Jing Shan Tea

Jing Shan Zen Tea Ceremony

Jingshan tea, also known as Jing Shan Mao Feng, has a long and close relationship with Buddhism in jingshan Tea is produced in Jingshan which sits in Yuhang County,Zhejiang Provience.，and it is one famous green tea. Jingshan mountain is now located on the north foot of Tianmu Mountain on the border of Yuhang and Lin'an counties, Tea area is a tropical monsoon climate, mild and humid, rainfall, average annual temperature is 16 ℃, and annual precipitation is 1837 mm, 1970 hours of sunshine, frost-free period 244 days, is very suitable for tea growing. Jingshan tea has strict picking standards, as a bud and two leaves, about 3 cm in length, neat uniform. Jingshan tea is very tender; per kg dry tea has 62,000 fresh shoots. Production processes of Jingshan tea include: fixing, rolling, re-rolling, spreading, drying and other processes.

Quality characteristics of Jingshan tea:

Shape: thin, wiry, white tip revealed

Color: green jade

Soup color: tender green and bright

Aroma: fragrance and clean aroma lasting

Taste: fresh and mellow, sweet after taste

Tea leafs: tender and even bright. 

 

The history of Jingshan Tea

The history of Jingshan Tea can date back to the Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty.

A Buddhist master named Fa Qin came here to build a temple here in Year 1 of Tianbao in the Tang Dynasty (742). He planted several tea trees and picked the tealeaves to offer to Buddha. Several years later, the whole valley was full of tea trees. Its flavor was very fragrant and different from others.” (Jiaqing County Record) According to “Everything about tea” of Lu Yu and “Supplemental History of the Tang Dynasty” of Li Zhao, there are over 50 famous teas in the Tang Dynasty and Jingshan Tea was one of them. A tea scholar from the royal academy named Ye Qingchen studied many famous teas in Zhejiang during Baoyuan (1039-1940) and then wrote in his article “About tea and spring water”: Qiantang and Jingshan have nice tea. The famous scholar, calligrapher and tea master of the Song Dynasty praised Jingshan Tea as “a drink with striking fragrance”. Famous official and scholar Ouyang Xiu said that Jingshan Tea was unique and precious for its color, fragrance and taste, and that it tasted like good wine in the fairyland. 

 

“Hangzhou Record” of Year 4 of Xianchun in the Southern Song Dynasty (1268) said: Tea is sent to the emperor each year. “Old Record” wrote: Baoyun Tea, Xianglin Tea, Baiyun Tea from Hangzhou and Jingshan Tea picked before Guyu and made by the monks were stored in small jars and sent to the emperor. These records show that Jingshan Tea became the tribute to the emperor in the Southern Song Dynasty. Tian Rucheng of the Ming Dynasty wrote in his “West Last touring Guide”: There were teas in all the hills around West Lake, but the most famous teas were Dragon Well Tea and Jingshan Tea. Zhang Jingyuan of the Ming Dynasty wrote after drinking Jingshan Tea: Spring is clear and tea is fragrant. I am reenergized after drinking the tea.

“Hangzhou Record” of Jiaqing of the Song Dynasty wrote: The tea production areas include Jingshan, Sibiwu Valley and Lishanwu Valley. All of the teas are very nice, and the best tea is from Lingxiao Peak (the highest peak of Jingshan). Jingshan Tea was as famous as Dragon Well Tea and Tianmuqingding Tea in the Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty, and it was listed as one of the top six and sent to the emperor as tribute from the Song Dynasty and Qing Dynasty. A Qing Dynasty scholar wrote a song “Tea-picking Song at Jingshan” to praise Jingshan Tea.

 

Brewing Guide:

Pour hot water into a glass teaware to full first, and then add tea leaves and brew it for 2 minutes. The tea is tiny green and has white curls. It has smooth and fresh tasting with a sweet aftertaste, you can feel a floral aroma and fruity flavour.