Green Tea Harvest Dates

by Derek Poskin

Mingqian 明前 - tea harvested before April 4th

Yuqian 雨前 - tea harvested between April 4th and April 20th

Guyu 谷雨 - tea harvested between April 20th and May 4th

Lixia 立夏 -  tea harvested between May 4th and May 20th

These dates correspond to an ancient Chinese calendar system (二十四節氣) which divides the year into 24 parts. That said, the dates are rough guidelines. Depending on the weather green tea in certain regions may not be ready to harvest until after April 4th, but the first flush will often still be called Mingqian by farmers, referring not to the date it was harvested but rather to the leaf size and it being the first tea processed in Spring. 

small leaf and one bud, can you guess the harvest date?

A small leaf and one bud, can you guess the harvest date?

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