This oolong is typically close to a green tea, with only a little oxidation. Consequently, it has a very flowery, delicate aroma without the green tea "grassiness" or astringency.

Other spellings and names include Ti Kuan Yin, Tit Kwun Yum, Ti Kwan Yin, Tie Guan Yin, Iron Buddha, Iron Goddess of Mercy, Iron Avalokiteśvara, and Tea of the Iron Bodhisattva, which is probably the closest English translation.

Legends

There are two legends behind this tea: Wei and Wang.

Wei legend

Deep in the heart of Fujian's Anxi County, there was a rundown temple which held an iron statue of Guan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Every day on the walk to his tea fields, a poor farmer named Mr. Wei would pass by and reflect on the temple's worsening condition. “Something has to be done,” thought Mr. Wei.

Being poor, he did not have the means to repair the temple. Instead, the farmer brought a broom and some incense from his home. He swept the temple clean and lit the incense as an offering to Guan Yin. "It's the least I can do," he thought to himself. Twice a month for many months, he repeated the same tasks.

One night, Guan Yin appeared to him in a dream. She told him of a cave behind the temple where treasure awaited. He was to take the treasure and share it with others. In the cave, the farmer found a single tea shoot. He planted it in his field and nurtured it into a large bush, from which the finest tea was produced. He gave cuttings of this rare plant to all his neighbors and began selling the tea under the name Tie Guan Yin, Iron Bodhisattva of Compassion.

Over time, Mr. Wei and all his neighbors prospered. The rundown temple of Guan Yin was repaired and became a beacon for the region. And Mr. Wei took joy in the daily trip to his tea fields, never failing to stop in appreciation of the beautiful temple.

Wang legend

Wang was a scholar who accidentally discovered the tea plant beneath the Guanyin rock in Xiping. He brought the plant back home for cultivation. When he visited Emperor Qianlong in the 6th year of his reign, he offered the tea as a gift from his native village. Emperor Qianlong was so impressed that he inquired about its origin. Since the tea was discovered beneath the Guanyin Rock, he decided to call it the Guanyin tea.

Varieties

By roasting level:

• Jade Tie Guan Yin (lightly roasted Tie Guan Yin) is a newer type of Tie Guan Yin and has a light green Jade color. It produces a very flowery aroma and taste. It is more similar to green tea than Oolong.
• Heavily Roasted Tie Guan Yin is traditional Tie Guan Yin. It has more complex taste and aroma but is less floral.
• Moderately Roasted Tie Guan Yin is a new breed that has a good balance of floral aroma and complex taste.

By harvest time:

• Spring Tie Guan Yin is harvested around Li Xia (Start of Summer) and has the best overall quality.
• Autumn Tie Guan Yin is harvested in the autumn and has strong aroma but less complex taste.
• Summer Tie Guan Yin is harvested in summer and is considered lower quality. Summer Tie Guan Yin can be further divided into two types one harvested in June to July, one harvested in August.
• Winter Tie Guan Yin is harvested in winter. Production of Winter Tie Guan Yin is very low.

Other categories:

• Guan Yin Wang (Guan Yin "King") is the best of Jade Tie Guan Yin and Autumn Tie Guan Yin.

How Tie Guan Yin tea is processed

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The processing of Tie Guan Yin tea (TGY) is complex and requires expertise. Even if the tea leaf is of high raw quality, and is plucked at the ideal time, if it is not processed correctly its true character will not be shown. This is why the method of processing Tie Guan Yin Tea was kept a secret.

1. plucking TGY tea leaves.(cai qing)
2. sun-dried withering. (shai qing)
3. cooling. (liang qing)
4. tossing. (yao qing)
5. air-conditional withering. (wei diao)
6. stop oxidation. (sha qing)
7. curling. (rou nian)
8. drying. (hong gan)

Drying of the tea leaves is done for storage purposes.