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Today I read the name of the Song Dynasty tea, Fuzhou, Fujian also has the same name, but I do not know, Longyou Fangshan tea is the famous tea in Zhejiang, set up in the Ming and Qing Dynasties as tribute tea. oTn Tea Net
Longyou six onion lake to the social Yang Township Fangshan this rolling hills, is a rare selenium-rich region, while producing famous tea – Fangshan tea. Longyou County has a long history of tea planting. Folk poetry: “Fangshan ancient temple white clouds towering, purple buds hair stone altar. Suddenly, a Taoist arrived from the sky, and the fragrance was moved into a small pot.” Cai Zongyan, the chief historian of Quzhou in the Northern Song Dynasty, wrote: “Longyou Fangshan Yangcao slope produces early morning tea with an excellent flavor.” Ming Dynasty Fangshan tea that is famous for Zhejiang tea, Wanli nonzi years (1612) compiled by the “Longyou County Records” Volume IV, there is “tea, Fangshan most Tailor, the amount of tribute to the four Tumbling” record, it can be seen that the Ming Dynasty Fangshan tea is tribute. oTn Tea Net
After the Qingming, the rain will be approaching. Longnan mountainous areas of the mountains of tea lush, colorfully dressed tea picking women dotted in the green bushes, they carry bamboo baskets, dancing with delicate fingers, will be a piece of buds plucked, into the basket, which is a beautiful picture. More than four hundred years ago, the great opera singer and the Shakespeare of the East, Tang Xianzu, praised this in a poem: “The rain will go in spring, and the smoke of tea will fill the eyes. Like a flower standing at the mouth of the stream, half of the tea picking back.” oTnTea.com
This poem was written in the twenty-sixth year of the Wanli reign (1598), titled “Title Xikou Store Sends Laosheng Xizhao”. At that time, Tang Xianzu was the magistrate in Suichang, whether it was from the office back to his hometown Linchuan, Jiangxi Province, or return to the office, the Xikou is a must-pass place. Law Xizhao, Xikou township squire, Tang Xianzu every Xikou hospitality, the two have a very deep friendship. Spring is the first of the four seasons of the year, but the rain is the end of spring, spring tea production is both the peak season is also the end of the tea farmers to seize this last farm time, hard work. Tea smoke, refers to the sunset tea farmers for roasting tea rising smoke. The young women and girls picking tea labored all day long under the tea mountain, rested by the stream, and dispersed their fatigue and tiredness with laughter. Like flowers standing at the mouth of the stream, it is the poet’s praise for laborers.” Suddenly climbed the stairs to go, Chang’an five degrees of spring, clouds of cool water store, there are still warm-hearted people.” The poet won a bachelor’s degree at the age of thirty-three in the eleventh year of the Wanli reign (1583). Because of his refusal to attach himself to the rich and powerful, he was only able to serve as Dr. Taishang in Nanjing. Later, he changed his official position to the chief bookkeeper of the Nanjing Zhanzhi House, and then moved to Nanjing to become the head of the Ancestral Hall Department of the Ministry of Ceremonies and Rites. The official world is treacherous, the career path is bumpy, so there is “suddenly climbed the stairs to go, Chang’an five degrees of spring” experience. By the picturesque mood associated with their own official position, the cool world, can not help but the poet is not emotional. However, the folk people are always kind, “clouds of cold water store, there are still warm-hearted people.” Cold water, the name of the place, more than ten miles from the mouth of the river, is the poet’s trip to rest. The shopkeeper is always so enthusiastic in entertaining the guests. cold water store, warm-hearted man, is a clever couplet in the poem, which is actually a praise to the simple folk customs and hospitable hosts in Longnan mountainous area. oTnTea.com
The above is Tang Xianzu’s depiction of the tea affairs in Longnan mountainous area, flowing with sincere feelings for the people of the mountainous area. Then, what is his evaluation of Fangshan tea, which is abundant in Longnan Mountain District, after tasting it? Wanli 25 years (1597), the poet went home to visit relatives, in the Longnan mountainous area on the way to write such a poem, “flower bright long swing female, cup open cold water spring. A double climb to the place, the green hills like the old man.” (“Ding You March Pyeongchang rate er slogan”) Chang Dang, and cold water are the same place name, but today is no longer available. Cup open, open the cup, Lengshui spring, should be a brand in the square mountain tea, or produced in Lengshui. Open the lid, the fragrance of tea into the nose, refreshing the lungs. Tang Xianzu love tea, will taste tea, his study named Yuming Hall, his writings also named “Yuming Hall set”, and even in the play “Peony Pavilion” is also written into the folk tea-picking plot. His taste of Fangshan tea, its shape is slightly flat, similar to the bird’s tongue, the leaf bottom into a uniform, slightly orchid fragrance, color and lustre of tender green light and moist, tea clear and bright, taste mellow and lasting, distinctive flavor. In the mountains of tea bushes, accompanied by melodious mountain songs, tea picking women picking is happiness and hope. This is the ideal picture of the poet. The poet held the fragrant tea in his hand, and sincerely expressed the feeling of “green mountains are like old friends”. oTn Tea Net
