Fujian**, December 22, 2023, Edition 01.
From December 22nd to 24th, the 2023 Wuyishan First National Hearth Tea Festival will be romantically opened, focusing on the release of a standard for making tea around the hearth, the launch of ten most beautiful tea points around the hearth, the issuance of millions of consumption coupons, the organization of thousands of tea enterprises, and the attraction of 10,000 people around the hearth and other activities to ignite the fragrance of tea in winter.
Last winter, when the birth of tea brewing around the hearth, the news that "traditional Chinese tea-making techniques and related customs" had been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity came from Morocco, igniting the circle of friends of tens of thousands of people. As a world cultural and natural heritage site, Wuyi Mountain has been successfully declared a World Heritage Site, making Wuyi Mountain the first "Third World Heritage Site" in China.
At present, on the first anniversary of the successful application of "Chinese tea" to the World Heritage Site, Wuyi Mountain has continuously achieved results in promoting the overall planning of "three teas", making the production skills of Wuyi rock tea (Da Hong Pao) more vigorous, and "one leaf" not only enriches the people and strengthens the village, but also becomes more and more "international".
A Wuyi Mountain, half of the history of tea.
Staying in tea lodging, eating tea meals, walking tea trails, tasting tea, exploring tea towns, making tea soup, appreciating tea operas, learning intangible cultural heritage, learning tea dance, ......Walking all over Wuyi Mountain, there are scenes and tea everywhere, and the rich and colorful tea cultural tourism products are constantly "new", attracting domestic and foreign tourists to come to find tea, visit tea gardens and meet friends with tea through tea culture research tours, international tea volunteers and other projects.
Wuyi Mountain is the birthplace of the world's black tea and oolong tea, known as "a Wuyi Mountain, half of the history of tea".
As early as the Southern Qi Dynasty (479-502), Wuyi tea was known as the "Late Ganhou" and was appreciated by the upper class of society and began to become well-known.
Wuyi spring is warm and the moon is full, picking new sprouts and offering immortals. The flying magpie is printed into fragrant wax slices, and the ape flows away from the magnolia boat. In the Tang Dynasty, Wuyi tea, which was named after "grinding paste" and "wax noodles", was exquisitely processed and had the same price, and began to pay a small amount of tribute to the palace and became a treasure given by the emperor.
After the Song Dynasty crossed to the south, Wuyi Mountain became a famous mountain of science. Famous scholars gathered in the mountains to fight tea and taste tea, promote literature with tea, and discuss Taoism with tea. At that time, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism were in the same mountain, and temples and Taoist temples were all over the mountain, and most of them cultivated tea gardens and made tea, and the tea affair flourished.
The beautiful Wuyi Mountain Tea Garden photo by Xiao Wenfeng.
The stone stove of the immortal is like water**. After drinking the ark, the tea smoke is fragrant. "Thousands of years ago, the famous physicist Zhu Xi's moving depiction of Wuyi tea is still echoing in the mountains of Bishui Dan.
The literati and scholars drank the praise of Wuyi tea at the same time, tea as a kind of amusement, since then tea fighting, tea, tea (tea opera) and other forms of tea art have appeared and gradually prevailed, in today's Wuyi Mountain can also be found traces.
In 1302, Wuyi Mountain set up the Royal Roasted Tea Bureau, called the "Imperial Tea Garden". Since then, Wuyi mountain tea has officially become a tribute to the imperial court, and it is delivered to the capital every year along one post station after thousands of miles, and this scene lasted until 1557.
To this day, the production skills of Wuyi rock tea (Da Hong Pao), which condenses the crystallization of the wisdom of tea people in the past dynasties, are still full of unique charm.
The production technique of Wuyi rock tea has the essence of black tea and green tea, and it has the most processes and the most complex process among all teas, which has a very obvious impact on the quality of tea. Liu Baoshun, the provincial inheritor of Wuyi rock tea making skills, summarized.
In the list of national intangible cultural heritage representative items of "Chinese traditional tea-making skills and related customs", the production skills of Wuyi rock tea (Dahongpao) are ranked first.
