Chaling is the resting place of Shennong, the ancestral land of tea. With the torture of tea culture in Chaling for thousands of years, I miss tea, look for tea and visit tea in Chaling. I really want to find out the grand scene, grand occasion and relics of the tea boom in this ancient place.
A friend of Chaling said that there are not many teas in Chaling, and the tea planting area in the county is shrinking year by year; Wuyun tea, which grows naturally in Yunyang Mountain, is a rare high-quality tea.
On the contrary, in recent years, tea oil has been developed more and more, and there are patches of camellia oleifera everywhere. People have the illusion that the "tea" of Chaling is the "tea" of tea oil, and even rumors have appeared.
I don't believe that the "tea" of Chaling is the "tea" of tea oil. Chaling is famous for its rich tea oil. But Camellia oleifera is not unique to Chaling. Xiangxi and southern Hunan are rich in camellia oleifera, which is not inferior to Chaling in quantity and quality. What is the tea name of Hedu Chaling? I think of the tea cave in the famous town of Xiangxi and the border town written by Shen Congwen. I went to see the scenery written by Shen Congwen many times. Over and over again, I saw less and less, and finally I was unrecognizable. How many things will eventually disappear, become legends and memories. Chaling tea, isn't it?
The soil, climate and altitude of Chaling are suitable for tea production. There are not many local tea drinkers, but they have comprehensive skills in planting, picking and processing. With the prosperity of local literati, tea is essential. Why is there no tea in Chaling? Chaling has no tea, but it is not reconciled. I borrowed Chaling for a short stay to visit ancient tea sets and folk stories.
According to legend, Lu Yu, a disciple of Cha Sheng, practiced tea in a tea farm and later became a Taoist in Yunyang Mountain in Chaling. He also said that Lu Yu borrowed Yunyang Mountain to live in it and got the Tea Classic. In memory of Cha Sheng, Chaling erected a stone tablet for Cha Sheng on Yunyang Mountain, posing as Cha Sheng's mausoleum. Chaling is famous for this.
Folklore is not enough. I don't think it's based on this. However, it is a fact that Chaling is the only county named after tea in China. An incomprehensible fact, a mysterious fact
There is a river in Chaling, which supplies water. There is a mountain in Chaling, which is Yunyang Mountain. Elegant scenery, elegant name. Yunyang Mountain is a famous mountain where Buddhism and Taoism are integrated. The Buddhist temple in Yunyang Mountain was built earlier than Nanyue Temple. Yunyang Mountain and Nanyue Mountain are brothers and sisters of Buddhism. Every year in late spring and early summer, when the grass is green and thin, Yunyang Mountain invites Nanyue Buddha statues and religious leaders from all walks of life to participate in Buddhism. Later, the Chaling county government selected Yunyang Mountain as a religious cultural festival and religious activity.
Yunyang Mountain is beautiful, with lush bamboo and wood. There are mountains and running water. I'm still looking for tea trees. If you meet a thousand-year-old tea tree, it is really fate. I will be more convinced that Cha Sheng once lived on this mountain.
I asked my elders who visited Yunyang Mountain if there were any old tea trees on the mountain. He said there were tea trees on the mountain, which he saw when he was a child. When people are old, trees are not old.
Looking at Lin Mang, everything is green and lush. Where is the tea?
Ten years of trees, a hundred years of people, and a thousand years of tree culture. Chaling culture has a thousand years, and it has been like a thousand years of tea.
Reference: Chaling Chamber of Commerce Network