Dahongpao tea collected from 350-year-old "Dahongpao" tea trees in the Mount Wuyi scenic area in southeastern Fujian Province was donated to the National Museum on Wednesday. This is the last time that tea leaves will be picked from these trees.

Dahongpao tea displayed in National Museum in Beijing on Wednesday, October 10, 2007.

There are only six 350-year-old "Dahongpao" female trees left in Mount Wuyi, and they have been included in UN's World Cultural and Natural Heritage list, local website fjcns.com reported.

In order to better protect these trees, the Wuyishan City government has decided to limit collecting tealeaves from these old trees since May in 2006. "Therefore, these 20 grams of Dahongpao are priceless" said a staff member from the museum.

"Dahongpao", considered as the "king of Chinese tea," is produced exclusively in Wuyishan City in Fujian Province. It was offered as a tribute or gift to imperial courts in ancient times. Now this kind of black tea is sold at high price.

(CRI.cn October 12, 2007)