Yashan Rui Cao Kui Tea

Yashan Rui Cao Kui Tea

Yashan Rui Cao Kui Tea is a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　  Rui Cao Kui is produced on Yashan Mountain in southern Anhui, also known as Yashan Tea, and is a historically renowned tea. On Yashan Mountain, there are the ruins of the ancient Yashan Temple and Yashan Street, where the Yashan Tea was originally created. Yashan is a northerly-southerly spur of the Tianmu Mountain Range, with an elevation of 446 meters. Yashan is a northerly-southerly spur of the Tianmu Mountain Range, standing east to Xianghua Peak of Guangde, south to Gaofeng Mountain of Ningguo, north to Nan Yi Lake, and west to Longquan Cave of Bishan in Xuancheng. Historically part of Xuancheng, it now belongs to Langxi, located at the border between Langxi and Xuancheng.

　　  “The mountain is truly the finest in Eastern Wu; the tea is hailed as the king of Rui Cao. Though issuing seals may be a mundane task, presenting tribute is the work of immortal talent.” These are the exquisite and famous lines from the Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu’s poem “Inscription on Tea Mountain,” praising the fine tea — Rui Cao Kui.

　　  History

　　  Tea production in ancient Xuancheng’s Yashan Mountain is recorded in Lu Yu’s Classic of Tea during the Tang Dynasty. Rui Cao Kui is produced on Yashan Mountain in southern Anhui, also known as Yashan Tea, and is a historically renowned tea. On Yashan Mountain, there are the ruins of the ancient Yashan Temple and Yashan Street, where the Yashan Tea was originally created. Yashan is a northerly-southerly spur of the Tianmu Mountain Range, with an elevation of 446 meters. Yashan is a northerly-southerly spur of the Tianmu Mountain Range, standing east to Xianghua Peak of Guangde, south to Gaofeng Mountain of Ningguo, north to Nan Yi Lake, and west to Longquan Cave of Bishan in Xuancheng. Historically part of Xuancheng, it now belongs to Langxi, located at the border between Langxi and Xuancheng. The Five Dynasties’ Mao Wenxi’s Tea Spectrum records: “Xiaoshan in Xuancheng County has small square cakes spread horizontally with tender buds on top. The eastern side of the mountain is bathed in sunlight, called the sunny slope, where the tea is of the highest quality. The prefect once recommended it to the people of the capital, labeling it as Yangpo Horizontal Stripe Tea from Yashan.” The Northern Song Dynasty’s Mei Yaochen wrote in his poem “Replying to Zhang, the Clerk of Xuancheng, Who Sent Me Yashan Tea, Following His Rhyme”: “Once I read a poem, praising the tea charm of Yashan; the tea seeds were carried and born by the crow, hence sharing the mountain’s name, Crow. Emphasizing the first sprouts like flags, plucked through mist and rosy clouds. Though southern Jiang is rich in tea, no place has such tea. Delicate as a sparrow’s tongue, brewed like dewy sprouts. Everyone competes to collect and roast them in green reed baskets, not valuing wine-straining cloth...” The Ming Dynasty’s Wang Xiangjin’s A Compendium of Flowers and Plants specifies: “Yangpo Horizontal Stripe Tea from Yashan, also called Rui Cao Kui.” The Ming Dynasty’s Cao Xuequan’s Gazetteer of Scenic Spots states: “Yashan lies north of Jishan, produces tea, and is supplied as tribute tea. It is said: its taste is the same as that of Qizhou. Mei Xun wrote, ‘Tea is boiled on Yashan, snow fills the bowl.’” By the Qing Dynasty, there were even more historical records about Yashan Tea.

　　  Rui Cao Kui is named for the large angle between the main and lateral veins of its tea tree variety, which resemble horizontal textures, hence the name Horizontal Stripe Tea. Also, because it is produced on Yashan, it is called Yashan Tea. It has been famous nationwide for a thousand years and is indeed a unique gem among China’s historically renowned teas.  Rui Cao Kui

　　  Yashan is a northerly-southerly spur of the Tianmu Mountain Range, standing east to Xianghua Peak (Guangde County), south to Gaofeng Mountain (Ningguo County), north to Nan Yi Lake, and west to Longquan Cave of Bishan (Xuancheng City) tourist area. Historically under the jurisdiction of Xuancheng County, it has undergone several administrative changes and is now located in the border area between Yao Village in Langxi County and Shuidong in Xuancheng City. Yashan Tea is produced on the sunny slope of the eastern side of this mountain within Langxi. According to recent field investigations, the ruins of the ancient Yashan Temple and remains of Yashan can be found in Yongfeng Village, Yao Village Township, Langxi County. It is believed that Yashan Temple was the birthplace of Yashan Tea.

