Fifth generation Shi Jikang

(1928-2015)

Shi Jikang was a tea engineer who served as the head of the technical section of the state-owned Tanyang Tea Factory. During a special period, due to his family background, he was sent to the countryside for labor reform.
At that time, the traditional Chinese black tea making technique was on the verge of being lost. Shi Jikang packed his ancestral "Secret Essentials of Scenting" in fertilizer bags and buried it under the foundation of his old house. Every year after the plum rain season, he would dig it out to dry and prevent moisture. In the winter of 1969, Shi Jikang used an oxcart to hide six boxes of old tools engraved with the words "Fengtailong" in an abandoned kiln on the north slope of Baiyun Mountain.

In 1980, Shi Jikang surrendered 27 sets of tea-making tools, which are now displayed at the Tanyang Gongfu Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum. In 2017, experts discovered a hand-drawn "treasure map" from 1969 and a manual on the secrets of scenting tea among his belongings. Shi Jikang's dedication to preserving these tools ensured the continuation of Gongfu tea culture. (Cultural Heritage Verification)

Sixth generation Shi Liqiang

Shi Liqiang is a representative inheritor of the traditional techniques for making Tanyang Gongfu black tea and an innovator in the tea industry in the 21st century.

Shi Liqiang spent 20 years on this endeavor. He developed a new tea variety, Dayatang Red Rose (Guanxianghong), and was granted the Plant New Variety Rights Certificate (No. CNA20184364.8) by China's Ministry of Agriculture.

The intangible cultural heritage tea products supervised by Shi Liqiang set a record for contemporary black tea at a charity auction held by the Soong Ching Ling Foundation, fetching 450,000 yuan per box. CCTV's "Science and Education Channel" and "Discovery" programs featured the product in special reports.

Crown Fragrance Red and Double Smoking Method – The Oriental Flavor Code Flowing in Our Genes

Six generations have safeguarded the heritage of tea flavor through a double-smoking process (0.8% theaflavins) and the use of the "Crown Fragrance Red" variety (85% purple buds). Royal tribute tea (1887 Golden Jubilee Tea List) and global evidence (a 1908 Singapore tea box) attest to 174 years of cultural depth. From premium prices at London auctions to contemporary sales of 450,000 RMB per box, this tea continues the legacy of Eastern tea culture through traditional charcoal roasting and innovative genetic engineering. [Cultural Heritage Verification]