Tea Harvest Seasons in China: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Pre-Qingming Tea

In China, tea is picked mostly from early spring to late autumn (in some warm regions almost all year), and in many regions there are three or four harvest seasons a year. Spring is the main season, especially for green, white and yellow teas: the most prized green teas are picked before Qingming, a festival on 4–5 April, and sold as "ming qian" (明前, "before Qingming"). Summer and autumn suit red teas (what the West calls black tea) and some oolongs; autumn is a respected second season for pu-erh (called Gu Hua) and a traditional favourite for Tieguanyin's aroma. The season on the label tells you a lot about the taste, so it's worth reading the small print.

Why the season matters#

The season changes what's inside the leaf. In spring, after a winter's rest, young shoots take their time and are rich in amino acids, which taste sweet and savoury. As the weather warms, shoots grow faster and build up more polyphenols (bitterness and astringency) and different aromatics. That's why spring green tea is sweet and delicate, while summer leaf is stronger and better suited to red tea.

The seasons at a glance#

Timing shifts with latitude, altitude and the year's weather, which doesn't read the calendar: in Yunnan the first teas of the year can appear as early as February.

Pre-Qingming and pre-Guyu green tea#

Qingming (清明) is a traditional festival on 4–5 April. Green tea picked before it, "ming qian", comes from the very first shoots of the year: tiny, tender and scarce, so it's the most prized and most expensive. Tea picked after Qingming but before Guyu (谷雨, around 20 April), called "yu qian", is still excellent spring tea with more body; arriving a fortnight later doesn't make it second-rate. In most regions the spring harvest lasts a little over a month, and pickers go over each bush several times.

More in my green tea guide and Longjing.

Season by tea type#

Spring vs autumn tea#

A local Yunnan saying puts it simply: spring tea is bitter, summer tea is astringent, autumn Gu Hua is the most fragrant. In practice, the market ignores the saying and still values spring pu-erh more highly.

"First flush" and Chinese tea#

"First flush" is a term from Indian tea (Darjeeling). "Flush" means a wave of new growth on the bush. It fits Chinese spring tea well, but Chinese labels use season names and festival dates instead: ming qian, yu qian, spring, autumn.

How to read the season on a label#

• Year and season, for example "Spring 2026".
• Ming qian or pre-Qingming for the earliest green tea.
• Yu qian for pre-Guyu green tea.
• Gu Hua for autumn pu-erh.
• No season stated often means a blend of harvests or older stock. Labels rarely keep quiet about a good harvest.

More in how to judge tea quality.

Myths#

"Tea is picked only once a year." Many regions pick three or four times.

"Earlier is always better." Earliest green tea is prized, but some oolongs and red teas are better later in the year.

"Autumn tea is low quality." Autumn Tieguanyin and Gu Hua pu-erh are respected in their own right.

My honest take#

For green tea, pay for spring and drink it fresh. For oolong and pu-erh, try spring and autumn of the same tea side by side. You'll learn more from that pair than from any label.

The bottom line#

Chinese tea is picked from spring to autumn, often three or four times a year. Spring is the main season, with pre-Qingming green tea the most prized; summer suits red tea and bug-bitten oolongs; autumn gives aromatic Tieguanyin and Gu Hua pu-erh. Always check the season and year on the label. More in my Chinese tea guide.