Peering into the void. How many eons has this stone face been at Wuyi, I wonder?
It was a highly serendipitous day, against all odds, and an…
It was a highly serendipitous day, against all odds, and an impossible chance was seized. Few people were allowed inside Tong Mu Village, and foreigners were not allowed at all. Then, we were introduced to a Mr. Zhang, whose generational traditional tea is never sold outside. His wild tea made in both the traditional pine wood smoked style and the new version that is clean and sweet tasting, were both absolutely fantastic. The pristine terroir shone obviously from the first, to the 15th infusion. The Tea Gods gave us another gentle push, to keep introducing the best of the best in every region. How do I know this is superior? Come taste and compare it yourselves. It’s not even a challenge.
I won’t post all the secrets of Zhengshan Xiao Zhong processing…
I won’t post all the secrets of Zhengshan Xiao Zhong processing here, but suffice to say, the original style was to use pine wood for wilting as well as bake drying, and the smoke was to be a characteristic that enhanced the plumy sour note, rather than completely smother it like it is currently made for export. Somehow, like bad Chinese food, there is a toxic and undrinkable version that foreigners thought were Lapsang Souchong- made with latter processing, added pine smoke in the charcoal firing process. It is not a version that the locals drink, at all. In fact they are highly offended by it, since that version of Lapsang is not made with their own tea leaves but inferior outside black tea. They would never ruin their precious wild harvested tea with this process!
Deep inside the Wuyi Nature Preserve is the Tong Mu Village…
Deep inside the Wuyi Nature Preserve is the Tong Mu Village (桐木村), where Lapsang Souchong originated. The proper Chinese name is Zhengshan Xiao Zhong （正山小種). The tea bushes appear to be wild with little to no attending to. As they are all grown naturally by seed, there is no knowing what varietals they are. A tea that is historically well known but bastardized in its current version, ZSXC or Lapsang Souchong is not supposed to smell and taste like BBQ!
Wild monkeys at Wuyi’s Nature Preserve, this part not usually…
Wild monkeys at Wuyi’s Nature Preserve, this part not usually open to tourists. The monkeys were completely unafraid nor aggressive. Wuyi mountain is full of rare species of animal and plant life alike. Many foreign scientists wish to study this region, but because of aggressive poaching of specimens, it is now no longer open to foreigners….
The most oxygenated forest area due to this spectacular waterfall…
The most oxygenated forest area due to this spectacular waterfall at Wuyi Nature Preserve. Hazy green moss, red and white rocks, birds competing against the sound from curtains of water descending for miles. Wuyi is the kingdom of the snakes, paradise for the birds, haven for bugs, and a place of respite and rejuvenation for the harried humans…