Mengding Ganlu tea facts for kids
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| Type: | Green | |
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| Other names: | simplified Chinese: 蒙顶甘露; traditional Chinese: 蒙頂甘露; pinyin: Méngdǐng Gānlù; literally "Meng Peak Sweet Dew"; pronounced [mə̌ŋ.tìŋ kánlû] | |
| Origin: | Sichuan Province, China | |
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| Quick description: | A yellowish-green tea with sweet aftertaste.
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Mengding Ganlu tea, sometimes called Ganlu tea, is a special kind of tea from Meng Mountain (Meng Shan) in Sichuan Province, China. This area is in the southwest part of China. Many people believe that Meng Mountain is where tea was first grown. The name Mengding Ganlu means "Sweet Dew of Mengding," and "Mengding" refers to the very top of Meng Mountain. This tea is known for its yellowish-green color and a sweet taste that stays in your mouth after you drink it.
Contents
The Ancient Story of Mengding Tea
The history of Mengding Ganlu tea is very old and interesting. It starts with a legend about a wise man named Wu Lizhen.
A Taoist Master and the First Tea Plants
According to old stories, a Taoist Master named Wu Lizhen was the first person to plant tea bushes on Meng Mountain. He did this a very long time ago, around 53-50 BCE, during the time of Emperor Xuan of Han in the Han dynasty. Before Master Wu Lizhen, people only picked tea leaves from wild tea plants. He planted seven special tea bushes that were later called "tea of the immortals" (仙茶).
Tea for Emperors
After Master Wu Lizhen passed away, Buddhist temples were built on the five peaks of Meng Mountain. For many centuries, from the Tang dynasty all the way to the Qing dynasty, the monks at these temples had a special job. Every spring, they would carefully pick and prepare 360 tea leaves. These precious leaves were then given to the emperor as a ceremonial offering. This shows how important and valued Mengding tea was.
How Mengding Ganlu Got Its Name
Much later, an emperor named Emperor Xiaozong of the Song dynasty gave Master Wu Lizhen a special honor after his death. He was given the title "Master of Ganlu," which means "Sweet Dew." This is how the tea got its famous name, Mengding Ganlu.
The Special Qualities of Mengding Tea
For a long time, especially before the middle of the Tang dynasty, tea from Meng Mountain was very rare and highly prized. As more people wanted this special tea, more tea bushes were planted. Mengding Ganlu is a type of green tea from this region. Other teas from Meng Mountain include "Mengding Huangya" and "Mengding Shihua," which are yellow teas.
A famous scholar from the 16th century, Li Shizhen, wrote about Meng Mountain tea in his book, Compendium of Materia Medica. He said that tea from Meng Mountain was "warm and able to take charge of disease." This was different from most other teas, which he described as being "cool" in nature. This shows that Mengding tea was thought to have special health benefits.
