# Ding Gu Da Fang (頂谷大方)

*Dǐng Gǔ Dà Fāng · Green · Wood*

**archetype:** The monk who flattened the leaf

A flat leaf like a blade: roasted chestnut, warm wood, the straight honesty of the mountains.

## History

Ding Gu Da Fang — the 'great square from the upper valley' — is a flat green tea from She County. In texture it is close to Long Jing, but it appeared earlier: 'da fang' (flat roasting) is considered one of the ancestors of the flat style. The leaf is picked in spring and flattened by hand on a hot iron wok until it becomes flat, even, with a faint oily sheen. 'Ding gu' is the highest grade, leaf from the tops of the valley. In China Da Fang has long been known as a 'tea for lightness of the body'.

> Legend says that in the Ming dynasty on Mount Songluo there lived a monk named Da Fang. He made tea so that the leaf came out flat, like a cloth smoothed by the palm — and from it rose the aroma of roasted chestnut. People came from afar for his tea, and the method was named after him. They say the monk taught: 'Smooth the leaf — and the mind will be smoothed.' Da Fang's flat leaf has been that quiet science ever since: to remove the extra crease.

## Terroir

300–700 m. weathered granite and shale, a drained slope. dense mists, cool nights, mild spring. The benchmark Da Fang is 'Laozhu Da Fang' from Mount Laozhuling, where the monk Da Fang, by legend, invented the flat roasting.

## Leaf

- **dry leaf:** flat straight dark-green leaves like swords, a little longer than Long Jing's; they smell of roasted chestnut and warm wood
- **warmed:** warmed — roasted chestnut, warm wood, a light grassy note
- **after pour:** after the infusion — chestnut, boiled pod, warm wood
- **taste:** roasted chestnut, warm wood, straight greens, a light sweetness at the end
- **finish:** even, clean, with nutty warmth and a fine returning sweetness

## Properties

- **TCM:** cool, yin; clears heat, descends the risen yang, aids digestion
- **Modern:** rich in catechins; lifts gently and evenly, traditionally valued for 'lightness of the body'
- **Cha qi:** even, calm, slightly grounding; felt like 'straightened shoulders'
- **Caffeine:** moderate (30–45 mg)

## Brewing ritual

a 150 ml gaiwan or a tall glass; 82 °C, soft; 4 g / 150 ml. 30s — first warmth: roasted chestnut, warm wood; 45s — the peak: chestnut, boiled pod, straight greens; 70s — a long nutty echo, returning sweetness.

## When to drink

morning and the first half of the day. spring. for the start of the day, before simple clear work, when you need to straighten the mind. chestnut, steamed rice, light vegetables, baked sweet potato. a quiet morning alone; calm work at the desk

## Tea meditation

1. A flat leaf is a crease put away.
2. Smooth your breath the way the monk smoothed the leaf.
3. Nothing extra: chestnut, wood, straight greens.
4. Straightness, too, is a form of peace.

## Questions and answers

### How do you brew Ding Gu Da Fang?

a 150 ml gaiwan or a tall glass; 82 °C, soft; 4 g / 150 ml. 30s — first warmth: roasted chestnut, warm wood; 45s — the peak: chestnut, boiled pod, straight greens; 70s — a long nutty echo, returning sweetness.

### What does Ding Gu Da Fang taste like?

roasted chestnut, warm wood, straight greens, a light sweetness at the end

### How much caffeine is in Ding Gu Da Fang?

moderate (30–45 mg)

### What are the effects of Ding Gu Da Fang?

rich in catechins; lifts gently and evenly, traditionally valued for 'lightness of the body'

## Related teas

- [Long Jing](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/long-jing)
- [Lu'an Gua Pian](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/lu-an-gua-pian)
- [Huangshan Mao Feng](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/huang-shan-mao-feng)
- [Green](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/class/green)