Wenjun Tea

Wenjun Tea

　　  Wenjun Tea has long been praised by literati and scholars for its unique ecological environment, exquisite processing techniques, and the legendary tale of Wenjun brewing tea at her wine stall. During the Song Dynasty, it gained widespread fame as an “imperial tribute tea.” Huqiu Imperial Tribute Tea is produced in the “No. 1 Tea Garden in the World” within the Huqiu Scenic Area in Pingle. In the Qing Dynasty, it was honored by Emperor Kangxi as the “No. 1 Tea Garden in the World” as an imperial tribute.

　　  Wenjun Green Tea derives its elegant name from the fact that it originates in Qionglai County, Sichuan Province, the hometown of Zhuo Wenjun, a talented woman of the Western Han Dynasty.

　　  Zhuo Wenjun was the beloved daughter of Zhuo Wangsun, a wealthy merchant in Linjiang (modern-day Qionglai), during the Han Dynasty. She was a renowned and versatile talent of her time, skilled in poetry, prose, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Left widowed in her youth, she lived at home. At the time, Sima Xiangru, a young, impoverished, yet brilliant literary figure and fu poet of the Han Dynasty, visited his classmate and friend Wang Ji, who was then the magistrate of Linjiang. Magistrate Wang hosted a banquet for Sima Xiangru and invited Zhuo Wangsun to join as well. Later, in an attempt to appear cultured and gain favor with the county magistrate, Zhuo Wangsun invited Sima Xiangru to his home. It was during this visit that Wenjun and Sima Xiangru fell in love at first sight, eloped, and went to Chengdu together. Eventually, to save face, Zhuo Wangsun had no choice but to bring his new son-in-law and beloved daughter back to Linjiang. However, they remained content with a simple life, making their own living by opening a tavern on the street, where “Wenjun tended the bar” and “Sima Xiangru washed the wine vessels.”

　　  Related Literature: Wenjun Green Tea. Today, in Qionglai County, the ancient relics of the “Wenjun Well” and “Qin Terrace” still remain. The great Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu, during his stay in Chengdu, wrote in his poem “Qin Terrace”: “Taverns thrive in the mortal world; at dusk, clouds gather over Qin Terrace.” In the “Qin Terrace” within Wenjun’s garden, there is a couplet that reads: “Breeze rustles the bamboo above the well, giving it rhythm; before the terrace, the ancient moon shines on the silent strings of the lute.” These poems and verses recount the timeless love story of Zhuo Wenjun and Sima Xiangru. After the death of her husband, many notable suitors pursued Zhuo Wenjun, but she chose the poor scholar Sima Xiangru. Sima Xiangru could play the lute, write poetry, and was handsome (as noted in Records of the Grand Historian: “remarkably dignified”). Zhuo Wenjun recognized his talent and deep affection, and they fell deeply in love. With nothing to their name, after eloping with Sima Xiangru, Zhuo Wenjun opened a tavern, became the proprietress herself, tending the bar while Sima Xiangru handled odd jobs. They didn’t care about being mocked. Later, Zhuo Wangsun, out of social pressure, helped support them, and from then on, the couple lived comfortably. Eventually, Sima Xiangru achieved fame. The story of Wenjun eloping with Xiangru became popular among the people and inspired later novels and operas. Sima Xiangru’s literary talent, Zhuo Wenjun’s beauty, tending the wine bar, growing old together while lamenting separation, the “Long Gate Fu,” and the “Farewell Letter” have all become timeless legends. The famous “Phoenix Seeking the Phoenix” remains widely circulated: “Phoenix, o phoenix, return to your homeland, roam the four seas seeking your mate. There is a beautiful lady in this hall, near yet far, breaking my heart. How can we unite as lovebirds?” As well as Zhuo Wenjun’s sorrowful and indignant “Song of White Hair”: “Today we drink together, tomorrow we part by the ditch. Treading lightly by the palace moat, the waters flow east and west. Heartbreak upon heartbreak—marriage need not bring tears. I long for one whose heart is true, to grow old with me and never part. Why are the bamboo poles so swaying, the fish so darting? A man should value loyalty, why care for wealth?”, and the mournful “Farewell Letter”: “Spring blossoms compete in fragrance, five colors outshine plain white. The zither remains in place, but new melodies replace the old. On the Jin River are mandarin ducks, in the Han Palace are pools—those things are renewed, alas how blind the world is to indulgence without awakening. Red strings snap, bright mirrors crack, morning dew dries, fragrant times fade. Song of White Hair, lamenting parting. Strive to eat well, do not think of me. The Jin River flows mighty—I bid you a long farewell!” Phoenix Seeking the Phoenix

　　  Zhuo Wenjun, a beautiful, intelligent woman well-versed in poetry and skilled at playing the lute. Sadly, she became a widow at just seventeen while still living in her parental home. One day at a banquet, moved by Sima Xiangru’s bold and romantic serenade “Phoenix Seeking the Phoenix,” Zhuo Wenjun—who had long admired his talent—fell head over heels in love at first sound. Yet their love met fierce opposition from her father. With her longing for love, determination to seek happiness, and extraordinary courage, Zhuo Wenjun escaped from the Zhuo family manor under the cover of darkness and eloped with the man she loved. They made a living by tending a wine bar. Though life was hard, their bond grew stronger. This remains one of the most romantic tales of elopement that has been passed down through the ages.