Lao'e Mountain Zen Tea

Lao'e Mountain Zen Tea

　　Danling County is a national-level ecological demonstration zone. The mountain slopes around Lao'e Mountain in the county, at altitudes of 700–800 meters, are particularly suitable for tea cultivation. Its teas are renowned for their “naturally vibrant green color and rich, fragrant taste.” Today, Danling’s agricultural industrialization has taken initial shape, with the local tea industry becoming one of the four pillar industries of Danling’s agriculture. The county has 40,000 mu of tea plantations, an annual output of 5,700 tons, and a production value of 31 million yuan. Additionally, there are six tea processing enterprises, one of which has obtained organic food certification. At the same time, many local tea farmers have achieved a well-off life through the development of the tea industry.

The tea culture of Lao'e Mountain has a long and storied history, with over 2,000 years of tea cultivation. According to the *Mingshan County Annals*, Wu Lizhen, the “Tea Ancestor,” transplanted seven sacred tea bushes from Lao'e Mountain to Mengding Mountain. Ancient stone tablets record that Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin, loved drinking Lao'e Mountain tea and ordered local officials to present it as tribute to the royal family, thus spreading the fame of Lao'e Mountain’s celestial tea far and wide. During the Ming Dynasty, Lao'e Mountain tea was the exclusive tea of the Shu King’s Court. Emperor Shu and He once personally led people to Lao'e Mountain to repair the tribute tea route. Up until the late Qing Dynasty, Lao'e Mountain tea remained a tribute to the imperial court.

The history of Lao'e Mountain Zen Tea began in the late Tang Dynasty. Ke Peng, a renowned poet-monk from Danling County, had a great fondness for the celestial tea of Lao'e Mountain. He often engaged in long sessions of tea tasting and Zen discussions with Master Qide of Tianmu Temple on Lao'e Mountain, delving deeply into the art of tea. This marked the origin of Lao'e Mountain Zen Tea. Since then, the techniques of Lao'e Mountain Zen Tea have been passed down through generations, with the tradition growing richer in content over time.