The World's Earliest Black Tea Was Produced in the Wuyi Mountains

The majestic Wuyi Mountains of southeast China stretch north to the provinces of Anhui and Zhejiang and east into Fujian with a unique local culture that connects them to the wider world. As the birthplace of black tea and oolong tea, the range is the starting point of the historic, legendary, 10,000-mile tea road. This place is also known as a sacred land of Confucianism. Amid mountains and waters, the light of Chinese civilization shines brightly here, illuminating both the past and present. The fragrance of Wuyi tea has permeated the air here for over a thousand years. Known for its lingering sweetness, it is celebrated worldwide for its exquisite flavor and intense aftertaste. Tianxin Village is named after Tianxin Rock. A famous tea growing area known as Three Pits and Two Streams is located here. Lin Xiaorou, who has lived near Mato Rock and Tianxin Village since his childhood, is a master tea craftsman. The tea growers of Wuyi are busy all year round, especially in spring when they harvest and produce spring tea. Wuyi Rock tea owes its mellow flavor not only to its excellent natural environment and superior varieties, but also to exquisite harvesting and processing techniques that have been honed over the years. To ensure freshness and avoid damage, standards for harvesting rock tea are stringent. Tea buds sprout quickly, and the window for harvesting is brief. The people of Wuyi pour all their passion into these few days. Due to the steep cliffs and ravines throughout the mountains, carrying tea is extremely arduous. Tea carriers, moreover, must move swiftly because the leaves in their baskets can easily over-ferment and must be quickly transported to factories for drying. The technique for processing Wuyi Rock tea is the most complex among all tea types and consists of 10 steps. Any negligence can ruin an entire year's efforts. During the shaking process, the tea leaves continuously rub and collide with each other, causing damage to their edges. As a result, the edges darken in color and, after oxidation, become red. Local tea artisans see processing rock tea as a sleepless, dedicated practice, an exercise of artistic creation that deeply connects them to nature. During the pan-heating stage, the tea leaves' herbal aroma gradually evolves into a floral and fruity fragrance. Many of the unique skills involved in tea processing are passed down through generations. This heritage includes not only authentic methods, but also a meticulous dedication and love for tea. Wuyi Rock tea has the taste of time. Over 20 hours of dedication solidifies the fragrance of the green tea leaves. Then, one to six months of waiting allows their flavor to mellow. Complexity and meticulousness of processing create the tea's unique charm, with its mineral-rich taste and floral aroma. Good tea is a gift from nature and a testament to humanity's wisdom in adapting to and protecting nature. Tongmu Pass, the birthplace of the world-renowned tea Lapsang Sochong, is home to people who deeply understand the principles of adapting to local conditions. Liang Tianxiong is a native of the area. In the past, unsustainable methods like cutting down trees to plant tea and using fertilizers and pesticides were attractive to tea farmers. However, strict measures are now implemented to protect the long-term health of the forest tea fields. Today, tea farmers align with nature, allowing the land to reach its full potential. In these ancient tea gardens, when a tea tree ages to over 100 years old, the seeds it drops will find their way into the soil and rocks crevices, waiting to sprout in the following spring and fill any gaps. Thus, farmers let the tea grow freely in its natural state. The sight of tea harvesters scattered across the mountains is a hallmark of the Tongmu Tea Gardens. Small leaf tea plants, through years of natural pollination and crossbreeding, exhibit great diversity. Farmers harvest the tea at optimal times dictated by nature. Liang Tianxiong's father, Liang Jiwenda, is an inheritor of the Lapsang Sochong processing technique, a national and tangible cultural heritage item. He preserves the most traditional methods of tea production. The scion building in Tongmu Village is an old wooden house weathered by centuries. Wood is burned on its ground floor. With the smoke, this generates drying tea leaves scattered inside and infusing them with a smoky aroma. During this process, which lasts several hours, the tea makers feel as if they are standing over hot charcoals. The process is very simple. There are four stages of processing. Scion building, scion building, scion flower, and scion building. There are many details in these four stages. You have to make a good cup of tea. You have to pay attention to every detail. Although we have the advantage of a low-lying environment, it is not easy to make a good cup of tea in such a good environment. After the establishment of the national park, Tongmu Village was designated as a core protected area and strict control measures have been implemented. Detailed regulations were made concerning access