Master Zhou considers himself truly fortunate to live and work in Qian Jia Zhai. The stunning local nature has created landscapes one can never grow accustomed to and has blessed the region with tea terroirs whose uniqueness and diversity have become an endless source of his inspiration.

For this red tea, he chose purple leaf material from cultivated Zi Juan trees aged 80–100 years. While it is generally believed that this cultivar was developed in the 1980s, that’s not entirely true. The variety had been known long before then, growing naturally in small areas across different parts of Yunnan. It was only in the 1980s that systematic large-scale cultivation began.

The main feature of purple leaf material, whether wild or cultivated, is its high content of anthocyanins — natural pigments that give the leaves their distinctive violet hue. These compounds are also found in beets, blueberries, and red cabbage. Anthocyanins are powerful natural antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties; they help lower blood sugar levels and support cardiovascular health. Beyond the purple color, they also lend tea a characteristic floral aroma, softness, and refined flavor. Master Zhou chose to emphasize the uniqueness of this terroir by using the sun-fixation technique (halting oxidation under the sun). This is how the famous Yunnan sun-dried red teas, known for their smoothness and dynamic flavor, are created.