Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/520302
56 STiR tea & coffee industry international / Issue 3, 2015 (June/July) Wuyang Chunyu Jingshan Cha Lujian Cha Wuyang Chunyu (Wuyang Spring Rain) This tea from Wuyi County (formerly known as Wuyang Chuan) in central Zheji- ang. The tea was created in the 1990s. It is shaped like pine needle, with a delight- ful taste of fresh pea with an intricate vegetal aroma. Wuyi boasts the largest organic tea garden in Zhejiang. Tang Ji Gaoshan Cha (Tang's high-grown tea) is a gourmet organic tea from Wuyi. Outside Wuyi it is less well known due to limited output. Tang's high-grown is less spectacular in appearance, but has a full bodied taste, briskness, and superb aroma that makes it a must try for gourmet green tea lovers. After enjoying Wuyang Chunyu and Tang's high-grown, one can relax with a hot spring bath at one of the hot springs. Then take a two hour drive to Jinyun County where you can surrender your taste buds to Xiang Cha (fragrant tea), a fragrant specialty tea in Jinyun. As the name indicates Xiangcha boasts of a vigor- ous fragrance. Lujian Cha (Green Sword Tea) From Zhuji City in lower north Zhejiang. It was created in the late 1990s. The tea is made from pure tea buds, in the shape of slender and straight sword blade. Once brewed, the buds will stand up in the glass like a sword forest. Lujian is delicately mellow with fresh green bean flavor. Gourmet teas usually grow in a scenic environment. Lujian is grown in the northwest suburb of Zhuji City near the famous Wuxie Scenic Park. Wuxie refers to an array of five beautiful waterfalls flowing from the jade green mountains into the crystal Luxie Lake. Summer is the best season to visit Wuxie especially after a heavy storm. The summer counterpart of Lujian is semi-oxidized Jinjian Cha (Gold Sword Tea), with a taste between green and oolong tea. Jingshan Cha (Jingshan Tea) From Jingshan Mountain in the Yuhang district of suburban Hangzhou. Jingshan tea was initially a monastery tea. The history of the Jingshan Monastery dates to the 8th century Tang Dynasty. Tea has a close relationship with Zen Buddhism, whenever possible, Chinese monasteries uphold the traditional of cultivating monastery tea gardens to ensure adequate supply for both monks and visitors. Jingshan Wanshou Temple and Monestary was home to 3,000 monks at its peak, and its tea garden was expanded to meet increasing demand. Jingshan Mon- astery was one of the most influential Zen Buddhism monasteries in southeast China. Its fame attracted many visitors who praised the intricate Jingshan tea served by the monks. Jingshan tea gained national recognition as one of the most superb gourmet teas during the Song Dynasty (the prevailing processing method then was steamed green tea). In 1235 Japanese monk Enni Ben'en (1202-1280) first studied under the Rinzai teacher Wuzhun Shifan at Jingshan. The Jingshan tea ritual of the Song Dynasty was later carried to Japan by Nanpushaoming and later adapted by Japa- nese tea masters to establish the Japanese tea ceremony known as Chado. Jingshan became obsolete as modern brewing methods rose in popularity in the Ming Dynasty. Jingshan tea processing methods changed to pan frying after the revolution of Chinese green tea processing method in the 16th century. The monastery declined in the 20th century due to civil wars and political turmoil, and was further jeopardized in the Cultural Revolution. The tea from this region eventually was reduced to a shadow of its past glory. In the late 1970s plans to restore Jingshan were initiated. There were few clues to the tea processing since the monastery, which was constructed 1,200 years ago, no longer produced tea. After years of trial and error, the resurrected Jingshan tea is now standardized as a pan-fried and then roast-dried green tea. It is a slightly curled tippy tea, with mild briskness and a very faint spiciness. Historically it was the steamed version of Jingshan that rose to great fame. Perhaps a return to the ancient steamed method of processing will release the innate beauty of Jingshan tea.