ValleyGreenTea

Gu Shu Dianhong-Yunan Chinese Black Tea

$25.00 AUD

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50g

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Gu Shu Dian Hong — Ancient Tree Yunnan Black Tea

Also known as: Gu Shu Dian Hong, Ancient Tree Black Tea, Ancient Tree Dian Hong, 古树滇红

This is not only Dian Hong. This is Gu Shu Dian Hong.

Gu Shu means "ancient tree", and that's exactly what it is:

Yunnan black tea from old-growth trees, some centuries old, their roots reaching deep into the mountain soil. Not the everyday stuff from young garden bushes, but the real, rare, ancient-tree kind. And you can taste every one of those years in the cup.

What Does "Ancient Tree" Really Mean?

Most tea comes from neat rows of waist-high bushes, five to twenty years old, clipped for easy picking. Gu Shu is a different world.

These are proper trees — decades to centuries old, growing wild and tall in Yunnan's high mountains, left to dig deep and take their time. Fewer leaves, harder to harvest, far rarer. But that slow, deep-rooted life is exactly what pours so much character into the leaf.

To give you a sense of just how old these trees can get — this is one of the oldest known tea trees in Yunnan, thought to be around 3,200 years old:

(No, our tea doesn't come from this particular giant — but it's a beautiful picture of what "ancient tree" really means.)

Why Gu Shu Tastes Different

Put an ancient-tree black tea next to an everyday one and the difference is unmistakable.

Ordinary Dian Hong is lovely — bold, sweet, richly coloured.

But Gu Shu Dian Hong goes somewhere deeper. There's a wild, "mountain-air" quality to it, a layered sweetness of honey and baked sweet potato, and a smooth, thick, almost silky body. The finish is long and sweet, the kind that keeps unfolding after you've swallowed. And it lasts — these deep-rooted leaves give steep after steep, long after an everyday tea would fade.

Where Dian Hong Sits in the World of Chinese Black Tea

Four of our most-loved Chinese black teas — see the difference in the cup:

Modern varieties recently created, and much loved

Variety	Origin	Aroma	Taste	Our teas
Jin Jun Mei Golden Eyebrow · 2005	Wu-Yi, Fujian	Delicate honey and fruit, like lychee and longan	Refined, full and smooth; golden cup	Jin Jun Mei
Ying Hong No.9 bred 1988	Guangdong	Rich, high and fragrant	Mellow and smooth, low astringency; deep red	Ying Hong No.9

Traditional classics

Variety	Origin	Aroma	Taste	Our teas
Lapsang Souchong the original black tea	Wu-Yi, Fujian	Smoky pinewood, flower and date	Bold, warming, longan-sweet; deep amber	Smoked · Unsmoked
Keemun world's top three	Anhui	Orchid and rose "Keemun fragrance"	Silky, gently sweet; bright red	Keemun
This tea Dian Hong Yunnan red, golden-tipped	Yunnan	Honey, ripe fruit	Full, smooth, honey-sweet; orange-red	Yunnan Golden Snail · Gu Shu Dian Hong (this tea)

The Perfect Match: A Yixing Zisha Teapot

A tea this deep and characterful belongs in a Yixing Zisha teapot.

The unglazed clay holds the heat and rounds out all that honey-sweet, wild-mountain depth — a fuller, mellower cup than porcelain can give. For a special tea like Gu Shu, it's worth doing properly.

Brew this Gu Shu Dian Hong the right way

— check out our professional Brewing Guide, Storage Care and The Origins below 👇

🍵 Brewing Guide

How to Brew Gu Shu Dian Hong

Gu Shu Dian Hong is a deep, full-bodied ancient-tree black tea — it loves heat, and rewards you with steep after steep.

The Vessel: Zisha Pot, Gaiwan or Glass?

Our Recommendation: a Yixing Zisha teapot. Unglazed clay is the classic match for a rich ancient-tree black — it holds the heat and rounds out the honey-sweet, wild-mountain depth.
The Gaiwan: the traditional all-rounder, with close control over the pour.
The Glass Tea Infuser: all glass, so you can admire that "red leaf, gold soup".

Follow this ritual for the perfect cup:

Temperature: 95–100°C. Ancient-tree leaf can take near-boiling water — it draws out the full, sweet depth.
Leaf to water: about 5g to 110ml.
Step 1 – Warm the Vessel: Rinse with hot water and discard.
Step 2 – The Inhale: Add the leaves, shake gently, and breathe in the honey and wild-mountain aroma.
Step 3 – The Awakening: A quick 1-second rinse to wake the leaves, then pour off.
Step 4 – The Infusion: Pour gently down the inner wall. Do not pour directly on tea leaves.
Step 5 – Timing:

1st and 2nd brews: 2-3 seconds — quick pours keep it smooth and sweet.
Each brew after: add about 3-5 seconds. Ancient-tree leaf is wonderfully long-lasting — good for many steeps, and you can simmer the leaves for one last rich cup.

Master's Tip: Don't throw the leaves out too soon — Gu Shu keeps giving long after an everyday tea would fade, and a final simmer is pure comfort in a cup.

📦 Storage & Care

Storage Care for Gu Shu Dian Hong

Gu Shu Dian Hong keeps well and is easy to look after.

Room temperature is best. Keep it somewhere cool, dry and dark. No need to refrigerate.
Keep it sealed. Store it airtight, away from air and moisture, to hold its rich aroma. A Tea Bag Sealer is handy for resealing between sessions.
Away from light and smells. An opaque tin or sealed jar protects it best. Keep it clear of coffee, spices and anything strongly scented.

🌿 The Origins

The Origins of Gu Shu Dian Hong

Home — Yunnan: Grown in the high mountains of Yunnan, south-west China — big-leaf, ancient-tree country, and the birthplace of Dian Hong ("Yunnan red").
The Trees — Gu Shu (Ancient Tree): Made from old-growth tea trees, far older than the young garden bushes behind everyday tea. Their deep roots and slow, wild growth give the leaf its rich, layered, wild-mountain character.
The Craft — Yunnan Black: Made in the Dian Hong style — withered, rolled, fully oxidised and dried — letting the ancient-tree leaf show its honey-sweet depth and "red leaf, gold soup".
VGT Sourcing: For 18 years, Valley Green Tea has been a trusted place to buy authentic loose leaf Chinese tea online in Australia. We buy new-season stock and air-freight it fresh to Sydney. Explore the rest of our black tea collection.

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