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 ?????? The author:?Quiet spring? |
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In 2008, for the first time I traveled to Wuyi Mountain(武夷山), just for the sake of traveling. But thanks to this chance, I have an unending affinity with Wuyi Mountain and Wuyi Rock Tea. While you are walking through the mountains, ahead of you, as far as you can see, are the flourishing tea gardens in massive and small scales located in high and low positions, composing picturesque scenes here and there.
The saying goes that those living on a mountain live off the mountain, those living near the water live off the water. You cannot feel the atmosphere of tea culture unless you have been to Wuyi in person. While walking through the streets, you will find all the stores are selling items related to tea. Whichever store you walk in, it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to buy their tea, the store owner will always give you their warmest greeting and sa, “Please take a sip of our tea because it will warm your heart”.
It’s acknowledged that the unique features of a local environment always give special characteristics to its inhabitants. Wuyi Mountain is acclaimed as the most amazing and beautiful place in southeastern China, with ravines going through the mountains in an unbroken line, the Dawang Peak standing opposite to the Yunv Peak, and the clear crystal Jiuqu Brook flowing continuously day in and day out. The tea trees are commonly called “Wuyi Rock Tea” owing to the fact that they grow alongside the rocks in the mountains. It’s said that the superior teas grow in rotten rocks, the middling ones in gravel, while the inferior ones in soil. Wuyi Rock Tea is granted a unique aroma by the special soil texture, geographic location, abundant rainfall and the half-fermented craftsmanship. Among all these rock teas, there are fragrant green teas, black teas with a faint sweet taste, and especially the famed Da Hong Pao, which tops the list of Chinese oolong teas.
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The industrious and wise people of Wuyi, male and female, young and old, have an innate preference for tea. Once you sit with them at a table, their manners and talk will show you that tea is an indispensible element of their lives.The best time to pick Da Hong Pao is in early May each year. Whole families of tea farmers will be engaged in tea-picking. After finishing the tea-picking, people will deliver the teas by shoulder poles.
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 Farmer shoulders two bags stuffed with fresh tea leaves from the gardens in the mountain. |
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 Farmer carries tea leaves out of the mountain through narrow winding trail. |
The process of tea making
The teas carried from the garden need to be spread out to dry under the sun for about 30 minutes. This process is termed by tea farmers as “basking the green”. After “basking the green”, it will be “stirring the green”. Stirring for the first time may take about 40-60 60 minutes – the exact time depends on the amount of moisture in the teas.
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 Statues show the process of tea making in the old days. |
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 Statues show the process of tea making in the old days. |
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 Annual Da Hong Pao tea contest is held at the end of each year. All the farmers take their best teas to compete. The winner is picked through rounds of selections by judges and tea-masters. |
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 After a meal, you can take a sip of Da Hong Pao (personally I love cinnamon tea), with the aroma and sweet taste lingering in your mouth.? |
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 Tired from walking, you can choose a farmhouse inn located in a quiet and peaceful place and feast on the rural specialties that have soaked up the atmosphere of Wuyi Mountain. |
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