for non-residents, fire sources, and foreign species. Similarly, in the producing areas of Wuyirok tea, composite ecological tea gardens are prevalent. Trees are planted in the tea gardens to provide shade in summer and add organic fertilizer in winter when their leaves fall. This integrated pattern represents a three-dimensional cultivation model of forest, tea, and grass. Amid lush mountains and clear waters, the fragrance of Wuyi tea grows stronger, gaining widespread acclaim. Tea is both the livelihood of local people and a source of their cultural character. Xiuyue, born in the 1990s, grew up in the Wuyi Mountains. There is a long history of tea making in her family. In Xiuyue's memory, as a child, she and her sisters roamed the tea-scented mountains, exploring the three pits and two streams. She knows the secrets of the mountains well. Xiuyue's personality seems to have always embodied the essence of tea, which is spontaneous and natural. Her pen name is Chaomujuan, which in Chinese means person with grass and wood. It derives from the Chinese character for tea, which is made up of three radicals representing grass, wood, and person. Her life in the mountains revolves around wandering among trees and being accompanied by tea. Making good tea takes good water. The clear water of the Wuyi Mountains perfectly enhances the flavor of their rock tea. For Xiuyue, enjoying tea by the water with friends is the simplest yet most poetic way of living. Tea is both a beverage and a lifestyle. Since ancient times, people from all walks of life have been drawn to tea. From the 17th to the 20th century, tea from the Wuyi Mountains traveled along the 10,000-mile tea road, crossing eight provinces, traversing Mongolia, and eventually reaching Kayakda on the China-Russia border. This journey allowed the world to not only savor the magical taste of these leaves, but also appreciate the aesthetic of life in the East. Volker Hubel is a German living in Shanghai, where he lectures in philosophy. Having traveled extensively, he has studied tea culture in various countries. Ning Xunwen is a tea grower in the Wuyi Mountains. His good friend Gerhard Tam runs a tea house in Germany, which Volker Hubel frequently visits, leading to their friendship. What also attracts Volker Hubel to Wuyi tea is its rich historical and cultural heritage. He invites his friends to a gathering in a century-old forest. A sense of ceremony is an indispensable part of Wuyi tea culture, encompassing actions, utensils, pastries, and more. This sense of ceremony has also influenced other countries. Volker Hubel bought a ceramic piece in Portugal, which he now uses specifically for serving pastries. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism have a history of over 1,000 years, and the eternal mountains and waters have nourished tea culture. Tea is not only a delight for the taste buds, but also a mild stimulant. Drinking tea among the clouds is a cherished way of enjoying the beverage for the people of the Wuyi Mountains. When they are high up, memories of old friends arise, reminding them of the origin of their bond with Gerhard Tam in Germany. The aroma of tea travels thousands of miles, illustrating that tea culture belongs not just to China, but also to the world. In early spring, a gentle breeze heralds a ceremony of renewal. Xia Hongxing traverses the forest, seeking out another plant that the local people depend on, bamboo. The Wuyi Mountains are rich in bamboo resources, truly a hometown of bamboo in China. Historically, local people have used bamboo to make rafts, paper, and various tools for their daily needs. Today, bamboo's value as a low-carbon, eco-friendly material is becoming ever more salient. Xia Hongxing is an inheritor of local bamboo weaving technique, which has been recognized as an intangible cultural heritage item. For over two decades, he has been creating bamboo products, so he possesses a unique appreciation for the beauty of bamboo. After some skillful carving, the decayed bamboo root bursts with new vitality. Living in the mountains, people coexist and interact with all living things. Using a bamboo flute to mimic the calls of birds often elicits a response. The Golden Kaiser Yi Hinged Butterfly is a cherished treasure among the people of the Wuyi Mountains. Xia Hongxing has long aspired to show its beauty through bamboo weaving. Respecting, adapting to, and protecting the environment, bamboo and tea have enabled the people living here to find the best way to coexist with nature. The Wuyi Mountains are renowned for their cultural blend of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. From the Qin and Han dynasties onwards, the range was recognized by China's imperial court as one of the nation's most important mountains, attracting numerous scholars and literati. Such men would explore the peaks and boat along the Jiuqu River with their friends. Inspired by their surroundings, they inscribed their experiences and sentiments on rock, creating cliff carvings. There are more than 400 cliff inscriptions in the Wuyi Mountains, an extraordinarily high number for China's famous mountains