Huizhou Immortal Tea

Huizhou Immortal Tea

　　Why is it called Immortal Tea? According to the *Huizhou Township Chronicles*, legend has it that Immortal Tea was personally planted by the immortal master Ge Hong. It is said that immortals once played chess atop Qipan Ridge on the mountain. After drinking tea, they tossed the leaves onto the hillside, where they later took root and sprouted. This tea hits the market around eight or nine days before or after the Qingming Festival.

　　Immortal Tea is also known as Shanzhi Tea. It is a wild, semi-arboreal tea that grows scattered amid the misty clouds of the Nibishan Mountains in rugged highlands. Its efficacy surpasses that of other types of tea, with particularly notable medicinal effects. First, it treats excessive internal heat, i.e., clears heat and relieves summer heat. Second, it aids with gastrointestinal discomfort and loss of appetite. Third, it promotes diuresis — after heavy sweating leads to difficulty urinating, drinking Immortal Tea promptly yields remarkably effective results.

　　Immortal Tea is a specialty of Huizhou, said to have a history of a thousand years. The wild Huizhou Immortal Tea is found only in the high-altitude regions of Duozhu, Baipenzhu, Gaotan, and Baokou in Huizhou. According to the book *Our Huizhou*, which specializes in introducing Huizhou specialties, the tea from Shuangjieding (Mountain), at the border of Mashan and Gaotan in the Wuqin Ridge Mountain Range of Huizhou County, is considered the most authentic.