Tianyin Tribute Tea (天印贡茶) has been produced in the hills above Zhenyuan for over 1,200 years — the name reflects its former status as an imperial tribute product sent to the court during the Tang dynasty. The tea gardens occupy hillsides above the Wuyang River valley, where the combination of altitude, humidity, and karst soils produces a green tea with a clean, slightly astringent character. It is not well-known outside Guizhou, which is part of its appeal.
The spring harvest in April produces the finest leaves — the earliest picked buds are the most prized. Several tea shops in the old town sell it by weight, and some offer brief tours of nearby gardens during the season. If you are in Zhenyuan outside April, the tea is still available year-round as a processed product, and trying it alongside the town's rice wine in one of the riverside teahouses is a good use of an afternoon.