Walking into the Ruiquan Rock Tea Museum in Wuyishan City, pushing open the simple and heavy wooden door on one side, the panoramic restoration of Wuyi rock tea making skills unfolded in front of you. Stir-fry the green pot, knead the tea table, roasting cage, charcoal fire, ......The old tea-making objects spread the wisdom of the ancestors in silence.
The Wuyi rock tea production skills that have been handed down to this day mainly include picking, drying green, shaking green, fried green, tea kneading, charcoal roasting and other processes, which are interlocking and indispensable. Huang Shengliang, the provincial inheritor of Wuyi rock tea making skills, told reporters that people are the most critical factor in tea-making skills, and each person's different temperament, habits and understanding of tea will imperceptibly affect the final tea taste.
In recent years, Wuyishan has actively played the role of inheritors to help and guide them, and strengthened the inheritance and development of the traditional tea-making skills of Wuyi Rock Tea (Da Hong Pao) in the form of "mentoring and apprenticeship". More and more young people come to learn from the artist, which makes Huang Shengliang full of confidence in the inheritance of Wuyi rock tea making skills.
Some international youths also appeared in the tea plantations. Marat Tukhvatshin from Russia is one of them. "Chinese tea has a very rich tea culture, and people treat tea mountains and tea leaves with both feelings and wisdom, which is fascinating. My Chinese name is Ma Haoming, which comes from my love for tea. He told reporters that he is currently studying for a doctorate in tea science at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, and has visited Wuyi Mountain Tea Garden many times.
Coincidentally, Wuyixing Tea Industry has actively built international cooperation and exchanges, set up Dahongpao Cultural Promotion Center in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and other places, established Wuyixing International Volunteer Organization, and recruited hundreds of international volunteers in 32 countries to share Chinese wisdom with the world through tea.
From the tea ceremony to the "Belt and Road".
In the historical picture of the development of tea culture in the world, almost every frame is filled with the fragrance of Fu Tea.
During the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He went to the West seven times, carrying a large number of famous teas, including Wuyi tea, as gifts to various countries, opening the door to tea, and export began from there.
In the 35th year of Wanli (1607), the Dutch East India Company purchased Wuyi tea from Macao and shipped it to Europe, which was loved by foreign consumers, and Wuyi tea entered the world market.
At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the tea ban was relaxed, the imperial court allowed the people to carry out tea, and the export of Wuyi tea increased significantly. Due to the implementation of the sea ban policy at that time, the sea route was not smooth, and a tea gang composed of Shanxi merchants appeared on the land route, which went to the Wuyi Mountain tea market to purchase tea and ship it to be sold outside the customs. At that time, Wuyi tea crossed the water gate to the mouth of the Jiangxi River to get on the boat, from the Xinjiang River down the river to Boyang, along the "Silk Road" leapt into the international market.
A history of national tea, half of which is out of Fujian. One of them cannot fail to mention the "Wanli Tea Road" located in Wuyi Mountain.
Since the beginning of the 17th century, with the increasing demand for tea in the Russian market and the gradual prosperity of Chinese and Russian tea, the Jin merchants led by the Dashengkui firm seized the opportunity to run through the tea road from Wuyi Mountain, across the Eurasian continent and directly to Kyakhta, Russia. Yang Yidong, the main person in charge of the Wuyi Rock Tea World Heritage Special Class and the director of the Wuyishan Cultural Center, introduced.
It is reported that this article is as long as 1The 30,000-kilometer tea road is another international passage that emerged in Eurasia after the "Silk Road", driving the development of more than 200 cities along the route, and carrying the deep friendship of rising, prospering and melting because of tea.
The starting point of the Wanli Tea Ceremony is Xiamei Village, located in the eastern part of Wuyi Mountain. According to the "Chong'an County Cultural and Historical Materials" record: "In the nineteenth year of Kangxi (1680), at that time, Wuyi tea was collected in Chong'an Xiamei, and there were 300 bamboo rafts per day in its heyday, and the transshipment was endless. ”
The starting point of the Wanli Tea Ceremony - the scenery of Xiamei Village, Wuyishan City, taken by Zheng Youyu.
