At a glance
This entry preserves the Chinese edition’s Haimagong yellow-tea account from Guizhou. It is a regional legacy description, not confirmation that every current tea with a similar Haima name uses the same process or comes from the same present-day administrative area. Check the actual packet with its maker.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 海马宫茶 |
| Tea family | Yellow tea |
| Associated origin | Bijie/Dafang area, Guizhou, as described in the inherited entry |
| Leaf form | Tightly curled, downy bud-and-leaf material in the legacy profile |
Taste and appearance
The inherited profile describes tightly curled leaves with visible hairs, a clean, high aroma and a mellow cup with a sweet aftertaste. Its prose describes yellow-green liquor and tender yellow leaves, while the old table ranges through yellow to deeper yellow. These remain attributed descriptions rather than TeaPlain tasting results or a standard for a current product.
The original liquor photograph is withheld because identical pixels were assigned to another tea name. Its named identity could not be confirmed; the original file is preserved.
The cover is the original dry-leaf illustration. These images are not TeaPlain tasting samples or proof of origin, grade, age, authenticity or image rights clearance.
Grade characteristics
This preserves the earlier Chinese edition’s sensory comparison. It is not a complete verified current standard table and does not grade your packet. Plant material, growing area, processing and grade are separate details. Decorative star rankings are omitted.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare the grades.
| Feature | Extra grade | Grade 1 | Grade 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry-leaf shape | Tightly curled, visible hairs | Tightly curled, visible hairs | Tightly curled, visible hairs |
| Dry-leaf colour | Lustrous yellow | Lustrous yellow | Reasonably lustrous yellow |
| Liquor | Clear yellow and bright | Yellow and bright | Deep yellow, reasonably bright |
| Aroma | Rich, high, long and lasting | Fairly high and clean | Reasonably high and clean |
| Taste | Full and mellow, returning sweetness | Full and mellow, returning sweetness | Fairly full and mellow |
| Infused leaves | Tender yellow, even and bright | Fairly tender yellow and bright | Brown-yellow and bright |
These are the old comparison columns, not independently obtained current Haimagong grade clauses or a grading service for your packet.
Names and origin
The old text names the foot of Laoying rock and Haimagong in the Bijie/Dafang area. Exact present micro-locality and the asserted Qianlong-era founding have not been independently established here. Modern Bijie yellow-tea products with Haima wording do not by themselves prove they are identical to this older Haimagong account. No new origin certificate or official grade standard is claimed.
Everyday benefits
Brewed without added sugar, this is an ordinary tea drink that can be an alternative to sweetened drinks and contribute to fluid intake. It contains caffeine. These everyday properties do not establish that this named tea treats disease, lowers blood sugar or improves sleep. No TeaPlain clinical or brewing test is claimed here.
Who may enjoy this tea
Use this as a reference when trying to identify an older Haimagong name. Before buying an unfamiliar current product, establish what is in the packet and obtain its own preparation directions.
When to take care
- Caffeine sensitivity or sleep problems: consider your total intake and timing if tea affects your sleep. A pale infusion is not a caffeine-free claim.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding or medicines: ask a clinician or pharmacist about your actual product, caffeine intake and relevant medicine instructions.
- Iron supplements: follow the medicine’s instructions about separating tea from the dose. Do not use tea as treatment for anaemia.
These are product and individual considerations, not a blanket ban based on traditional “hot” or “cold” labels, age, sex or a constitution category.
How to brew
Original prose: heat-safe glass
The earlier method uses a heat-safe glass, 1:50 tea-to-water ratio and 85–90°C / 185–194°F water. It says to refill when about one-third of the liquid remains, and describes roughly three infusions/refills. It supplies no first steeping time. Keep the retained illustration’s method separate below.
| Detail | Original prose with an explicit ratio example |
|---|---|
| Tea | 3 g Haimagong Tea as an editorial arithmetic example |
| Actual water | 150 mL / about 5.1 US fl oz, measured water; 3 g at 1:50 |
| Vessel | Heat-safe glass with room for the leaves and actual water |
| Water temperature | 85–90°C / 185–194°F |
| First drinking infusion | No first steeping time recorded in the prose; follow a complete packet method |
| Refill | At about one-third liquid remaining; refilling is different from a full fresh measured batch |
These inherited directions and explicit ratio examples are awaiting hands-on testing. Nominal vessel capacity and a drawn fill fraction do not measure actual water. Three repeat cups is not a guarantee of equal strength. If leaves remain in the glass, extraction continues; transfer or strain if the cup becomes too strong. Let the drink cool enough to sip.
