Five Pillars Mountain Tea in Wuhua

Five Pillars Mountain Tea in Wuhua

　　 Five Pillars Mountain in Wuhua County is located in Mianyang Town in the southeastern part of Wuhua County, Meizhou City, with the highest elevation reaching 870 meters. It has a tea-growing history of over 300 years and is one of the nine renowned tea-producing regions in Meizhou City.

　　 Upon first visiting Five Pillars Mountain, I was reminded of the beautiful folk song “Eighteen Bends on the Mountain Road.” I imagine the bends on Five Pillars Mountain must be no fewer than eighteen. The car winds its way around the mountain—from the foot, to the mid-slopes, all the way to the summit. The sheer cliffs beside the road and the perilous journey truly make one’s heart race. The mountain is shrouded in mist like a fairyland, much like the steam rising when boiling water meets a teacup. A closer sniff seems to bring the faint fragrance of tea. One can’t help but think this mountain must harbor celestial herbs, perhaps even the “auspicious grass sovereign” praised by Du Mu.

　　 Legend has it that in the 55th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1790), Zeng Qiongbei passed the imperial martial examination and ranked second, as the Zhuangyuan of the second class. According to the old system at the time, before the results were publicly announced, the candidate’s family background and feng shui had to be investigated—whether their hometown had famous mountains and great rivers, and whether they came from an esteemed and noble place. When asked if such conditions were met, Zeng Qiongbei calmly replied: “My home faces the Sharp Mountain, backs onto Five Pillars Mountain, with the Lotus Mountain on the left and the Big Dipper on the right.” The emperor then sent officials to investigate. Unfortunately, it was the rainy season, and the officials, exhausted and weary, encountered an old farmer herding ducks in the fields at the mountain’s base. When asked how big the mountain was, the farmer replied, “I’ve been herding ducks at the foot of this mountain for some years now, and I still haven’t managed to walk all the way around it.” Later, as the officials ventured up the mountain, they were thwarted by dense forests and thick underbrush. The heavy mountain fog obscured the summit, so they asked how high the mountain really was. The guide responded, “I’ve heard our elders say: ‘This mountain is three feet and three inches from the sky; people have to bow their heads to pass, and horses have to be unbridled.’” The officials nearly fainted from the reply. Before they could reach the summit, their time ran out, and they returned to the capital to report to the emperor, who approved the assessment. Thus, Five Pillars Mountain became even more famous.

　　 On Five Pillars Mountain, there is a vegetarian hall called Peach Blossom Cave. According to the Wuhua County Annals, Peach Blossom Cave was built during the Ming Dynasty. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, local farmers vigorously reclaimed and developed new tea plantations, and Peach Blossom Cave became the site of the earliest tea processing factory. Five Pillars Mountain has long cultivated small-leaf tea, affectionately referred to by locals as “home tea.” After the 1950s, varieties such as Yunnan large-leaf tea, Meizhan, and Phoenix Narcissus were introduced. However, due to wildfires, neglect, and other factors, Five Pillars Mountain tea was once abandoned, overgrown with weeds, and almost no traces of tea plants could be found. In recent years, Five Pillars Mountain has been contracted and managed by local benefactor Mr. Song Wennan. He cleared away the overgrown grass, rediscovered ancient tea trees, improved water and fertilizer facilities, used organic fertilizers, and strengthened management to restore the traditional small-leaf green tea as quickly as possible.

　　 Five Pillars Mountain green tea is renowned for its exquisite handmade craftsmanship. Local tea masters believe that no matter how good the tea trees are, only good processing techniques can produce fine tea. To better inherit the traditional handmade tea-making techniques of Five Pillars Mountain, Mr. Song Wennan plans to apply for recognition of this craft as an intangible cultural heritage of the world.

　　 A local literati, Zeng Gu’an, once composed a humorous dialect poem praising Five Pillars Mountain tea:

　　 The tea master’s skill is refined,     With every leaf producing the pop of paper firecrackers.

　　 Half-asleep at midnight,     A single pot revives the spirit.

　　 There are also many tea poems, tea couplets, and mountain songs circulating about Five Pillars Mountain. For example, a tea poem:

　　 Drinking your fine tea, I cherish your kindness,     The cup reflects shadows that mirror one’s own.

　　 Swallowing cup and tea alike,     I’ll never forget this bond in this lifetime.

　　 And a mountain song:

　　 The maiden in the village is a blooming flower,     Like tender young tea from the high mountain.

　　 The lad is like the mountain stream water,     The best water brews the finest tea.

　　 And a tea couplet:

　　 Amidst worldly dust, three cups of wine;

　　 For great endeavors through the ages, one pot of tea.

　　 (By Huang Xiuxin and Huang Haiying)

　　 Source: Meizhou Daily