Songyang Tea

Songyang Tea

　　Songyang Tea

　　Songyang Tea, which has been produced on a considerable scale since the Three Kingdoms period, as recorded in historical texts, and by the Ming and Qing dynasties, its reputation for high-quality tea had grown even stronger

　　. According to the *Songyang County Annals*,

　　in 1929, Songyang Tea won the first prize at the West Lake International Exposition. In recent years, building upon its rich tea cultural heritage, the county has

　　developed and produced seven famous teas, including “Yinhou,” “Yufeng,” and “Wanshou Tea.” In 1984, Songyang’s “Yinhou”

　　was recognized as a provincial-level famous tea. In 1991, it was honored as a Chinese Cultural Famous Tea at the Hangzhou International Tea Culture Festival. “Songyang Yufeng”

　　was rated as a provincial-level famous tea in 1988. In the same year, Songyang’s finely processed “Mecha Tea” won the Palm Award at the 24th World Food Expo. All of Songyang’s premium teas share common characteristics: tender picking, refined processing, unique appearances and internal qualities, embodying the style of high-mountain teas, truly making them treasures among teas. Their tender green and clear soup color, fresh and mellow taste, and rich, refreshing aroma never fail to impress tea connoisseurs.

　　“Songyang Yinhou” dates back 1,800 years to the Three Kingdoms period. By the Tang Dynasty, it was cultivated by the renowned Taoist priest Ye Fashan, who followed Lu Yu’s *Classic of Tea* and used the soil and water of Maoshan to grow what came to be called “Maoshan Immortal Tea.” It entered the imperial court and won the deep favor of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and successive monarchs, later becoming a tribute tea to the royal household. The great Song Dynasty literatus Su Dongpo once composed a poem with Songyang notable Zujian praising Maoshan Immortal Tea during a tea session: “Tiantai’s milk-like blossoms unseen in this world, where now is Yuchuan’s wind through the armpits?”