean, dry storage in Beijing, the tea expresses a deep, calm fragrance with the gentle warmth of its triple charcoal roast. Buddha’s Hand naturally produces a bright, sweet aroma with a soft citrus–floral edge, and aging has added depth and roundness. The body is smooth and steady, with a clear mineral core that reflects its Da Shui Keng origin. The finish is long, sweet, and lightly cooling, showing the elegance that only time can create.
- Aroma: Soft citrus, floral sweetness, warm charcoal, aged depth
- Flavor: Smooth, rounded, lightly fruity, mineral, gently warming
- Texture: Medium-thick, clean, calm, well-settled
- Aftertaste: Long, sweet, balanced with a light cooling sensation
- Steeping Endurance: 7 to 9 infusions
Brewing Guidelines
Gong Fu Style
- Teaware: Zhuni 朱泥 for aromatic clarity, Zini 紫泥 for deeper sweetness, or porcelain gaiwan for a transparent expression
- Ratio: 6 to 7 g per 100 ml water
- Water: 95 to 100°C low TDS spring water
- Infusions: Quick rinse, then begin with 5 to 7 seconds, lengthening gradually each round
Western Style
- Teaware: Porcelain or glass teapot
- Ratio: 3 to 4 g per 250 ml water
- Water: 95°C
- Steeping: 2 to 3 minutes for the first infusion, resteeping as desired
Why Choose This Tea
This 2016 Buddha’s Hand is not only rare because of its cultivar but because of its journey. Triple-roasted and naturally aged for nearly a decade, it represents a true piece of Wuyi tea history at a time when Buddha’s Hand was disappearing from the mountains. With only 3 kilograms available, this is a special chance to experience the depth, softness, and quiet beauty of a cultivar that has become increasingly scarce in Wuyishan. A tea for collectors and for anyone who loves the character that time brings.