# Qing Zhuan (青磚)

*Qīng Zhuān · Dark / Pu-erh · Water*

**archetype:** Ancient caravan

An ancient caravan along the Silk Road: a rough straight strength, a warm earth, a dense domestic calm.

## History

Qing Zhuan — 'green brick' — a traditional hei cha from Hubei province (Chibei county). Made since the 17th century mainly as an export commodity for Mongolia and Siberia. The leaf is roughly broken up, fermented, pressed into bricks weighing 1.5–2 kg. A simple but honest tea: warm wood, soft earth, a dense 'peasant' profile. With ageing it only grows softer.

> The caravan men who went from Hubei to Mongolia used to say: 'Qing Zhuan is not for guests, but for one's own'. This tea does not try to amaze — it simply warms, like an old kitchen stove. With it the road that has no end is easier to walk. When the caravan man came home, the first thing he did was brew Qing Zhuan. And then it was clear: home is where this taste is known.

## Terroir

200–600 m. weathered slate and red clay. moderate subtropical, warm humid summer. The standard is Chibei Qing Zhuan from the Zhaoli Jian factory. There is also a 'Hei Zhuan' grade — a darker and denser version.

## Leaf

- **dry leaf:** a dense pressed brick of dark-chestnut chopped leaf; in the hand it smells of wood and dry leaf
- **warmed:** the warmed brick — dark wood, dry leaf, a light mushroom, warm earth
- **after pour:** after the rinse — wood, leaf, earth, a fine sweetness
- **taste:** dark wood, dry leaf, a light mushroom, a dense warm base
- **finish:** long, even; the aftertaste — a warm 'travelling' trail

## Properties

- **TCM:** warm; warms the middle, descends qi, helps digestion, disperses damp
- **Modern:** rich in fermentation products; traditionally — for digestion, on a meat-based diet
- **Cha qi:** even, warm, dense; felt as 'a peasant's palm' on the shoulder
- **Caffeine:** low to moderate (20–35 mg)

## Brewing ritual

a 150 ml clay kettle; 100 °C; 6 g / 150 ml. 10s — the first dense sip: wood, leaf; 12s — the peak: warm earth, a domestic calm; 16s — a rough straight strength; 25s — a long warm note; 40s — a late road trail; 60s — the finale — a rest in the dust.

## When to drink

day and evening. autumn and winter. after a long road, for domestic warmth, for the simplicity of the way. bread, cheese, a thick soup, meat dishes, dark porridge. a family lunch; a conversation after a long road

## Tea meditation

1. This tea has walked more kilometres than you.
2. Sit — let it tell.
3. The simplicity of a caravan fire — that is refinement itself.

## Questions and answers

### How do you brew Qing Zhuan?

a 150 ml clay kettle; 100 °C; 6 g / 150 ml. 10s — the first dense sip: wood, leaf; 12s — the peak: warm earth, a domestic calm; 16s — a rough straight strength; 25s — a long warm note; 40s — a late road trail; 60s — the finale — a rest in the dust.

### What does Qing Zhuan taste like?

dark wood, dry leaf, a light mushroom, a dense warm base

### How much caffeine is in Qing Zhuan?

low to moderate (20–35 mg)

### What are the effects of Qing Zhuan?

rich in fermentation products; traditionally — for digestion, on a meat-based diet

## Related teas

- [Fu Cha (Jin Hua)](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/fu-cha)
- [Qian Liang](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/qian-liang)
- [Liu Bao](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/liu-bao)
- [Dark / Pu-erh](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/class/dark)