Ban Tian Yao
Regular price
$18.00
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re a beginner, we definitely recommend our Go-to Tea Sampler Box. It includes 8 different types of high-quality teas, allowing you to discover your favorite tea in the most affordable way.
For finest taste, tea should be stored in a place that is cool and dry.
Rock tea is best enjoyed within a 3-year period.
Black tea is best enjoyed within a 2-year period.
Green tea and Oolong tea are best enjoyed within a 2-year period.
White tea is an exception. Its internal compounds evolve over time, enhancing its fragrance and creating a deeper, mellower taste. Therefore, it does not have a specific optimal drinking period.
All packages are shipped from China. Please kindly note that our teas are prepared at our warehouse in Fujian, which usually takes no more than 72 hours. Once ready, package will be sent to an international shipping company in Shenzhen, then shipped to the destination country. International shipping typically takes 14-21 days.
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What are the “roots” of Rooteas?
Family-made
Our teas all come from tea-making families. Some are made by our own family, and others are crafted by families we've known and trusted for years. Not from an unknown source, but from real people and family producers whose craft we trust and have seen in person.
Single-origin
It means you can actually taste where the tea comes from. It stays true to its own place, so the local soil, rocks, and climate all come through in the cup. With Wuyi rock oolong, you get that clear rock rhythm (Yan Yun) and a deep, lingering fragrance that only those rocky slopes can give. When you drink it, you're not just having a cup of tea, you're getting a small snapshot of that landscape.
Transparency
We like to keep things honest and simple. When we share a tea, we share all the detailed information too, so you always know what you're drinking. We'd love to be the trusted tea partner you can turn to.
- Name: Ban Tian Yao (“Halfway to the Sky”)
- Chinese Name & Pinyin: 半天腰 bàn tiān yāo
- Type: Wuyi Rock Oolong
- Origin: Wuyishan, Fujian
- Harvest Time: Spring, 2025
- Roast Level: Medium fire ("zhōng huǒ", "中火")
Click to learn more about our roast levels
- Producer: Xiao Family
- Tasting note: Ripe fruit notes, Floral notes, Toasted caramel
This Ban Tian Yao has a lifted aroma that comes forward quickly once water hits the leaves. Ripe fruit, nuts, and florals come together in a layered, expressive fragrance that feels vivid without being too sharp. The liquor is full and balanced, with a fruit note that lingers gently after drinking. A good fit for drinkers who enjoy expressive aroma, a balanced and full-bodied cup.
The Legend of Ban Tian Yao
The name Ban Tian Yao has a mysterious origin, which is said to have happened during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty (1403–1424).
According to legend, an abbot of the Yongle Chan Temple at Tianxin Temple once dreamed that there was a pure white hawk in front of him. This hawk carried a radiant gem in its beak in its mouth, and was being chased by a giant eagle. At that time, the hawk flew to the cliff of Sanhua Peak, on the mountain cliff, holding the gem in his beak, but halfway through he was exhausted and dropped the gem on the mountain cliff.
Believing that it might be a divine revelation, he ordered a young monk to go up the mountain and look for the trace. With the help of a rope, he finally reached the steep cliff of the mid-mountain. He did not find any jewels, but in a crack of the cliff, there was a green tea seed, which had germinated and was sprouting delicate roots.
He carefully picked it up and brought it back to the monastery. The abbot cherished it by hand. After the tea seedling grew to one foot, the monk brought it back to the same mountain, and planted it at the location where the green seed was picked. He planted it at the mountain cliff, because he thought that since the green tea seed was a gift from the hawk, it was destined to be at this place. It was an ancient place in the sky, between the earth and the heavens.
Since the pronunciation of the character “hawk” (鹞) and the pronunciation of the character “waist” (腰) are the same in Chinese, the name was later mistakenly written, and the name was spread as “Ban Tian Yao” (半天腰), which means “Halfway to the Sky”.
Tea: 8g
Gaiwan: 110–150ml
Water Temperature: 100°C / 212°F
(When possible, use spring water, purified water, or good-quality mineral water. Avoid using very hard water)
Use flash steeping (pour out the tea in about 3s). Do not oversteep. As the flavor begins to fade, extend each infusion by 5–10s as needed.
Note: Be sure to pour out the tea soup completely after each infusion. Do not let it sit in the gaiwan.
(Adjust the tea amount and steeping time to suit your own taste.)
