Meishan Dongpo Emerald Bamboo

Meishan Dongpo Emerald Bamboo

　　Meishan Dongpo Emerald Bamboo is a famous specialty of Meishan City, Sichuan Province. Legend has it that this green tea was created by the great Northern Song Dynasty literary master Su Dongpo. It features a flat, straight, and smooth appearance with pointed ends, resembling bamboo leaves, along with uniformly green leaves. It is celebrated for its four excellences: green color, rich aroma, mellow taste, and beautiful shape, winning the hearts of tea drinkers.

　　Meishan Dongpo Emerald Bamboo is a green tea created by the great Northern Song Dynasty literary master Su Dongpo. Su Dongpo was an expert in tea appreciation, with unique insights and innovations in brewing, tasting, medicinal use, and tea production. “Rather than stuffing oneself with five thousand volumes of text, I’d rather have a cup of tea when I wake from a deep sleep.” Brewing and savoring tea were indispensable parts of Su Dongpo’s daily life. hgF Sichuan Flavor Net Sichuan Food Website

　　In the second year of the Jiayou era during the Northern Song Dynasty, while the Three Sus—Su Xun, Su Shi, and Su Zhe—were renowned in the capital, their mother, Lady Cheng, passed away. The three returned to Sichuan for the funeral. After completing the mourning rites, the Dongpo brothers went to Mount Emei to fulfill a vow. Upon arriving at Baoguo Temple, they followed a winding mountain path to Wannian Temple. Behind the temple, the hillside was covered with lush tea trees. These tea trees were particularly unique, with thick, slender leaves that curled slightly inward and featured a clear vein pattern resembling the segments of a bamboo stalk. Su Dongpo was overjoyed, realizing these were the tea trees that produced tribute tea during the Tang Dynasty. He completely forgot about fulfilling his vow, quickly picked a large bundle of fresh leaves, and hurried back home with his brother Su Zhe. hgF Sichuan Flavor Net Sichuan Food Website

　　 Su Dongpo carefully processed the freshly picked leaves through pan-firing, rolling, roasting, drying, and sunning to produce high-quality tea. On that day, he invited his father and brother to taste the tea he had brewed. His father, Su Xun, sipped slowly and remarked that the tea had a deliciously sweet flavor, with an aroma that penetrated deeply, exclaiming, “Good tea, good tea!” Su Dongpo then turned to Su Zhe and asked, “Sipping this tea, one feels as if united with heaven and earth, losing all sense of self and surroundings. Do you know why this tea is so refreshing and fragrant?” “I truly don’t know,” Su Zhe replied. “Please enlighten me, elder brother!” Su Dongpo smiled and said, “The tea I brewed today comes from the tea trees used for Tang Dynasty tribute tea. The processing methods are meticulous, ensuring naturally superior tea quality. Secondly, I used spring water from the Elder’s Spring at Maoyi Temple to brew it. This spring water has a gentle, sweet, and smooth quality that preserves the tea’s true character, enhances its fragrance, soothes the throat, and stimulates saliva. Thirdly, I boiled the water in a clay pot, using mulberry roots as fuel, and brewed the tea in a purple clay teapot, resulting in a pure, mellow, fragrant, and beautifully colored tea—the saying goes, ‘Mulberry branches simmer in clay pots, tribute tea brewed in purple clay.’ Fourth, I served the tea in white porcelain bowls, showcasing the tea’s fresh, vibrant color. A good pot of tea can nurture Zen within the mundane, bringing tranquility and far-reaching thoughts.” Su Zhe, moved by his brother’s words, sincerely admired, “Elder brother, you’ve truly grasped the subtle essence described in Huang Daofu’s *Essentials of Tea Tasting*. I’m nowhere near your level!” Su Dongpo quickly bowed and replied, “The study of tea ceremony is boundless; I’ve only scratched the surface!” Hearing their discussion, Su Xun was delighted and added, “Look at this tea’s color—it’s not only fresh and vibrant but also has leaves standing upright in the cup, neither sinking nor floating, nor scattering apart. They resemble segments of green bamboo. In terms of form, color, taste, and charm, it far surpasses the tribute tea of the Tang Dynasty. What fine tea!” Su Dongpo smiled contentedly. hgF Sichuan Flavor Net Sichuan Food Website

　　Later, when Su Dongpo returned to the capital for official duties, he brought this tea to Kaifeng and gifted it to his mentor, Ouyang Xiu. Ouyang Xiu, a leader in the literary world, praised it highly after tasting. Some were dissatisfied and challenged Dongpo to a tea competition. This challenger was Cai Xiang, one of the Four Great Calligraphers of the Song Dynasty. hgF Sichuan Flavor Net Sichuan Food Website

　　Cai Xiang, a native of southern Fujian, believed that Fujian tea was superior to Sichuan tea. One day, Cai Xiang and Su Dongpo each brought premium teas from their hometowns to Ouyang Xiu’s residence. After some pleasantries, they began their tea competition. Fujian tea was bold and rich, while Sichuan tea was fresh and natural. After tasting, everyone felt that Sichuan tea had a slight edge. Ouyang Xiu called Su Dongpo aside and asked, “Logically, Sichuan and Fujian teas are equally matched, yet today, this tea tastes even fresher than usual. What’s the reason?” Su Dongpo smiled at his teacher and said, “The art of drinking tea lies beyond the tea itself. The water I used today was clarified from bamboo root-soaked water, then boiled before brewing—the result is naturally superior.” Ouyang Xiu exclaimed, “You sly one, hiding such a trick. I know you’ve always loved bamboo. Let’s call this tea ‘Dongpo Emerald Bamboo’!” From then on, the name “Dongpo Emerald Bamboo” spread far and wide. hgF Sichuan Flavor Net Sichuan Food Website

　　Later still, Su Dongpo faced successive demotions, eventually exiled to Hainan. There, in Danzhou, he wrote the poem *Drawing Well Water to Brew Tea*, which reads: “Living water must be boiled with living fire; / I draw it myself from the fishing stone’s deep. / A gourd stores moonlight in a spring jar’s keep; / A spoon scoops river waves into a night flask’s sweep. / Tea rain has stirred where the kettle’s foot lies; / Pine winds burst forth as the pour makes noise. / My starved guts can scarce take three bowls of this brew; / I lie listening to the wild town’s uneven chime.” This perhaps best reflects Su Dongpo’s deepest insights into the art of tea. hgF Sichuan Flavor Net Sichuan Food Website

　　Time passed, and the story of Su Dongpo and “Dongpo Emerald Bamboo” has been passed down through generations. Today, in Su Dongpo’s hometown—Meishan City, Sichuan Province—“Shidianli Tea Industry” has invested heavily to develop this treasured tea. The fresh leaves are sourced from the high-altitude tea regions deep in the misty mountains of Mount Emei. The production process is extremely refined, resulting in a tea that is pure and serene. With each sip, the unity of “tea and Zen” gathers in the heart, bringing a sense of joy and endless delight. hgF Sichuan Flavor Net Sichuan Food Website

　　Dongpo Emerald Bamboo features a flat, straight, and smooth appearance with pointed ends, resembling bamboo leaves, along with uniformly green leaves. It boasts a rich inner fragrance, a jade-green soup color, and a sweet, mellow taste. Upon drinking, its orchid-like aroma fills the palate. Celebrated for its four excellences—green color, rich aroma, mellow taste, and beautiful shape—it is deeply loved by tea enthusiasts. hgF Sichuan Flavor Net Sichuan Food Website