Dan Cong (单丛) are often translated as "Single Strain," named after tea bushes hundreds of years ago in which each bush produced a uniquely flavored tea.

Dan Chong are harvested from old tea trees descended from the Song Dynasty specimen. These trees grow in the high mountains of Feng Huang Shan (Phoenix Mountain), about 1,000 metres above sea level, where the soil, sun light, clean air and water provide an ideal environment for it to grow. The leaves are harvested from a strain of trees that have been selected for careful breeding as straight trunktrees. These trees have a single trunk that rises straight up and the branches form an umbrella,making harvesting the leaves particularly difficult. Pickers use tall ladders or must climb thetrees to harvest the long leaves.

It was served as a tribute tea in the Song Dynasty and now only close friends and relatives are served with a tea of this grade. Like Pu-erh tea, this tea improves with age.