Maoping Maojian

Maoping Maojian

　　Maoping Maojian: Legend has it that Maoping Maojian tea originated during the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty (1620 AD). Zhu Ruhui, the fifth prince of Prince Wuchang, fled the political turmoil caused by Wei Zhongxian’s abuse of power. He went into seclusion on Mount Heng in Hunan, where he became a disciple of Monk Tianyue at Feihua Temple on Mount Heng, adopting the monastic name and shaving his head. Due to the frequent unrest of the times, he later moved to the upper reaches of Maoping City, built a hermitage at what is now Dabeian Temple, took the dharma name "Hengxing," and planted tea trees on both sides of the temple. He carefully cultivated them into a lush, verdant tea plantation. Eventually, through careful picking and processing, he produced a premium tea with a fragrant aroma, mellow taste, beautiful color, and refreshing, lung-nourishing, and mind-invigorating qualities—this tea came to be known as Maoping Maojian. In May 1982, at a famous tea evaluation conference, Professor Lu Songhou, a renowned tea expert from Hunan Agricultural College, commented after tasting and evaluating Maoping Maojian from Dayong: “Maoping Maojian is a top-grade green tea of the Mao Feng type, with slender, tender leaves covered in white down, and a glossy emerald-green color.” Soon after, Maoping Maojian entered the international market and was exported to countries such as Singapore and West Germany.