家 中 三 安 寶 徽 Anhui Qimen & Red Tea a Journery Through Qimen Culture 穿 茶人: Luo Yingyin 羅英銀 越 Qimen Is Rich in History, Gorgeous Nature, Tea and Tea Cul- 祁 Ture
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Qimen 祁 門 家 中 三 安 寶 徽 Anhui Qimen & Red Tea A Journery Through Qimen Culture 穿 茶人: Luo Yingyin 羅英銀 越 Qimen is rich in history, gorgeous nature, tea and tea cul- 祁 ture. It is home to three famous teas: gongfu red tea, Maofeng 門 green tea and Liu An. We start our journey through this rich tea heritage by surveying Qimen’s natural beauty and heri- 文 tage. With old houses, bridges, poetry and tea sessions under 化 willow trees, Qimen and its tea inspires a nostalgia for the 之 times when people walked slowly and spent their evenings sharing old stories that involved the stars. Tea is left by the 旅 roadside for travelers like us, in the spirit of kindness and 程 hospitality. Follow us into the mountains of Anhui... he horizon draws a crisp line scenery carried the eye across the land- ing over all sorts of unusual landforms. T between the blue sky and the scape, linking forest and peak like the Most of the region’s tea plantations green forest; spring has arrived words of a poem. are situated in the densely forested right on time in Qimen County. Qimen’s natural charm doesn’t hills and valleys. Also located here is Beneath the March skies, the green hills just manifest itself in the forests and the national AAAA-rated Guniuji- keep company with soft white clouds, mountains, but also in the tea planta- ang Nature Reserve, dubbed “Eastern the clear water reflects the trees, the tions nestled among them, nourished China’s last primeval forest.” To truly fragrance of tea wafts above the fields, by the earth. Qimen is located in a experience Qimen’s scenery, you re- and in the quiet villages, the old houses region recognized the world over as ally must visit the ancient forests of silently narrate their stories... the “golden belt” of tea production. Guniujiang. They say that the pine There’s a faint chill in the air, and Stretching across China at a latitude trees here are even more uniquely the leaves have begun to yellow; an- of 30° north of the equator, the teas twisted than the renowned crooked nouncing itself with glorious colors, produced around this area include not pines of Huangshan and the waterfalls autumn keeps its appointment. On only those from Qimen itself, such as are even more elegant than the famous Qimen’s White Dew nights in mid-au- Qimen (Keemun) red tea, An tea and ones at Lushan. tumn, the tranquility of the mountains Huangshan Maofeng, but also a va- Guniujiang, with its ethereal scen- is underscored by the gentle rustling of riety of other famous historical teas, ery, is located near Likou Village, in streams; the glow of moonlight settles such as West Lake Longjing, Dongting the northwest of Qimen County. The across the fields, and Liu An tea leaves Biluochun, Junshan Silver Needle, name “Guniujiang (牯牛降)” literally lie silently outdoors, spread on their Mengding Ganlu, Lushan Clouds and means “descending bull”—it’s named mats, waiting to encounter the night Mist and Taiping Houkui. The region’s after a large black rock on one of the dew and absorb its gift of moisture. unique geographical landforms, abun- peaks, which from afar looks like a My journey in pursuit of Liu An tea dant rainfall and sunlight, and rich bull sitting peacefully, having just led to two visits to Qimen County in biodiversity all come together to make landed from the sky. These moun- Huangshan, Anhui Province, once in it a veritable paradise for tea plants. tains are part of a range that branch- the spring and once in the autumn. In More than 90% of the total area of es off from Huangshan and extends the tranquility of the springtime, the Qimen County is made up of moun- toward the west. The landscape here crisp air was so calm that it seemed to tainous terrain, which gave rise to a is built of stone; the mountain peaks solidify, so that one almost forgot to local saying: “nine mountains, half a are pointed and craggy, with steep breathe in the still of the moment. In lake and half a field.” About 85% of slopes that extend straight down the autumn, the romantic mountain the county is forested, with trees grow- to the gloriously lush valley floor. 