Read the original illustration separately
The retained drawing uses 5 g, 1:50 and 85°C / 185°F water. That ratio calculates to 250 mL actual water, although the one-third first fill and seven-tenths final fill do not measure it. Gently swirl between fills and wait 2–3 minutes, then refill at one-third. This is a legacy illustrated preparation, not a verified recipe for every modern similarly named tea.
For ordinary teaware options, see brew without a gaiwan. Keep each complete method together instead of selecting temperature, dose and time from different preparations.
Adjust your cup
| What you notice | One change to try |
|---|---|
| Too strong, bitter or drying | Separate the liquid from the leaves; shorten contact time or use less tea next time |
| Weak or watery | Keep the measured water fixed and try a longer infusion before changing the leaf dose |
| Later infusions become stronger | Check whether liquid was left sitting with the leaves |
| Different from a flavour description | Compare the actual product and method; a description is not a promise for every cup |
Change one variable at a time. For a fuller sequence, see fix a disappointing first cup.
How to buy
Ask the maker to identify the exact product, growing area and process. Current standard, historical founding and equivalence with similarly named modern products remain evidence gaps. Do not pay for a historical or medical claim solely on this inherited description.
See buy your first Chinese tea for packet comparisons.
China price reference
Undated figures retained from the Chinese edition, in Chinese yuan (CNY). No original brand, batch, harvest or quotation date was recorded. These are not verified current retail quotes, a market average or manufacturer-suggested retail prices.
| Chinese-edition tier | CNY per 500 g (one jin) | Equivalent CNY per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Extra grade | 580 | 116 |
| Grade 1 | 350 | 70 |
| Grade 2 | 250 | 50 |
Per 100 g is an arithmetic conversion, not a quoted packet. Do not infer a missing sensory or price tier. Compare actual growing area, style, harvest, roast, weight and channel. A currency conversion does not make a UK or US retail offer comparable to a China historical figure.
How to store
Original storage method
The original method places yellow tea in a closed foil or kraft pouch, gently removes excess air, then puts the pouch inside a lidded iron or tin container for refrigerated storage, protected from light, moisture and smells. Check that a paper pouch is actually lined and moisture resistant; plain paper alone is not an airtight moisture barrier.
Its general reference was 12 months, with storage below 10°C / 50°F and below 50% relative humidity. It also described a cool, shaded room-temperature option for tea expected to be finished within two months. These are inherited conditions, not a verified expiry or a remaining-life prediction for an opened packet. Follow the actual maker’s label, package and specified conditions first.
In a UK or US kitchen
If following a product’s cold-storage directions, keep the pack sealed against fridge moisture and food smells, and let it warm while still sealed before opening. Keep a working portion away from the hob or stove, dishwasher steam, sunlight and spices; reseal after use. Do not apply a refrigerator recipe to another tea automatically. See storing an opened packet for handling.
Origin, processing and history
The inherited diagram shows fresh leaves, heating, rolling, yellowing and drying. It represents the older yellow-tea description only. The precise current commercial processing and standard boundaries have not been independently established; the image is not evidence for them.
Common questions
Is a modern packet called Haima Huangya necessarily this Haimagong tea?
That equivalence is not established by the similar wording alone. Keep the exact Chinese product name, maker, actual origin, material and processing information. This page preserves the older account while those current product boundaries remain unresolved.
Can I move one number from this recipe into a different vessel?
Keep leaf form, measured dose and actual water, temperature, timing and separation together. Nominal capacity or a fill fraction is not a measured ratio.
Compare Yellow Tea, or browse the yellow tea overview.
Editorial notes and updates
Updated 16 October 2026. Valid original descriptions, sensory comparisons, prose and image methods, storage handling, China price figures and usable pictures are retained with their scope. Doubtful medical, ranking and exact historical claims are revised or omitted. Current full grade clauses and historical prices are not certified. Original Chinese-labelled graphics have English reading notes; no TeaPlain tasting or brewing test is claimed. Internal research and image audits record the decisions.