Bai Jiguan's name describes its pale new leaves, not the finished dry tea — and its well-known healing story is folklore, not documented history, regardless of how it's told.
Bai Jiguan (白鸡冠, “White Rooster’s Comb”) is one of Wuyi’s traditional Four Famous Bushes, alongside Da Hong Pao, Tie Luohan and Shui Jin Gui. Of the four, it’s the easiest to recognize once you know what to look for: its new leaves emerge a distinct pale yellow, standing out against the darker older growth on the bush — a contrast the source material says looks like a rooster’s comb, which is exactly where the name comes from.
That pale trait belongs to the living plant, not the finished dry tea — the processed leaf itself is described as stout, uniform strips in dark glossy green, so don’t expect to see pale-colored leaf in a bag labeled Bai Jiguan.
Where the bush actually originated is unsettled in the source material: one location given is Huiyuan Rock’s Flame Peak, and a second is offered only as a possibility — the hill behind the Wengong Shrine. This page doesn’t choose between them, since neither is confirmed in the material available.
Documented sensory character: a clean, distinctive aroma (some tasters describe a corn-like sweetness, though that’s a tasting note rather than a fixed descriptor), a sweet, fresh taste with a long aftertaste, and a bright, orange-yellow liquor.
A well-known story links Bai Jiguan to a Ming-dynasty official whose son recovered after drinking the tea. The source material itself labels this a traditional story — folklore attached to the tea, not history, and certainly not evidence of any medicinal effect. It’s told here as background, never as a health claim.
Under China’s national Wuyi Rock Tea standard (GB/T 18745-2006), Bai Jiguan falls under the “Mingcong” category alongside Tie Luohan and Shui Jin Gui, rather than having a dedicated standard of its own the way Da Hong Pao, Rougui and Shuixian do — so treat grade names on packaging as producer terms, not regulated categories.
See the Oolong Tea guide for how Bai Jiguan fits among Wuyi’s Four Famous Bushes, and Tie Luohan and Shui Jin Gui for the other two Mingcong-category teas in the same group.
Look · Dry leaf
Source material describes stout, uniform strips in dark glossy green for the finished dry leaf. The trait Bai Jiguan is actually named for — pale, almost-white new growth — belongs to the living bush, not the finished dry tea, so don't expect pale leaf in the bag.
Smell & taste
Typical aroma: clean, distinctive. Flavor tendencies: sweet, fresh. Body: medium. These vary by batch, storage and brewing.
Brew · A starting point
Try 5 g in 150 ml water at 95–100°C for 20–40 seconds. Fully decant before tasting.
Read the wet leaves
Not documented specifically for Bai Jiguan in the source material reviewed; Wuyi Yancha wet leaf is generally thick and twisted, but that is a family-level trait, not a confirmed Bai Jiguan-specific observation.
Sources & review
Compiled by ChinaTea101's editors from Chinese national and industry tea standards and reference material, then fact-checked. Last reviewed 2026-09-25. How we check claims
- Standard GB/T 18745-2006 地理标志产品 武夷岩茶 (Geographical indication product — Wuyi rock tea) — National Public Service Platform for Standards Information (SAMR). Current standard; status checked on the national standards platform. View source ↗