15 Qimen & Red Tea The waters of Guaniujiang are mar- velously green, reflecting the surround- ing forest. Hikes through the bamboo groves at the foot of the hills lead into a dream. The Huizhou architecture around Qimen is characterized by “horse- head” walls that have tiers and gables that resemble a horse’s head. The carv- ing in the wood is a lost craft. Rocks of strange and wondrous shapes pearls, each droplet sparkling. As the the arrival of spring. In the distance, are dotted across the landscape like water descends from the sky and crash- mountain ranges form a many-layered stars in the sky, adding to the magic of es into the valley below, a mist of spray background, and rows of tea trees cov- the scenery. rises; lit by the sun’s rays, it naturally er the slopes; the tea trees in the village There’s a saying that goes: “The forms a rainbow, painting an enchant- itself are lush and green. Against this mountain gets its life from the water, ing many-colored brushstroke across backdrop, it looks just like the yel- and the water takes on the serenity of the landscape. low-green flowers were scattered across the mountain; the more beautiful the If you follow the streams down into the fields from the heavens. The green mountain, the more graceful its wa- the valley, you’ll end up deep in the of Mother Earth sets off their delight- ters.” The waters of Guniujiang are forest. At the foot of the mountain, the ful color, and the farmhouses between clear as crystal and green as jade, and broad-leaved evergreen forest is a deep the criss-crossed paths bring a warm, quite moving to behold. Pure, clean, green, a steady green; if you look up familiar feeling to the flowering fields. clear and bright, spotless as the fabled toward the midslopes, the brushwood Every year, when the flowers open, the Peach Blossom Spring, the area is cov- forest becomes brighter, the translu- area attracts many photography enthu- ered with springs and creeks, pools and cent green of jade; look up further still, siasts, hoping to capture this fleeting streams, all beautifully clear and tur- and the forest atop the mountain forms spring feeling. quoise-green. The green pools quietly a verdant line against the sky, a shining In Qimen, the most beautiful scen- reflect the forest trees; the whole effect green, a fresh and vibrant green. Sprin- ery is to be found in the countryside. is just like standing in a real-life paint- kled across these layers are flowers of Qimen’s simple mountain villages, ed scroll. all colors, dots of brightness to com- nestled among overlapping mountain If, as they say, a mountain gets its plement the greens, raising their petals ranges, afford a quite different view life from the water, then the moun- with joyful abandon to the sun. than urban areas. Amid the land- tains of Guniujiang are lively indeed— As well as mountain flowers that scape, the old black-and-white farm- its waterfalls are pure motion, cascad- brighten the village, the yellow oilseed houses have stood there for genera- ing over clifftops like long strings of flowers bloom in early March to herald tions, between the Earth and the Sky. 17/ A Journey Through Qimen Culture Among the meandering hills, the ders of traditional Huizhou architec- placed on feng shui (Daoist geomancy) green waters wind along, the swaying ture. A notable feature of this style is in local Huizhou culture. The river in shadows of the trees slowly changing its “horse-head walls (馬頭墻),” a style front of the village is named Rabbit with the sunlight from dusk till dawn. where the top of the wall has a series of Ear Creek. It encircles the village like a When the sun emerges from the linger- tiers ending in upturned gables, which band of jade, chattering and murmur- ing clouds and mist at dawn, or after a shape is reminiscent of a horse’s head. ing as it flows by. The ancient forest rainstorm, the black-and-white houses The buildings in Huizhou style are of- behind the village, on Lai Long (“The are suddenly lit up brilliantly; it’s a spe- ten decorated with murals or intricate Coming of the Dragon”) Mountain, cial moment, a feeling that you’ll only carvings. stands in peaceful silence. experience in the Anhui countryside. A trip to Qimen County would Across Rabbit Ear Creek, in front These houses, with their white walls not be complete without visiting Tao of the village, the villagers have built a and black roof tiles, are typical of An- yuan (“Peach Spring”) Village, named covered bridge, a necessity for life by a hui Province and represent one branch after the ethereal village depicted in river. In Huizhou’s traditional moun- of traditional Han Chinese architec- the classic work Peach Blossom Spring tain villages, a bridge was often built ture. You can find this style of archi- (桃花源記) by poet Tao Yuanming. across the outlet of a river (where the tecture throughout the six counties in (In the story, a fisherman discovers water flows away from the village) to the Huizhou District of southern An- an unknown village, a beautiful and act as a sort of “lock” for the feng shui hui, namely She, Yi, Wuyuan (which harmonious utopia, which has had of the area.