At the beginning of this month, we went to the Wuyi Mountains in the Fukien Province of Southeastern China. This is a tremendously beautiful and magical place and the home of our teas.
We arrived around noon-ish on a Monday and after checking into the hotel went to several factories to see their tea making skills in action and do some sampling of the teas at various stages of production. The next day we went swimming high up in the mountains and after lunch we lazily drifted down a peaceful river on bamboo rafts. The scenery was unbelievable. On the third and final day we went to the Zhen Yan or inner area to have a look at the original Da Hong Pao bushes and other Zhen Yan varieties. The original Da Hong Pao bushes are about 350 years old and only picked by one privileged woman who is now 80 years old. However, due to the bushes having become straggly, they have been resting for the last six years. This sacred inner area can only be described as a magical natural haven that inspires hushed reverence.
The tea varieties that come from this area are superior in character. Even the pristine mountain water that flowed in the stream was wonderfully sweet. We took a small amount of water back to the hotel in order to make tea with the very water that had nurtured the tea. We had an amazing time, and drank tons of amazing tea. We would like to go back and spend several months in the mountains exploring and drinking tea, but that will have to wait. For now, we’ll just have to watch this video over and over.
For more pictures, please see your facebook page: http://facebook.com/tealegends
