Junshan Yinzhen Tea: One of the Top Ten Chinese Teas 中国十大名茶：君山银针

君山银针是我国"十大名茶"之一，产于湖南省洞庭湖中的君山岛上，属于黄茶类针形茶，有"金镶玉"之称。君山茶，始于唐代，清代纳入贡茶。旧时曾经用过黄翎毛、白毛尖等名，后来，因为它的茶芽挺直，布满白毫，形似银针而得名"君山银针"。
Known as the "gold inlaid jade" tea, Junshan Yinzhen tea is one of the top ten famous Chinese teas. Picked on Junshan Island of Dongting Lake in Hunan Province, this needle-shaped yellow tea can be dated back to the Tang Dynasty and was once used for tribute in the Qing Dynasty. It was once known as "Yellow tail leathers" (Huang Ling Mao) and "White Mao Jian". It was finally called Junshan Yinzhen (means silver needle) for its straight bud, fully-covered white down, and needle shape.
君山又名洞庭山，岛上土壤肥沃，多为砂质土壤，年平均温度16～17度，年平均降水量为1340毫米，三月至九月间的相对湿度约为80%，气候非常湿润。每当春夏季节，湖水蒸发，云雾弥漫，岛上竹木丛生，生态环境十分适宜茶树的生长。
Also known as Dongting Mountain, Junshan Island boasts fertile sandy soils and a humid climate - the average annual temperature stands at 16-17 degrees, the average annual precipitation is 1,340mm and the relative humidity between March and September is about 80%. In spring and summer times, the island is always veiled by the mist from the lake, creating the perfect environment for tea trees.
君山银针茶于清明前三四天开采，以春茶首轮嫩芽制作，且须选肥壮、多毫、长25～30毫米的嫩芽，经拣选后，以大小匀齐的壮芽制作银针。
The tea is picked three or four days before the QingMing Festival. The tea is seleced from the early spring tea buds. The buds need to be fresh, downy, well-proportioned and 25-30 mm long to be processed.
君山银针的制作工艺非常精湛，需经过杀青、摊凉、复包、足火等八道工序，历时三四天之久。优质的君山银针茶在制作时特别注意杀青、包黄与烘焙的过程。
The exquisite processing of Junshan Yinzhen takes three to four days. It consists of eight steps including wok frying, cooling, second wrapping, baking etc. Special attention needs to be paid to the wok frying, wrapping and baking processes to ensure good quality.
根据芽头的肥壮程度，君山银针可以分为特号、一号、二号三个档次。君山银针的质量超群，风格独特，为黄茶之珍品。它的外形，芽头茁壮、坚实挺直、白毫如羽，芽身金黄发亮，内质毫香鲜嫩。冲泡后，芽竖悬汤中冲升水面，徐徐下沉，再升再沉，三起三落，蔚成趣观，而汤色杏黄明净，叶底肥厚匀亮，滋味甘醇甜爽，久置不变其味。
According to the size of the bud, Junshan Yinzhen is labeled as one of the three levels: special-level, first-level and second-level. This tea is honored as the treasure of yellow teas for its superior quality and special taste. Covered with white down, the yellow tea buds are robust, straight and fragrant. During steeping, the tea buds move vertically, falling and coming up to the surface three times. The tea is apricot-yellow and has a long-lasting fresh taste.