In the mountainous area of Anxi county, at an altitude of over 800 meters near the settlement of Xiang, lies one of Master Ke’s tea gardens. Here, ideal climatic conditions have developed for cultivating Tieguanyin tea bushes: an optimal average annual temperature of 20°C, dense morning fog alternating with daytime sunshine, and fertile red soils.
Master Ke selected leaves from young 5-year-old bushes, harvested at the end of September, to produce Tieguanyin using the Hua Xiang technique (Chinese for “Floral Aroma”).

Hua Xiangs traditionally combine the roastiness and caramel notes of Nong Xiangs with the freshness of Qing Xiangs. The key stage of production is fermentation, which consists of shaking, rolling, and resting (“calming”) the leaves in alternating, cyclical sequences. The master must stop this process at the right moment to capture the desired “golden mean.”