Huang Yuanqi
On a high mountain in the Bada Mountains of Yunnan, China, there is a primeval forest of the Great Black Mountain. It is densely forested and lined with valleys, and has bred many ancient tea trees that are more than hundreds of years old. Tea trees coexist with the forest, and there are many small tea trees that naturally grow after the tea seeds fall to the ground in the forest, relaying the old trees of excellent quality. Not far away, Zhanglang Old Village has a long history and is full of ancient tea gardens.
Alpine forests with wild tea trees
Zhanglang Village
According to the Baye Sutra treasured by the Zhanglang Ancient Buddhist Monastery, more than 1,400 years ago, the Buddhist disciple Maha Bak returned from Sri Lanka with an elephant carrying the scriptures, and when he came to the Ngong Stomping Mountains (now the location of the Zhanglang Ancient Buddhist Monastery), because it was winter, the freezing rain suddenly fell, and the elephants were frozen and could not lie on their knees. Nearby villagers rushed to help Maha pick up firewood and light a raging fire to keep the elephants cold.
Later, Mahabharat built a pagoda here and mobilized the people of the surrounding villages to move to the current address and form a village, named "Zhanglang" to commemorate the work of the elephant driving the scriptures. At that time, they called it "Jingsang", which means "the place where the ancestors lived".
Zhanglang Village is inseparable from the elephant
The 1400-year-old White Elephant Temple
Zhanglang has "six thousand-year-old treasures": ancient villages, ancient temples, ancient wells, tea trees, tea farmers and tea customs.
There are still relatively complete historical relics of Brown tea culture preserved here, and the Brown Ecological Museum has been built in the village, and the living fossil-like tangible cultural heritage and intangible cultural heritage survive in the daily life of the villagers, and they are inseparable from tea for a lifetime.
As the saying goes, "where the Browns stayed, there are thousands of years old tea trees", and now it is the main tea producing area in Yunnan.
tea
In the long river of history, the Brown people who have received the blessings of ancient tea trees since ancient times have precipitated a rich tea culture and also gathered a unique tea art. The Browns are descendants of the Pu people, who were the first to discover and cultivate tea trees. During the Han and Jin dynasties, the Pu people were distributed on both sides of the lancang in present-day Yunnan and in the area west. The Browns live deep in the mountains and are their offshoot. Ancient tea trees contain important humanistic significance, Zhanglang people regard it as a sacred treasure, not only will sacrifice ancient tea trees and tea ancestors, but also in the wedding and funeral with tea as a gift, pull into the distance between people.
Brown "Ancestor Song"
Yan Leng is our hero,
The cold rock is our ancestor,
It was he who left us bamboo huts and tea trees
It was he who left us the crutches of survival
In the ancient songs and folklore that have been passed down for thousands of years, tea leaves are brought back to the village by Yan Leng to be artificially transplanted and cultivated, and named "La", which is equivalent to "tea" in Chinese.
The superior ecological environment provides raw materials for the tea cultivation and development of the Brown people. Ancient tea farmers have accumulated rich experience in growing tea and making tea. Every year in April, the head tea of Zhanglang Village ripens. Dressed in black and blue tops and colorful wrapped skirts, Brown women have grasped the timing of tea picking, and skillfully climbed up ancient tea trees to pick fresh tea leaves. Zhanglang ancient tree tea leaves are oval in shape, the leaf surface is raised, the leaf body is dorsal arched or inward folded, the leaf texture is soft, the leaf color is dark green, the leaf tip is gradually pointed or tail tip, and the leaf base is wedge-shaped. The fragrance is special, like orchids like honey like wildflowers, and the mountain wild atmosphere is strong.
Tea farmers pick tea from trees
They are also expert tea makers, good at using the soil method to make loose tea: the fresh tea leaves are boiled in a hot pot, and when the fresh leaves change color and become soft, they are placed on a bamboo dustpan and kneaded into strips by hand, and then the tea leaves are naturally dried. Such loose tea cords are tightly knotted black and shiny, and are not easy to deteriorate.
Bamboo tube tea is an ancient method of making tea leaves: use the tip of the tender tea to fry dry in an iron pot, stuff it into the fragrant bamboo tube while it is hot, until it is filled, pressed firmly, and then sealed with bamboo shoot leaves. The bamboo tube is then placed on the fire and baked, and the roasting is constantly turned. When the bamboo tube smells of burnt incense, the heat arrives. The bamboo tube is peeled off after cooling, and the high and elegant aroma of the bamboo blends with the aroma of tea. A tube of fragrant teapots refreshes the heart.
As a unique way of tasting tea, locals will use bamboo tea mixed with honey to entertain distinguished guests. They first cut a piece of fresh bamboo with a thick bowl, using the bamboo tube as a teapot, sharpening one end and inserting it into the ground. Pour boiling water and roasted bamboo tea leaves, and then divide into bamboo cups with honey for guests to enjoy tea. At this time, the sweetness of honey, the clarity of spring water, and the richness of tea are integrated, and it has a unique flavor and is unforgettable.
Bamboo tube tea
Sour tea is a very Brown national practice. In the hot and humid May of each year, in order to avoid internal stagnation, they cook fresh tea and put it in the shade to ferment. When the tea is sour, it is loaded into a bamboo tube and buried in the soil. Four months of time has made a barrel of sour tea with medicinal value, and locals, young and old, have the habit of chewing sour tea, which is said to quench thirst and help digestion.
In addition to the beneficial sour tea, simmered rice tea is another example of tea in medicine. This tea is made with a unique ingredient, which is brewed by first placing an earthen pot in a fire and roasting it, and then adding glutinous rice to roast with the tea leaves. Then add several herbs such as tongguanshan, sweet baijie, ginger slices, loquat leaves, etc., soak in boiling boiling water, and finally season with brown sugar, put back in the fire and cook for a few minutes. A jar of dark red color, medicinal tea that can treat colds and coughs, is made.
Yan Kanlong, a villager in Zhanglang Laozhai, opened a tea shop that combines the fresh leaves of ancient tea trees picked with modern craftsmanship to make refined raw Pu'er. Lush ancient tea trees are the best raw material for Yunnan large-leaf Pu'er tea. Whenever the spring tea season comes, his whole family works together to process the tea leaves. The young leaves of large-leaf tea are finely processed, such as greening, kneading, drying, and post-ripening, which can be made into a rich Pu'er. The soup is golden and bright, and the soup is delicate and full. The entrance is slightly bitter but smooth back. The tea aroma is rich and the tea aroma is strong.
Tea farmers pick green
Zhanglang tea
He often said: "Zhanglang's ancient tea trees grow naturally in the high mountains, and if you go to look for them, you have to walk several difficult mountain roads, and the process of climbing trees is also full of thrills." When I was a child, I used to confront snakes on trees, and although it was hard to pick, the quality of wild tea trees was definitely better than that of artificial cultivation, so no matter how bitter it was, it had to be obtained. The ancient tea tree is the friend of the village, we must not only love it, but also let more and more people know that Zhanglang's tea has been precious since ancient times. "Many tea farmers like Yan Kanlong in Zhanglang Village silently guard the land and traditions left by their ancestors with cups of luscious tea.
Editor-in-charge: Zhu Zhe
Proofreader: Luan Meng