Zhushan Mountain and Lu Yu’s Tomb

Zhushan Mountain and Lu Yu’s Tomb

Zhushan Mountain and Lu Yu’s Tomb are cultural tourism attractions.

Zhushan Mountain is located in Miaoxi Township, southwest of the ancient city of Huzhou. The mountain got its name because King Zhu of the Xia Dynasty once hunted here. During the Jin Dynasty, it was a famous scenic spot in Wuxing Commandery. Zhushan is also known as Baoji Mountain, named after the Baoji Temple that once stood on the southern side of the mountain — the mountain took its name from the temple. Baoji Temple refers to the Miaoxi Temple of the Liang Dynasty. The abbot of Miaoxi Temple was Jiaoran (courtesy name Qingzhou, from Changxing). In the seventh year of the Dali era of the Tang Dynasty (772), Yan Zhenqing served as Prefect of Huzhou. Since both Lu Yu and Jiaoran were literary friends of Yan Zhenqing, the latter often hosted elegant gatherings with Lu Yu, Jiaoran, and others on Zhushan Mountain.

On the twenty-first day of the tenth month in the eighth year of the Dali era of the Tang Dynasty (773), Yan Zhenqing built the “Sangui Pavilion” for Lu Yu. The pavilion was named “Sangui” (Three Gui) because it was constructed on a day that was the gui (10th heavenly stem) year, gui month, and gui day.

In the seventh year of the Dali era of the Tang Dynasty (772), the renowned calligrapher Yan Zhenqing, then Prefect of Huzhou, held Lu Yu in high esteem. He invited Lu Yu and many other literati to gather on Zhushan Mountain and also asked him to participate in the compilation of the Yunhai Jingyuan (Mirror of the Sea of Rhymes).

Lu Yu lived in Huzhou for over thirty years, making it his second hometown. During this time, he traveled to eastern Zhejiang, southern Jiangsu, and northeastern Jiangxi for tea-related activities, but he mainly conducted tea research and wrote The Classic of Tea in Huzhou.

During his thirty years in Huzhou, Lu Yu devoted his life to writing the world’s first monograph on tea studies, The Classic of Tea. The book provides a comprehensive discussion on the characteristics, uses, grades, origins, water quality, harvesting, processing, and brewing methods of tea.

The entire book, consisting of three volumes and ten chapters, spans only slightly more than seven thousand characters, yet it went through three rounds of revisions before this timeless masterpiece was completed. Lu Yu’s contributions to tea science gained worldwide recognition, and he was later honored as the “Tea Sage.”

Lu Yu passed away in Huzhou in the twentieth year of the Zhenyuan era of Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty (804) at the age of seventy-one and was buried on Zhushan Mountain. His tomb remains there today.

Lu Yu (733–804) was a native of Jingling in Fuzhou (present-day Tianmen City, Hubei Province) during the Tang Dynasty. His courtesy name was Hongjian, also known as Ji, with the courtesy name Jici. He went by the pseudonyms Jinglingzi, Sangzhuweng, and Donggangzi. A lifelong tea enthusiast, expert in the art of tea, skilled in poetry and calligraphy, he became world-renowned for authoring the world’s first monograph on tea — The Classic of Tea, leaving behind an eternal legacy.

Lu Yu had a difficult and legendary life. According to the Tianmen County Annals, Shangrao County Annals, and Lu Yu’s autobiography, he was born around the twenty-first year of the Kaiyuan era during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (733), and was abandoned in infancy in Tianmen… More details about Lu Yu ++

Zhu, reigned for 17 years.

Zhu was the son of Shaokang. He participated in the war led by his father to restore the Xia Dynasty and achieved many military accomplishments. He invented armor and spears, and led extensive campaigns against the Dongyi tribes, achieving victory.

Zhu, also known as Jizhu, was a ruler of the Xia Dynasty. His birth and death dates are unknown. He was the son of Shaokang and succeeded him after Shaokang’s death from illness. He reigned for 17 years, died of illness, and was buried near Anyi. Zhu was shrewd and capable, assisting his father Shaokang in defeating the power of the Han clan and revitalizing the Xia Dynasty. During his reign, he invented armor made from animal hides, which shielded soldiers from enemy stone blades and arrows, greatly enhancing combat effectiveness… More details about Zhu ++