Wulong tea is a traditional Chinese tea. It is semi-fermented, and it has an oxidation time somewhat between that of green and black tea. The term “wulong” means “black dragon”; and various legends describe the origin of this curious name. According to one legend, the owner of a tea plantation was scared away by drying tea leaves that had the appearance of a black snake. But several days later when the owner cautiously returned, he saw that the leaves had been oxidized by the sun and gave a delightful brew. Wulong tea leaves are bruised to oxidize under the sun after their picking though not as long as leaves intended for black tea, Tieguanyin from Fujian Province is considered the excellent grade of Wulong tea.

This article by Yang Tianqing and Daniel Kister.