In the 40s of the 19th century, after the "five-port trade", the northbound tea road was replaced by the maritime tea road. The sea sales of Wuyi tea began to be unimpeded. In the fourth year of Guangxu (1878), Fujian port exported 40 million kilograms of Jiancha, accounting for about one-third of the country's total exports, of which Wuyi tea accounted for one-tenth. In the sixth year of Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1880), Wuyishan exported 200,000 kilograms of green tea, and the export value of tea accounted for the first place in Fujian Province.
Xiamen's leading Zhang Yuanmei Tea Company has been operating the entrepot export business of Wuyi rock tea for many years, and its goods are sold to Myanmar. According to the 14th volume of Xiamen Cultural and Historical Materials in 1988, this tea shop operates and exports 6,000 or 7,000 boxes of tea to Southeast Asian countries every year, and the highest year exceeds 10,000 boxes. Among them, Wuyi rock tea accounts for about 30 35. The bank has also set up tea shops in Guangzhou, Zhangzhou, Hong Kong and Yangon, Myanmar, and exported to Europe and the United States, with a growing reputation.
In the early 50s of the 20th century, the tea export business became increasingly prosperousAfter the 60s, the export volume of Wuyi oolong tea increased year by year, and most of the tea sold abroad was overseas Chinese, which was basically fixed in the traditional market in history, that is, exported to Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia through southern Fujian and Guangdong.
Nowadays, Wuyi tea is well-known at home and abroad, and is loved by more and more international friends.
In September 2013, representatives of China, Mongolia and Russia signed a proposal to jointly declare the world cultural heritage of the Wanli Tea Ceremony. In March 2019, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage included the Wanli Tea Ceremony in the "Tentative List of China's World Cultural Heritage". Taking advantage of the momentum, in December of the same year, the Wanli Tea Ceremony World Heritage Promotion Conference was successfully held in Wuyi Mountain.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. With the deepening of the "Belt and Road" initiative, the Wanli Tea Ceremony has once again entered the public eye. Once the "artery of the century", the historical and cultural value has been continuously excavated, and it has radiated new vitality in the tide of the times to promote economic and trade exchanges and cultural exchanges.
Through thousands of years of history, Wuyi tea is still thriving, and continues to extend along the "road".
A few days ago, the 2023 (4th) Haisi Tea Culture Forum was held in Wuyishan City, with more than 200 people, including envoys to China from nearly 40 countries and regions, international friends, overseas Chinese, experts and scholars in the tea industry at home and abroad, tea enterprises and tea merchants, and representatives of young Internet celebrities, gathered in the starting point of the Wanli Tea Ceremony to talk about tea, talk about tea affairs, and seek the tea industry.
Foreign friends visit Wuyi Mountain Tea Garden. Photo by Liu Dayou.
At the opening ceremony, 8 Internet celebrities from China, Russia, Ireland, Yemen and other countries were appointed as overseas communication officers of "Fu Tea", constantly promoting tea culture to "go global" and expand the "circle of friends".
Tea culture originated from China and went to the world. Lian Ji, former director of the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Center, said that at present, more than 60 countries around the world grow tea, and nearly 3 billion people in 160 countries drink tea. The common tea culture from China has been extended in all countries of the world, forming an integrated and diverse cultural form.
The journey of "going to sea" with a leaf reflects the spirit of Wuyi tea resonating with the times.
At 10:19 on January 21, 2021, the first Wuyishan "international freight train" departed from Wuyishan Land Port, departing from Wuyishan and arriving at Central Asian ports such as Almaty in Kazakhstan and Tashkent in Uzbekistan via Khorgos, XinjiangOn June 5 of the same year, the first "Da Hong Pao" train carrying tea and related goods from northern Fujian was successfully opened, writing a new chapter in the tea ceremony. At present, the Wuyishan China-Europe train has achieved normal operation.
In recent years, Wuyishan has actively encouraged tea enterprises to participate in activities such as "Fujian Tea Silk Road Tour", "Fu Tea Station" and "China-Australia Tea Culture and Tourism Week".
Coordinate the development of "three teas" and promote development through integration.
Since autumn and winter, the annual tea fighting season in Wuyi Mountain has come as scheduled, and various tea fighting events have been staged one after another, pulling the heartstrings of thousands of tea people and tea lovers.
