Xinyang Maojian

Author: Li Wei / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: The history of Chinese tea has evolved over generations, originating from Shennong, spreading during the Qin and Han dynasties, flourishing in the Tang, and reaching its peak in the Song. In modern times, it experienced a relative decline. The history of Chinese tea is a unique journey from medicinal use to drinking, from drinking to appreciation, and from appreciation to culture. The history of Xinyang tea is closely intertwined with the development of Chinese society and the history of the tea industry. It has risen and fallen with the tides, and its prosperity and decline have mirrored the nation's fortunes, leading it to where it stands today.
The Tang Dynasty was an era of great expansion in China's tea industry. At that time, the country was divided into eight major tea-producing regions, covering 14 provinces and regions, including Henan. Xinyang was one of the 13 state-run key tea plantations. The area around Xinyang in Henan belonged to the Huainan tea-producing region, including Guangzhou, Yiyang Commandery, Shu Prefecture, Shou Prefecture, Qi Prefecture, and Huangzhou. Guangzhou at that time (including Gushi, Shangcheng, Xinxian, Huangchuan, and Guangshan) and Yiyang Commandery (including today's Xinyang City and Luoshan) had large areas of tea plantations. Among them, the tea from Huangtou Port in Guangshan was considered the best, and the tea from the valleys south of Zhongshan, where Xinyang and Luoshan meet, was also of high quality. The Huainan tea region, formed by Xinyang in Henan, central Anhui, and northern Hubei, was the second-largest tea-producing area in the Tang Dynasty, known for its superior tea quality.
During the Tang Dynasty, Xinyang tea was listed as a tribute to the imperial court. At that time, there were 16 prefectures in the country where tribute tea was produced, among which the tea from Chuyun Mountain in the western part of Yiyang Commandery was of exceptional quality. It is said that after Empress Wu Zetian drank this tea, her long-standing digestive ailments were cured, and her spirits were greatly lifted. She praised it immensely and ordered silver to be donated to build a Thousand-Buddha Pagoda at the summit of Chuyun Mountain. The white stones used to build the pagoda were transported from Luoyang. After more than a thousand years, although the pagoda has fallen into disrepair, it still stands atop the mountain, becoming a unique symbol of Xinyang tea history. The remnants of the pagoda gate and the inscriptions on the stone statues inside are still faintly legible. Historical records show that the Tang Dynasty began collecting tea taxes in 782 AD, marking a transition from tax-free to taxed tea. This illustrated that tea had been officially recognized as a nationwide social or economic production.
During the Song Dynasty, the popularity of tea drinking surged, and the area under Xinyang tea plantations expanded significantly in both area and output. According to Shen Kuo's Dream Pool Essays in the Northern Song Dynasty, "Henan had three tea plantations—Xinyang, Guangzhou, and Zian—producing 935,799 jin of tea annually, accounting for one-fifth of the total output of the 13 state-run tea plantations in the country." The tea production techniques of the Song Dynasty were more refined than those of the Tang, and tea utensils were also more elaborate. During the Song, the tea from the Huainan region was loose tea, and the main varieties of tribute tea were also loose tea. As imperial goods, the packaging naturally featured auspicious dragon and phoenix patterns. Su Dongpo, a great literary figure of the Song Dynasty, was also a tea enthusiast and connoisseur. To examine the quality of famous waters across the country, he traveled from Kaifeng to Xinyang, then along the Yangtze River, through the Three Gorges to Sichuan, personally tasting each of the famous waters listed by Lu Yu (including springs from the upper reaches of the Huai River, such as those in Xinyang and Tongbai). After drinking Xinyang tea, Su Dongpo remarked, "Huainan tea, Xinyang's tea grown in the southern mountains of the village is abundant, with tea of excellent color, flavor, and aroma, surpassing that of Zhejiang and Fujian."
During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, loose tea became popular, and Xinyang tea experienced significant growth. The main production areas for loose tea were Huainan, Jingyang, Gui Prefecture, and the Jiangnan region. During this period, more than 30 tea-related books were recorded, many of which introduced Xinyang tea. The Comprehensive Literature Examination of the Yuan Dynasty recorded that there were 26 famous teas in the country at that time, including those from Guangzhou such as Dongshou, Qianshan, and Baocie. Local records in Xinyang mention that the tea was once known as "Small Bundle Tea" or "Local Mountain Tea." There are 101 thousand-year-old "Tea Tree Kings" growing on Jigong Mountain and the Black and White Dragon Pools, a sight that leaves one in awe. During the Yuan Dynasty, the government implemented a tea monopoly system, controlling the purchase and sale of tea and imposing heavy taxes, which severely damaged the enthusiasm of tea farmers and led to the destruction of tea production. The Ming Dynasty adopted a system of tea licenses and taxes, requiring merchants to pay taxes even when purchasing tea licenses. Under heavy taxation, many tea trees were cut down in the late Ming Dynasty, severely hindering tea production. To this day, remnants of tea trees cut down in the late Ming Dynasty can still be found in the three tea valleys of Lulin—large, medium, and small—in Xinyang, as well as along the Shui River and Longtan.
During the Qing Dynasty, the counties with recorded tea cultivation in Xinyang included Guangshan, Gushi, Huangchuan, Shangcheng, and Luoshan.