HAPPY NEW YEAR 2021 - Presenting Old Liu An Tea

 

1970s Liu An Sun Yishun Basket

A Happy New Year 2021 and my best wishes to all. I am appreciative to all who support this humble blog and those who have reached out to me personally. For those who have given me your trust through your acquisitions I take this opportunity to say thank you. It is my great pleasure and excitement to begin 2021 with this rare antique tea. As a tea lover first and foremost it is my hope that this offering will give more tea enthusiasts the chance to share in the experience and the passion that such great teas generate.

Photo Set - 1970s Fuzhuan Brick (People’s Unification Tea)

 

The rise of Chairman Mao Zedong and the early rule of the Communist Party in China is a monumental part of Chinese history. The 1970s forms part of a chaotic and transitional period in China that has always moved me. For me the rough and broken leaves aptly represent the hardship and struggles of the people facing poverty, famine, violence and internal strife within a changing society. The fact that these humble tea leaves have evolved and elevated their status and quality is a message of perseverance and hope. These old leaves impart a feeling of serenity, the beauty of the tea shines brightly through.

Related Links
1970s Fuzhuan Brick (People’s Unification Tea)
Tea Session - 1970s Fuzhuan Brick (People’s Unification Tea)

Opening of the 1970s Liu An Sun Yishun Basket

Opening a rare 1970s Liu An Sun Yishun basket.

Tea Session - 1970s Fuzhuan Brick (People’s Unification Tea)

Making inroads into this hefty 1970s Fu brick (3kg) reveals a higher concentration of Golden Flowers (aka Jin Hua). This mold is responsible for giving Fu tea much of its unique character.

Natural Fermentation w/ 1970s Fuzhuan Brick – Part 2

i) The above photo shows the result of 2 months of fermentation at room temperature. The color of the tea brine has lightened considerably from the first day in mid Nov 2015. ii) To stabilize the batch the jar was refrigerated. The reduced state in the follow up photo shows that I have been actively testing the results for the past month.

1970s Hung Thai Chang

 

Natural Fermentation w/ 1970s Fuzhuan Brick Part 1

 

A new batch of fermentation using tea brewed from the1970s Fuzhuan Brick (People’s Unification Tea)

A Comparative Pictorial of 3 Liu An Teas (from 1950s, 1970s, 2005)

An observation of the shape of the Liu An baskets (left 1950s Sun Yishun, middle 1970s Sun Yishun, right 2005 Liu An).

1970s Fuzhuan Brick (People’s Unification Tea)

Under the reign of Chairman Mao Zedong and the Communist Party private ownership of tea factories became illegal. This hefty 1970s Fuzhuan tea (aka Fu brick tea) from Sichuan Province, Guanxi weighing 3kg represents a united co-operative of the people under a socialist economy. The socialist approach is based on production for use and to satisfy the basic demands and needs of the people for all the people. Unlike capitalism the basis of production is not for profit and therefore not to cater for special groups of consumers with the wealth to make purchases in order to accumulate capital. This tea is symbolic of the belief and idealism at the time and was produced by the people and for the people under the management of the Chinese government.

At the time the new and united nation of “The People’s Republic of China” under Chairman Mao would be marked by rapid changes and grandiose projects that would be pushed by strong idealism. The sense of togetherness and unity that was being projected by the government during this period of time was essential to spread and generate acceptance for government endeavors. The label for this Fuzhuan tea “People’s Unification Tea” represents one of many avenues that would be used by the government to communicate and impact social change and people’s thinking through propaganda.- Note the similar style and design of the tea label to the propaganda posters under Chairman Mao's Era here and here.

Chairman Mao & The Communist Party - A History Recorded by 2 Teas

i) Sailing the seas depends on the helmsman, waging revolution depends on Mao Zedong, ii) 1970s Fu Brick, People’s Unification Tea from the time of Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution, iii) 1950s Liu An Sun Yishun

A part of the allure of old teas is the period of time and history that they represent. Each tea has a story to tell and the 2 old teas that I will be reviewing this month are no different. Both teas come from a time of immense upheaval and unrest that coincides with the rise of Chairman Mao Zedong and the rule of the Communist Party of China. The contrasting qualities of the 2 old teas in many ways mirror the two prominent political parties (Kuomintang, KMT and Communist Party of China, CPC) at the time. The turn of events would cause each to take two very different paths.