　　  Zhang Suomian of Ningguo County in the Qing Dynasty wrote in “Discrimination on Yashan”: “According to the Unified Gazetteer, Yashan has long produced tea for tribute, belonging to Jianping, hence this clarification.” Langxi County was historically called Jianping County, established in the first year of the Duan'gong era of the Song Dynasty (998 AD). The Qing Dynasty’s Tan Qian in Zao Lin Za Zu and Asitan in the Qing Hui Dian both recorded that Jianping County offered twenty-five jin of bud tea as annual tribute. Since Langxi County had no other historically renowned teas, this tribute tea refers to Rui Cao Kui. Furthermore, according to the Qing Dynasty’s Xuancheng County Annals: “At the foot of Yangpo Mountain, there was formerly excellent tea, named Rui Cao Kui, also called Horizontal Stripe.” “East of Shuidong, there are Xiangshan, Shishan, Shibishan, and Shuangfengshan (historically called Yashan) that produce horizontal stripe tea.” This extended the origin of horizontal stripe tea from the sunny slope of Yashan westward to the mountainous areas east of Shuidong. According to investigations by relevant departments of Xuancheng City in natural villages such as Bishan, Wangcun, and Qianjin in Shuidong Town,  Rui Cao Kui

　　  tea varieties over 50 years old have been discovered.

　　  In summary, there is no doubt that Rui Cao Kui, as an ancient tribute tea, was produced on the sunny slope of Yashan. However, due to its enduring fame since the Tang Dynasty, its production area extending beyond Yashan is only natural. As for whether the horizontal stripe tea of Shuidong or Yashan came first, there is no historical record to verify. But the superior reputation of Yashan’s sunny slope horizontal stripe tea is an undeniable historical fact. The current Rui Cao Kui was created between 1985 and 1986 on Yashan in Yongfeng Village, Yao Village, Langxi County.

　　  Place of Origin

　　  The rare tea Rui Kui is produced in Baiyanggang, Yao Village Township, south of Lang County, in the mountainous region of southern Anhui. It lies south of the provincial scenic area of Shifo Mountain and on the same latitude as the world-famous Huangshan and Jiuhua Mountains. This area boasts abundant tourism resources, high vegetation coverage, a warm and humid climate, abundant rainfall, and favorable conditions for the growth of various flora and fauna.

　　  The Tang Dynasty tribute tea “Rui Cao Kui” grows within the Baiyanggang scenic area. At an altitude of 487 meters on the sunny slope of Yashan, Baiyanggang features towering ancient trees, lush forests and bamboo, murmuring streams, and misty clouds. The tea fields have black gravelly sandy soil, especially suitable for tea growth. The tea plants are naturally wild and quite unique, with over 8,000 acres of harvestable fresh leaves. The finished tea has a flat and straight shape resembling a sparrow’s tongue, uniform in size, emerald green in color with hidden white fuzz, a high and lasting fragrance, a light yellow-green and clear soup color, a fresh and mellow taste, a rich aftertaste, making it a premium among fine teas. From the Tang to the Song, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, historical records of Rui Cao Kui are detailed. The Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu praised it: “The mountain is truly the finest in Eastern Wu; the tea is hailed as Rui Kui.”

　　  Regional Scope

　　  Yashan Rui Cao Kui is produced in seven townships in Langxi County, Anhui Province: Yao Village, Feili, Lingda, Shizi, Bijiao, Nanfeng, and Taocheng. Langxi is located in the southeast of Anhui Province, with geographical coordinates between 119°03′50″ to 119°20′49″ east longitude and 30°04′47″ to 31°15′41″ north latitude. It borders Guangde County to the east, adjoins Liyang City and Gaochun County of Jiangsu Province to the north, neighbors Xuancheng District to the west, and connects to Ningguo City to the south, covering a total land area of 1,090 square kilometers.