Huqiu Imperial Tea

Huqiu Imperial Tea

　　Huqiu Imperial Tea: A tea produced in the ancient town of Huqiu Mountain. Historical records state that Liu Jianguo, the magistrate of Qiongzhou, brought Huqiu tea to the imperial court as tribute. After tasting tribute teas from various regions, Emperor Kangxi praised Huqiu tea as the "Finest Tea Garden Under Heaven," hence the name Huqiu Imperial Tea.

　　Huqiu Imperial Tea from Qionglai is produced in Qionglai City, Chengdu, Sichuan—the hometown of Wenjun. Its history dates back to the Qin and Han dynasties and it was once the subject of poetry by Sima Xiangru, the great literatus of Sichuan. Records indicate that at the time, Qiongzhou tea was gathered alongside teas from Jiazhou and Yazhou at China’s earliest tea market—Wuyang (today's Shuangjiang Town in Pengshan, adjacent to Qionglai), and its fragrance spread across the land with the sound of caravan bells. T6n Sichuan Flavor, Sichuan Food Network

　　In ancient times, this tea was also called Huojing Tea. Qing dynasty scholar Wu Qiunong recorded: “Pan-fired tea, produced in Huojing Cao of Qionglai, wrapped in bamboo sheaths and sealed, was transported as far as Tibet. It had the strongest and most piercing flavor, capable of cleansing greasy and heavy tastes, and was treasured as a premium product.” After tasting it, Wu wrote: “Early spring in Qionglai yields pan-fired tea, reminiscent of tender Mengshan buds in green. Pressed into cakes with ancient style, purple rounds and disc shapes preserve the old charm. Carried by horses and carts, cities emptied for it. Mild in nature, rich in taste, it detoxifies plagues—when this tea appears, all others pale.” T6n Sichuan Flavor, Sichuan Food Network

　　Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty, renowned for his longevity, had a lifelong love for tea. The Qionglai County Annals record: one year, Kangxi issued an edict commanding that all tea gardens across the empire immediately send their produce to the capital for imperial tasting and evaluation. That year, tea gardens from all over, including Mount Mengding in Sichuan, eagerly complied with the decree, hoping to win the emperor’s favor—and the Qionglai Huqiu tea garden also urgently ordered Magistrate Liu Jianguo to bring the tea to the capital.

　　T6n Sichuan Flavor, Sichuan Food Network

　　Thus began China’s first officially organized tea evaluation event. Fine teas from hundreds of gardens were presented to Emperor Kangxi and his ministers bowl by bowl. But it wasn’t until the Huqiu tea was brewed that the emperor’s face lit up with delight, and he repeatedly praised it as excellent tea. On the spot, he conferred the title “Finest Tea Garden Under Heaven” upon the Huqiu Weir of Qionglai. Thereafter, Huqiu tea was sent as tribute every year, earning widespread acclaim as “Huqiu Imperial Tea.” In fact, records show that Huqiu tea from Qionglai had been documented as tribute tea as early as the Song dynasty. The Yuanfeng Jiuyu Zhi even specifies: there was a Huojing tea field (now the Huqiu Weir area of Qionglai), producing Qiongzhou tribute tea. The tea was pressed into two-liang cakes, imprinted with dragon and phoenix designs and gilded, with eight cakes forming a unit. But Emperor Kangxi’s imperial recognition of Huqiu tea as the “Finest Tea Garden Under Heaven” further solidified its distinguished status in the history of Chinese tribute teas. T6n Sichuan Flavor, Sichuan Food Network