At the same time, various tea events have also appeared in Wuyi Mountain. In particular, the 15th Cross-Strait Tea Industry Expo has been restarted after two years, setting a new height with the largest number of booths in the past, with a total of 1,900 standard booths, focusing on the rich connotation of Wuyi tea culture, the development of the whole chain of tea industry, and the latest research results of tea technology.
At this year's Tea Expo, we can see a lot of vivid practices empowered by science and technology. With the promotion of scientific and technological innovation, green reform has quietly risen in the tea plantations of Wuyi Mountain, and more importantly, new technologies and new equipment can better benefit farmers and help farmers. We must give full play to our strengths and help Wuyi Mountain paint a picture of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Provincial science and technology commissioner Liu Guoying said.
Chang Yuyuan, one of the Taiwanese tea merchants who participated in the exhibition, runs a tourist farm in Lugu Township, Nantou County, Taiwan. "I am a frequent visitor to the Tea Expo, I started making tea from my father's generation, and in recent years, under the influence of the concept of Wuyi Mountain Ecological Tea Garden, we have opened a homestay next to the tea mountain, so that tourists can feel the unique charm of tea culture in their own experience. Zhang Yuyuan said.
During the Tea Expo, the Fujian-Taiwan tea source inspection and exchange activities with the theme of "mountains and mountains facing each other, brewing a pot of tea on both sides of the strait" were held under the Jade Girl Peak of Wuyi Mountain, integrating the elements of Wuyi rock tea, Taiwan oolong tea and Song Dynasty tea, and presenting "concentric tea" to the guests.
In addition, the 2023 "Zhuzi Cup" Cross-Strait Folk Tea Fighting Competition, the 21st Wuyishan Civil Tea Fighting Competition, and the Cross-Strait Youth Exchange Tea Fighting Competition are in full swing and have become very popular activities at the Tea Expo.
Fujian and Taiwan cultures have the same roots, and tea is one of the most empathetic ties we can empathize with. In 2009, Fan Jiangfeng, a young Taiwanese who "landed" for development, said that the "** Zhuzi" IP created by their team contains a lot of tea elements, and the tea culture has a long history, and there is no shortage of enthusiasts in today's young people, hoping to drink a cup of Wuyi tea with more young people on both sides of the strait.
In the eyes of tea farmers, the in-depth development of the "three teas" has brought many tangible benefits. "From the management and protection of tea mountains, tea-making skills, information exchange to circulation channels, there are green stewards in all aspects of tea, our tea mountains are more beautiful, and the quality of tea is more stable, especially in the process of participating in the tea fighting competition this year, everyone feels that the overall quality has improved, which makes us full of confidence in the future of Wuyi tea." Fan Xiongjun, a "post-90s" tea farmer, told reporters that Huangcun Village, Xingcun Town, where he is located, has achieved full coverage of ecological tea gardens.
It is reported that 130,000 acres of green ecological tea gardens have been built in Wuyi Mountain, and the Yanziyi green ecological tea garden base has been selected as a typical case of the overall development of the national "three teas", and as a national "three teas" overall comprehensive standardization demonstration area, it has been included in the 11th batch of national agricultural standardization demonstration zone projects.
The results of the evaluation of China's brand value released this year show that the brand value of "Wuyi Rock Tea" has increased by 9 compared with last year4.7 billion yuan, with a brand value of 7301.3 billion yuan and brand strength of 915 were once again selected into the top 100 regional brands (geographical indication product areas) list, ranking third, and ranking second in China's tea regional brand value for 7 consecutive years. At present, there are about 120,000 tea-related personnel in Wuyishan City, the output value of the whole tea industry chain in the city last year was 12.5 billion yuan, and the collective economic income of 115 villages in the city exceeded 100,000 yuan.
Guided by the 'Three World Heritage Sites', Wuyishan is constantly improving the product system of 'culture + tourism', 'research + tourism', 'recuperation + tourism' and 'sports + tourism', promoting the transformation of landscape tourism to leisure and vacation, scenic tourism to all-for-one tourism, and the combination of tea tourism to comprehensive integration of tea culture and tourism, so as to further enhance Wuyishan's brand awareness in the world. The main leaders of Wuyishan City said.