Suzhou Biluochun Tea added to UNESCO list

Traditional tea processing techniques and their associated social practices in China, which includes Suzhou's Biluochun Tea processing techniques, were added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on Nov 29, local media outlets reported.

The status was conferred by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage hosted in Rabat, Morocco. It consists of knowledge, skills and practices concerning the management of tea plantations, picking of tea leaves, and processing, drinking and sharing of tea.

Biluochun, one of the top 10 tea varieties in China, was originally grown in the Dongshan and Xishan areas of Suzhou. When Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-191) toured around Jiangnan (regions south of the Yangtze River), he was fond of Biluochun Tea, praising it for its green leaves and snail-like shape.

The tea was thus named "Biluochun" [bi (碧, green) refers to the color of the leaves; luo (螺, snail) comes from the way the leaves are rolled like snail meat; chun (春, spring) is the best time to taste the tea]. It is said that 500 grams of superfine Biluochun has over 60,000 tender shoots.

Tea trees that produce Biluochun are planted alongside fruit trees so that the tea leaves will have a special fruity aroma. The leaves must be picked before the Qingming Festival, which falls around early April, and then undergo multiple procedures including shaqing (enzyme inactivation), rolling and drying. Processing takes 35 to 40 minutes and is done by tea farmers by hand.

In addition to Biluochun Tea processing techniques, Suzhou is home to another six intangible cultural heritage items inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, namely Kunqu Opera, guqin, Suzhou Dragon Boat Festival traditions, Song brocade, kesi, and Xiangshanbang traditional construction skills.