and rivers. These carvings encompass themes of Neo-Confucianism, religion, landscapes, tea culture, and official documents, and have been called a treasure trove of Chinese calligraphy art. They form a cultural corridor that transcends time and space. Wu Baoyun, an inheritor of the restoration techniques for cliff carvings in the Wuyi Mountains, has been restoring and making rubbings of these ancient inscriptions for years. When ancients did cliff inscriptions, they first drew the enlarged characters on rice paper. The paper was then wetted and applied to a rock face as a stencil for chiseling. The characters would thus be carved into a cliff. Finally, special pigments were used to color the inscription, making it clear and prominent. The average restoration cycle for cliff carvings in the Wuyi Mountains is around four years. Wu Baoyun has been involved in conservation plans for the cliff carvings, on both banks of the Jiuqu River many times. Among these carvings are those that depict the ideology of Zhu Xi, such as time flies like this river, eagles fly in the air, and fish jump in the water, and the wise are active and the humane are tranquil. The waters and mountains of Wuyi are unparalleled, with thousands of peaks and valleys as picturesque as a painting. The scenery of the Wuyi Mountains is imbued with the rich characteristics of eastern ink painting. The renowned Yuan Dynasty painter Fang Congyi's masterpiece, Rowing in the Wuyi Mountains, vividly shows the splendor of the Jiuqu River. Xiu Ting, a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, is passionate about Chinese poetry, calligraphy, and painting. His visit to the Wuyi Mountains serves as both a journey to trace the origins of rowing in the Wuyi Mountains and a quest for inspiration. Landscape painting is an important genre of traditional Chinese painting. Artists often traverse famous places in China, mountains and rivers to look for the most beautiful scenery. To Qiu Ting, the beauty of the Wuyi Mountains is unparalleled. The magnificent scenery of the Wuyi Mountains not only inspires Chinese in painting, but also allows painters to cultivate their minds and contemplate their inner selves amid mountains and waters. Of course, paintings and reality share a resemblance in spirit, but differ in form. Inspired by the beauty of the Wuyi Mountain, Qiu Ting's creativity is ignited, allowing him to indulge in the landscape and to depict boundless space in an instant. In landscape paintings, human figures are few and diminutive. This is not because landscape artists avoid depicting people, but because the landscapes themselves are externalizations of the artist's inner worlds. Their small figures among vast mountains are part of nature, just like stones, water, and clouds. Landscape painting is a path to our inner worlds. As Qiu Ting explores the natural realm, he reflects on contemporary philosophy of landscape. Qiu Ting has traveled across many famous mountains and rivers, and this is his third visit to the Wuyi Mountains. Climbing high peaks, following waterfalls and streams, and enjoying cliff carvings, he has developed deep sentiments towards the Wuyi Mountains. Zhu Xi lived, wrote, and taught in the Wuyi Mountains for half a century. The natural environment of the range played a crucial role in shaping his worldview and his significant contributions to both Chinese and world culture. Professor Zhu Jiaran is an expert on Zhu Xi's philosophy. He believes that the natural setting of the mountains was integral to the development of Zhu's thought. Investigating things to attain knowledge was a significant theory in Zhu Xi's philosophy. He stressed investigating things, and that everything in the world has its own principles and patterns. We can explore these intangible truths through the study of tangible objects. Near Xiangxing Rock, cliff carvings are densely clustered. Characters that mean time flows like this river were inscribed by Zhu Xi himself, and can be clearly seen above the flowing stream. At the tea platform by the fifth bend of the Jiuqu River, Zhu Xi climbed onto a rock with his students, brewing tea, enjoying tea, and contemplating the essence of tea and life. Near the fifth bend, there stands a towering peak covered with lush forests. It's Yiping Peak. It was here that Zhu Xi personally planned and built his Wuyi Cottage. There lies a glassy oblong pool, where light and shade pursue their course. How can it be so clear and cool? For fresh water comes from the source. Zhu Xi's poem unfolds like a painting, harmonizing perfectly with the misty waters and mountains. Whether tea leaves that travel thousands of miles, or the centuries-old philosophy of Zhu Xi, all the cultural treasures of the Wuyi Mountains are inextricably linked to the natural springs, flowers, birds, and fish in Wuyi Mountains The Wuyi Mountains, with their pure waters and verdant forests, are a place of quintessential Chinese culture and the only national park in the nation, recognized for both its cultural and natural heritage. In China, indeed, the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature shapes our national parks.