Basic Introduction to Jingshan Tea

Jingshan Tea is a specialty of Yuhang District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, and is a product protected under China's national geographical indication. The protected area for Jingshan Tea encompasses the current administrative regions of nine townships in Yuhang District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province: Jingshan Town, Yuhang Subdistrict, Xianlin Subdistrict, Zhongtai Subdistrict, Huanghu Town, Lniao Town, Baiyang Town, Pingyao Town, and Liangzhu Subdistrict.

Jingshan Tea is a tightly coiled, slender tea with fine down, and the picking standard for top-grade tea is one bud with one leaf or one bud with two leaves just beginning to unfold. After being naturally aired, it undergoes high-temperature fixation, shaping, gentle rolling, and is finally charcoal-dried. Its appearance is tender with visible down and a greenish hue; its aroma is fresh and long-lasting, and its taste is fresh and refreshing; the infusion is a bright green color, and the infused leaves are tender, whole, and bright green. brewing a cup of Jingshan Tea in a glass teacup allows one to savor its true color, aroma, flavor, and form. Its emerald green color, lingering fragrance, and delicate sweetness create an experience that is both visually pleasing and spiritually fulfilling.

The main varieties of Jingshan Tea include Yijiukeng, Cuifeng, Longjing Changye, and Zhe Nong 113, among others. The processing steps include airing, fixation, shaping, rolling, and drying. It should be noted that the airing time is generally between six and twelve hours, and when shaping, a slanted wok at a temperature of 80°C to 90°C is used, with manual operation, first tossing and then shaping, combining tossing and shaping. Only by processing the tea this way can it achieve a tight, uniform, green and lustrous appearance, a bright green infusion, a fresh aroma, a fresh and mellow taste, and tender, even, green and bright infused leaves.

Jingshan is part of the Dongtianmu Mountain range, with its main peak, Yaotou Mountain, reaching 1095.2 meters in height, while the rest of the mountain range is below 1,000 meters. Due to multiple geological movements and intense surface runoff, as well as being a sudden rise along the southeast coast, it stands tall and majestic, with a relative height of over 500 meters. These geographic conditions allow warm and humid monsoons from the southeast to easily enter but not easily escape, creating a climate with frequent cloud cover, diffuse light, and year-round humidity and rainfall, which is highly conducive to the formation of the natural qualities of Jingshan Tea. Influenced by the latitude of the northern Zhejiang tea region and the characteristics of the Jingshan mountain range, temperatures are relatively low, allowing the tea plants to grow under diffuse light, producing more chlorophyll B, which results in the formation of various amino acids, giving the tea a rich aroma. The annual precipitation in the Jingshan tea region exceeds 1,400 millimeters, which suits the tea trees' preference for moisture. The soil in the Jingshan tea region, predominantly yellow-red soil, a subcategory of red soil, is loose and deep, rich in minerals and trace elements, with a pH value between 5.6 and 5.7, making it the ideal soil condition for tea cultivation. The geographic latitude, mountain characteristics, climatic factors, and soil conditions of the Jingshan tea production area provide the material basis for the unique quality features of Jingshan Tea.

Product Features

The tea has a slender and tender appearance with visible down, a greenish hue, a clear and fragrant aroma, a bright green infusion, and a fresh and delicate taste.

Historical Folklore

Jingshan is famous for its path leading to Mount Tianmu and is the northeastern peak of the Tianmu Mountains. It became a renowned Buddhist mountain due to the establishment and prosperity of Jingshan Wanshou Chan Temple during the Tang and Song dynasties, and was known as the crown of Chan temples in the southeast from the Song to the Yuan dynasties. In the Song Dynasty, it was hailed as the leader of the Five Mountains and Ten Temples of Jiangnan and referred to as “The No. 1 Mountain of Jiangnan.” In the first year of the Tianbao period (742 AD), the monk Fajin (714-792) from Kunshan, Jiangsu, came to Jingshan and founded the temple, becoming the founding patriarch of Jingshan Temple. In the third year of the Dali period (768 AD), his disciple Chonghui went to the imperial capital Chang'an (today's Xi'an) and defeated the Taoist priests of Taiqing Palace in a magical contest, earning him the title of “National Great Master” from Emperor Daizong of Tang, Li Yu. In addition to Wanshou Chan Temple, there were also Huacheng Temple, Fahua Temple, Jixiang Temple, Shiquan Temple, Dali Temple, and Fotuo Temple in Jingshan, most of which still have remains today.

Jingshan Tea shares its name with the mountain and was first planted during the Tang Dynasty, flourishing in the Song Dynasty. Even during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, Jingshan Tea remained highly esteemed, developing a unique quality and flavor that emphasizes naturalness, true color, true aroma, and true taste. Historical records show that tea trees were planted and processed in Jingshan over 1,260 years ago during the Tang Dynasty, making Jingshan Tea one of the oldest teas in Zhejiang. Famous figures such as Ye Qingchen, Wu Zumu, Ouyang Xiu, Tian Rucheng, and Gu Yingtai all gave high praise to the unique qualities of Jingshan Tea.

After Jingshan Temple and Jingshan Tea became famous in the Tang Dynasty, they were nurtured by Zen monks and grew within the temple. Lu Yu (733-804), who was raised by monks, loved tea, and was proficient in tea culture, was revered as the “Tea Sage.” He visited Jingshan out of admiration. According to the “Biographies of Recluses” in the “New Book of Tang,” Lu Yu once lived in seclusion at the foot of General Mountain near Shuangxi. He planted, processed, and studied tea in Jingshan. In the first year of Shangyuan (760 AD), Lu Yu wrote the classic work “The Classic of Tea,” which elevated tea from a beverage to an art and philosophy, blending tea and Zen into a harmonious whole.

Japanese monks visited Jingshan several times to study and engage in cultural exchanges. According to historical records, the “Jingshan Tea Ceremony” was introduced to Japan during the Southern Song Dynasty. The “tea ceremony” still practiced in Japan today originated from the “tea banquet” that was popular in Jingshan Temple during the Song Dynasty. In the first year of Chunyou (1241 AD), the Japanese monk and National Master Shengyi, Enni Ben'en, returned to Japan after studying in Jingshan, bringing the “Jingshan Tea Ceremony” with him. He also sowed the tea seeds he brought from Jingshan and imitated the method of processing Jingshan Tea to produce “tencha” in Japan. In the third year of Xianchun (1267 AD), the Japanese monk Nanpu Shōmyō (1235-1380) returned home after coming to China and studying in Jingshan, spreading the techniques of planting and processing tea and the etiquette of the tea ceremony throughout Japan. Jingshan Tea, originally served to guests and enjoyed while discussing Buddhism, developed into the “Jingshan Tea Ceremony” during the Song Dynasty. The tea ceremony then traveled to Japan, evolving into what is now known as “Japanese tea ceremony.” As a result, Jingshan is known as “the place where the Tea Sage wrote his treatise and the source of Japanese tea ceremony.”

The Chan culture and tea culture of Jingshan flourished together during the Tang Dynasty. Planting trees, growing vegetables, cultivating tea, and Drinking Tea were common practices. According to the “Yuhang County Gazetteer” of the Qianlong era, the first batch of Jingshan Tea was personally planted by National Master Fajin, dedicated to the Buddha, and spread across the valleys over the years, with a particularly fresh and distinctive flavor. During his tenure as abbot of Jingshan Temple, Fajin often enjoyed tea and discussed scriptures with other monks and visitors, truly