The Three Treasures of Tea Tasting

The Three Treasures of Tea Tasting

　　“Tea is the divine spirit, water is the body of tea, and the teaware enhances the tea’s virtues.” In our Changxing County, the Zisun Tea, Jinsha Spring water, and purple clay teapot were tributes to the imperial court as early as the Tang Dynasty. By the Song Dynasty, they had earned the grand praise of “purple teapots surpassing all under heaven,” making them the “Three Treasures of Tea Tasting.” 　　Zisun Tea is produced in Gusu Village, Shuikou Township of our county. Here, towering peaks and overlapping ridges, large streams flow through the valley. The water vapor from Taihu Lake rises straight down into the valley and wafts upward, creating naturally perfect conditions for growing tea. During the Tang Dynasty, Lu Yu wrote The Classic of Tea here, and Emperor Daizong of Tang designated it as a tribute tea. During every tea season, the prefects of Huzhou and Changzhou were ordered to oversee the production of tribute tea, employing tens of thousands of workers. Gusu Mountain was adorned with flags and tents, while Taihu Lake was dotted with painted pleasure boats—an unprecedented grand spectacle. The tea was wrapped in dragon-patterned cloth, and the water stored in silver bottles, with five batches sent urgently to Chang’an each year. Lu Yu wrote in The Classic of Tea: “Purple leaves are superior, sprout-shaped leaves are superior, wild-grown leaves are superior”—his evaluation of Zisun Tea. Today, Zisun Tea is a nationally recognized famous tea and has won the Gold Award at the Beijing Agricultural Expo.

Jinsha Spring is located at the foot of Gusu Mountain. It is a high-quality radon- and metasilicic-acid-rich mineral water certified at the national level. Currently, mineral water brands such as “Great Tang Tribute Spring,” “Jinsha Spring,” and “Jinsha Tribute Spring” are sold on the market. In the Tang Dynasty, it earned its name from the phenomenon of “emerald springs gushing sand, shining like golden stars.” The famous Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu once praised: “The tender spring gushes gold, the sprout tea is sliced from purple jade.” An ancient text titled On Tea Tasting stated: “Brewing Zisun Tea with Jinsha water achieves its full excellence; using water from other places brings only half the effect.” Brewing Zisun Tea with Jinsha water results in a vibrant green color, orchid-like fragrance, sweet taste, refreshing mouthfeel, and rich flavor.

The purple clay teapot is another treasure of Changxing’s tea culture and enjoys the reputation of being the finest among teawares. It has won numerous awards in China. Notably, ten of the “World’s Largest Teapots” have been crafted here, with one placed in front of the lobby of the China National Tea Museum, further enhancing the prestige of “Changxing Purple Clay.” The purple clay resources in Changxing come from the same mineral vein as those in the pottery capital of Dingshan. The clay features a purple hue that is neither gaudy nor faded, a red tone that is neither too bright nor garish, and a black shade that is neither dull nor sooty. Through raw material grinding and blending, and using techniques such as stacking, pinching, and molding, the teapots are shaped either after motifs like pine, bamboo, plum, melons, fruits, or animals, or modeled after ancient objects such as Qin and Han dynasty vessels, antiques, or figures. Some giant teapots stand as tall as children, while smaller ones fit snugly in the palm of your hand. They are engraved with poetry and paintings, precious as jade pendants and treasured like rare jewels. There is a saying: “Finding a teapot crafted by a master is worth more than any priceless treasure.” (Changxing)