This variety belongs to the cliff oolongs. The tea bushes from which leaves are picked for this tea grow among cliffs, on soil that is formed by the slow destruction of the cliffs themselves, hence the name. Rou Gui is a vivid representative of this category, therefore, during the reign of the Qin Dynasty, it was on the list of imperial teas, and now Wuyi mountains cinnamon is the second most common variety of the tea in Wuyishan. Every year tea contests are organized there and competitions are necessarily held among the tea-representatives of these varieties.

Rou Gui has not very large, dense leaves, which can withstand a strong warming on the coals, due to this tea gets its thick and extremely rich flavor. By the way, the name was given to the variety not because it looks like cinnamon, but because its aroma resembles one plant from the Laurel family that grows in those regions. That plant has a spicy aroma and is called Chinese cinnamon, its leaves are added to food as a seasoning.