After four seasons of nourishment and refinement through traditional craftsmanship, Tongxinshe Teahouse's 2025 flagship products — Wuyi Rock Tea (core production area) Niulan Keng Cassia Bark Tea Bricks and Matouyan Cassia Bark Tea Bricks — have officially been completed. Now available in limited quantities, they invite you to savor the blended flavor of Danxia landform's rocky charm and the thousand-year history of compressed tea.
The creation of these two types of tea bricks originates from Wuyi Mountain's irreplaceable natural endowments. Boasting a typical Danxia landform and a warm, humid climate, the mountain's soil — composed of volcanic gravel, red sandstone, and shale — is covered with a thick humus layer. This enriches the tea trees with abundant organic matter, ultimately nurturing the unique "rock texture and floral aroma" characteristic of Wuyi Rock Tea. Niulan Keng Cassia Bark Tea takes root in the secluded valley, nourished by mountain moisture, offering a robust and mellow rocky charm; Matouyan Cassia Bark Tea grows on high-altitude rocky cliffs, bathed in ample sunlight, exuding a rich and lively floral fragrance. Each carries the distinct terroir imprint of its core production area.
In terms of tea-making craftsmanship, we adhere to tradition and uphold dedication: premium cassia bark tea leaves from the two production areas are carefully selected, processed through traditional charcoal roasting, and then the coarse yellow tea leaves and tea dust sifted out during the charcoal roasting process are used to meticulously make tea bricks via compression technology. This process not only makes the tea leaves denser but also enhances the fragrance, making it richer and longer-lasting. With a compact specification of 10 grams per brick, after rinsing, you can either steep it for a short while or break off a piece directly for brewing, easily releasing its mellow flavor. When brewed for the 6th or 7th time, the tea soup stabilizes, presenting a bright orange-yellow hue; if boiled, it turns into a bright orange-red color. With a mellow and smooth taste, the rocky charm strikes directly at the taste buds, leaving a long-lasting aftertaste.
It is worth mentioning that these two tea bricks are also an inheritance and continuation of Wuyi Rock Tea's compressed tea culture. The compressed form of Wuyi Rock Tea can be traced back to the "Dragon-Phoenix Cake Tea" in the Song Dynasty — at that time, Wuyi Mountain tea was already the core of tribute tea. The line "Ding and Cai successively caged them up" from Su Shi's poem records the history of Ding Wei and Cai Xiang supervising the production of Dragon-Phoenix Cake tribute tea. Back then, only ten cakes of such tribute tea were made, highlighting the rarity of compressed tea. The birth of modern compressed Wuyi Rock Tea originated from the innovation of Mr. Chen Dehua, known as the "Father of Dahongpao," between 1996 and 1997. Today, following in the footsteps of predecessors, we revitalize cassia bark tea from core production areas in the form of tea bricks. Amidst the current market where 99% of Wuyi Rock Tea circulates as loose tea, this "1%" becomes even more unique and precious.
Tongxinshe's 2025 cassia bark tea bricks from Wuyi's core production areas are not only a condensation of terroir but also a integration of craftsmanship and history. Both Niulan Keng and Matouyan tea bricks are available in limited quantities. Each brick carries the legacy and craftsmanship of Wuyi Rock Tea, waiting for tea connoisseurs to appreciate.