• Name: Golden Water Turtle - Shui Jin Gui - 水金龟
• Type: Wuyi Rock Oolong Tea, the Four Famous Bushes
• Origin: Wuyi Mountain, Fujian
• Harvest Time: Spring, 2025
• Roast Level: Medium-heavy
• Producer: Xiao Family
• Tasting note: Plum blossoms, Licorice, Woody, Apricot, A hint of cinnamon, Orchid, Rich minerality, Lingering sweet aftertaste

Golden Water Turtle, or Shui Jin Gui, is one of the Four Famous Bushes of Wuyi Rock Tea. This tea carries a long, elegant aroma, clean and uplifting, reminiscent of plum blossoms. The taste is rich, sweet and smooth, with a refreshing finish. The liquor is bright and clear, glowing in shades of orange and yellow.

The Legend of “Golden Water Turtle"

Soon after a torrential rain, a mountain temple monk went out for a walk through the forest. Taking a look around, something caught his attention. On the rock of Langu, the monk saw an area of fresh green tea shoots shining like jade. They glittered in the light, just like an enormous golden turtle squatting by the side of a rain-filled crack in the rock, as if drinking from it.

The monk had been at the temple and practiced there for a long time, knowing every tree and stone around the monastery. To find such a green bush that was clearly not there before, was a very strange and wonderful discovery.

He rested his bamboo staff and slowly walked towards the tea bushes. The closer he got, the more defined the image became. A strange tea tree had been washed down by the storm and took root there during the rainfall.

But unlike other tea trees, this one had branches that spread out in a way that resembled the marking of a turtle’s shell. At close range, the leaves were as textured as turtle scales. When seen from a distance, the thick and shiny green leaves sparkled like jade, and the entire bush looked uncannily similar to a regal golden turtle sitting on the rock.

The monk, in great astonishment and joy, ran back to the temple to report to the abbot. The old abbot, a man of wisdom and understanding of heaven and earth, had a monk immediately beat the drum and ring the bell to assemble everyone in the temple. He declared: “The Jade Emperor in the heaven is bestowing upon us a gift, golden leaves and heavenly branches. Put on your robes! We must go receive this treasure.”

The monks filed after the abbot in a solemn procession, lighting incense and reciting scripture. Together, the group went on a hike to the location near Niulan Keng, where the tea tree had washed ashore. The monks prostrated and made offerings to the divine gift, before building a stone base around the tea bush and assigning a group of monks to guard it in shifts.

Touched by such worship, the “golden turtle” turned tea tree started to grow more and more vigorous each day. Its leaves glowed like emeralds, and in the sunlight, they emitted a golden shimmer, just as the creature it once was.

The tea made from its leaves had a very special fragrance and taste. For this reason, it was named Shui Jin Gui, or “Golden Water Turtle”.