From late Tang Dynasty to the early Northern Song Dynasty, there lived an eminent monk surnamed Pei in Anchang Temple of Shengquanyan (Holy Well Rock) in the east of Simashan in Anxi. He made tea himself and taught villagers how to make it, which is why villagers honored it the holy tree. A devastating drought hit Anxi in 1083, then the master Puzu was called in to pray for rain, and the rain did come shortly afterwards. Because of his great deeds, the master Puzu finally accepted the villagers’ kind invitation to stay at Qingshuiyan Mountain where he built temples and roads for locals. As the master also heard a lot about the efficacy of the holy tea, he travelled a long, long way to Shengquanyan to learn how to grow tea, make tea and transplant holy trees. One day, after taking a bath , the master Puzu headed for the holy tree to pick tea leaves, only to find a splendid phoenix eating tea leaves followed by a yellow deer eating tea leaves. At the sight of it, Puzu commented approvingly “What a holy tree Nature creates!”. Subsequently, the master went back to the temple and brewed tea with holy well, thinking that it was a holy experience for phoenix, deer and monk to share holy tea. From then on, the Tiansheng tea (holy tea) became a medication for villagers to fight diseases
Puzu then taught locals how to plant tea and make tea.
Along the foothill of south Shengquanyan, a secluded hunter named “Oolong” invented tossing technique and zymotechnique quite by accident when he was hunting and picking tea leaves in mountains. Tiansheng tea oolong made was more aromatic with greater flavor. Then local natives learnt such technique from Oolong for which Oolong tea become well-known. Because Wei Yin loved tea, people scrambled to taste tea prepared by him. Wang Shirang was one of them, who took a leave from office and returned to his hometown and happened to drink the tea when visiting the foothill of south Shengquanyan. In 1741, Wang Shirang returned to Beijing with tea leaves presented to Fang Bao, the Minister of Rites of the Qing Dynasty who presented it to the Emperor Qianlong who named the tea “Tieguanyin tea” after learning the tea source and observing shape and appearance, resembling the Goddess Guanyin.
If you are interested in tea preparation technique, Elite Spring Villas will provide you with the experience as tea grower to explore how they live and plant tea.