Cranes' Cry Tribute Tea

Cranes' Cry Tribute Tea

　　“Cranes' Cry Tribute Tea” is a health beverage with Taoist characteristics, made from tea leaves harvested in Mount Cranes' Cry and nearby mountains, and scientifically processed. It is sold both domestically and internationally.

　　  The recorded history of tribute tea culture forms part of Taoist culture. As early as the time when King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang Dynasty, small southwestern states such as Ba and Shu offered their tea as tribute. From this, it can be inferred that China’s tea drinking, planting, and processing history may date back three to four thousand years or even longer. According to experts, the components of tea have medicinal effects such as benefiting the spirit, delighting the heart and spleen, opening the soul, and revealing truth — making it a beverage often consumed by Taoist cultivators. The Qing Dynasty’s “Dayi County Annals · Food and Goods” records: “The tea from Mount Cranes' Cry in the county has excellent flavor and quality.” Legend has it that Cranes' Cry Tea is produced in the mountains around the Laojun Hall, with only one tea plant per year. When brewed, its leaves take on the shape of a crane, or some say the steam condenses into the likeness of a crane. Its color, aroma, and taste are all exceptional. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was designated as tribute tea and also served as an offering in the Cranes' Cry Taoist Temple rituals. The “Cranes' Cry Tribute Tea” produced by Dayi Cranes' Cry Tribute Tea Factory is made from tea leaves harvested in Mount Cranes' Cry and nearby mountains, and scientifically processed. It is a health beverage with Taoist characteristics, sold both domestically and internationally.

　　Ancient Texts Record:

　　The Qing Dynasty’s Tongzhi-era “Dayi County Annals · Food and Goods”: “The tea from Mount Cranes' Cry in the county has the finest flavor.”

　　The Qing Dynasty’s Zhang Wugang’s “Ode to Tea in the Mist”: “Distinguishing unique flavors among rocky cliffs, seeking rare treasures at Heavenly Pillar.” The “Dayi Local Annals”: “Cranes' Cry Tea is produced in the mountains around the Laojun Hall. Legend says that during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was designated as tribute tea. When brewed, its leaves take the shape of a crane, or some say the steam condenses into the likeness of a crane. Its color, aroma, and taste are all exceptional, making it highly precious.” The Republican-era “Dayi County Annals · Food and Goods” contains the same account.

　　Legend has it that the tea gardens are located in Dayi County on the western edge of the Chengdu Plain, which is known as “seven parts mountain, one part water, two parts field.” Layer upon layer of tea bushes on the rolling hills resemble waves, and every tea tree is lush and green.

　　  Legend says that the Taoist Zhang Sanfeng taught in Cranes' Cry and heard that the tea from Mount Cranes' Cry was good only if a white crane had perched on the tree. Sanfeng found the tree where a white crane had rested and marked it. The next day, he picked its leaves to make tea. When he put a bit of it in a bowl and poured boiling water over it, he saw the tea leaves slowly unfold into shapes resembling flying white cranes. Suddenly, one flew out of the bowl and transformed into an old man with a childlike face and white hair, then vanished into thin air. Sanfeng planted seeds from this tree all over Mount Cranes' Cry, made tea but did not offer it to officials — instead, he gave the tea to local villagers, curing many of their strange and difficult illnesses. Later, the old man helped Zhang Sanfeng become an immortal. The tea from Mount Cranes' Cry was also officially designated as tribute tea by the imperial court.

　　Production Situation: The tea-producing area. Dayi County is one of the key demonstration counties in China’s national ecological environment construction projects. The region features a mix of mountains, hills, and plains, with fertile land, mild climate, and abundant rainfall. The hilly areas are suitable for tea tree growth and have a long history of tea production. In recent years, companies such as Cranes' Cry Mountain Tea Co., Ltd. have become leading enterprises in the county's tea production, processing, and sales. Their “Cranes' Cry Mountain Tribute Tea” has won numerous awards at national, provincial, and municipal expos. To fully leverage resource and regional advantages, accelerate adjustments in agricultural industrial structure, and effectively increase farmers’ income, the county has integrated the development of high-quality tea with ecological environment construction, based on its resources and production conditions. This aims to build a large-scale, high-grade, pollution-free, and highly profitable eco-friendly premium tea production base. Advanced technologies will be used to achieve industrialized management through processing and sales. A high-quality tea seedling breeding base is planned for Chujian Town; a high-quality tea garden base is planned for Cranes' Cry, Wushan, Xiayuan, Chujian, and Huashuiwan towns; the transformation of “double-low” tea gardens is planned for Xinchang, Jinxing, Xiayuan, Chujian, and Xiling towns; and the renovation of tea processing enterprises is planned for the “Cranes' Cry Mountain Tribute Tea Factory” in Jinyuan Town and the “Tiangongmiao Tea Factory” in Tiangongmiao Town.

　　Project Construction Scale and Total Investment: Establish a high-quality tea seedling breeding base of 1,000 mu, a high-quality tea garden base of 2,000 mu, renovate 3,000 mu of “double-low” tea gardens, and upgrade two tea processing factories, with a total investment of 36.5 million yuan.

　　Benefit Analysis: Upon completion, the project is expected to process 4,300 tons of fresh tea leaves annually, produce 1,000 tons of commercial tea, generate annual sales revenue of 74.2 million yuan, and yield tax and profit of 11 million yuan, with an investment payback period of four years.

　　Famous Tea Gathering: The “2007 Chengdu Five Golden Flowers Tea Event – Taste Chengdu’s Famous Teas, Promote Regional Cooperation” was held in Sansheng Flower Village. Four regional famous teas — Dujiangyan’s “Qingcheng Tribute Hall,” Qionglai’s “Xinhua Tea,” Pujiang’s “Jiazhu Tea,” and Dayi’s “Cranes' Cry Mountain Tribute Tea” — were all presented together in Sansheng Flower Village. A 400-year-old Qiongzhou tribute tea — “Dragon Phoenix Cake Tea” — was unexpectedly displayed on-site. It is said that this tea predates the tribute tea stored in the Forbidden City by over 200 years.