The history of this special tea

Originating from the mountainous region of Meng Mountain, or Meng Ding, in Sichuan Province, China, this loose leaf tea has a history that dates as far back as 2000 years. Legend has it that Master Wu Lizhe planted and nurtured seven Traditional Sichuan cultivar tea bushes following his Tao beliefs instead of picking the leaves from the exceptionally rare wild tea bushes.

Following Master Wu Lizhe's death, Gan Lu tea became commonly known as Tea of The Immortals. Subsequently, during the Tang dynasty and Qing dynasty, Buddist monks took cuttings from the highly prized ceremonial tea to establish plants at each of the monasteries situated on the five peaks of the Meng mountain and gift to the emperor (Emperor Xiaozong) its tea leaves.

Eastern Sichuan is a lowland basin at a height between 240m and 600m above sea level, with mountains on all sides and four rivers carrying runoff from the peaks. The famous tea growing area, on Meng Ding mountain, is at the Easternmost part of Western Sichuan where the elevation is gradually increasing, with peaks at up to 1,500 meters.

The climate in Eastern Sichuan is temperate Humid Subtropical (CFA) and is consistently cloudy with a gentle breeze throughout the year. Seasons are, however, clearly defined, with very hot summers (14° C - 30°C) partnered with significant amounts of rainfall and high humidity (67%). This gradually tapers off into the winter months, which see little precipitation, much drier air, and much lower temperatures ranging from -2°C to 12°C. Finally, as spring arrives, it slowly becomes hotter, more wet and humid.

The Western part of the province, with its higher altitudes, experiences cold winters and mild summers, with the highest mountains classified as subarctic (DWC). Known as the Province of Abundance, Sichuan is a major provider of agricultural products. It is also home to China’s largest population of giant pandas, particularly in the Northern part of the Province, where bamboo grows in abundance.