Yixing gongcha

Yixing was called Yangxian in ancient times, and tea was planted in Han Dynasty, which is one of the famous ancient tea areas in China. Yangxian purple bamboo shoot tea is a tribute tea that began in the Tang Dynasty. The southern hilly area of Yixing, accounting for 40% of the city's total area, belongs to the residual vein of Tianmu Mountain. The soil in hilly and mountainous areas is mainly yellow brown soil and red soil, which is suitable for tea planting. Yixing's climate belongs to the southern monsoon region of the north subtropical zone, with distinct four seasons, mild and humid, and abundant rainfall, which is suitable for the growth of tea trees. Yangxian tea was praised by celebrities in past dynasties and appreciated by the royal family. During the period of Tang Suzong (AD 757-761), Lu Yu, the "tea ancestor", was greatly praised after drinking "Yangxian purple bamboo shoot tea", and thought that Yangxian purple bamboo shoot tea was "the highest fragrance in the world" and could be presented to the emperor. During the period of Tang Wuzong, the amount of Yangxian tribute tea reached 18,400 Jin, and the first batch of purple bamboo shoots tea was shipped to Chang 'an before the Qingming Festival. Lu Tong, a Tang Dynasty poet who lived in seclusion in Mingling, Yixing, once wrote a poem: "When I heard that the New Year entered the mountains, the stinging insects stirred the spring breeze. Tianzi has never tasted Yangxian tea, and Baicao does not dare to bloom first. " Du Mu, a famous poet who once lived in Yixing, also wrote a famous sentence in his poem titled Tea Mountain: "The mountain is beautiful in the southeast, and the tea is called Rui Caokui", "The spring is tender and golden, and the bud is fragrant and purple." Today, Yixing is the largest tea-producing county (city) in Jiangsu. There are more than 3,500 tea plantations, with an annual output of nearly 5,000 tons of tea. Tea production in Yixing has become a characteristic and advantageous industry in mountainous areas, and tea is the main product of foreign exchange earned by export in mountainous areas. Now, there are four famous local teas in the city: Yangxian Xueya, Jingxi Yunpian, Shanjuan Chunyue and Zhuhai Jinming. Yixing is known as the "oasis of tea", and Yixing tea is well-known at home and abroad for its excellent quality and style.
Reprinted with attribution： https://cnlocality.com/(Chinese Specialty Products)