The ancient town of Yang Lou Dong, located at the southern foothill of Mufu Mountains, is the southern portal of Hubei. Several rivers originating from Mufu Mountains, including Nieshui River, Panhe River, Lushui River, Tingsi River, and Gan River, give birth to the unique natural environment for tea cultivation and make Jiangnan tea zone a natural tea-cultivation site. Situated at the very center of this relatively independent tea zone on south of Xianning and north of Yueyang, Yang Lou Dong tea-producing area is formed.
In the history, Yang Lou Dong tea-producing area is developed with Yang Lou Dong as its center. The area is made up of the southern foothill of Mufu Mountains as well as the junction area among three provinces (Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi). To be more specific, it covers Puqi, Chongyang, Tongcheng, Tongshan, and Xianning in southern Hubei as well as Linxiang and Miluo in Hunan. With the advancement of human civilization, people in Yang Lou Dong tea-producing area have developed their characteristic customs and cultures concerning tea plantation, making, drinking, and distribution after long course of absorption. Tea-culture genes have been enrooted in local place, forming the magnificent Yang Lou Dong “Zhuan tea” culture system.
As recorded, the tea industry in Yang Lou Dong region took initial shape in Wei and Jin Dynasties, prospered in Tang and Song Dynasties, and reached its heyday in Ming and Qing Dynasties. The tea produced by the region is collectively called Yang Lou Dong tea. Local tea commerce developed from bulk tea in the early times to later Crumby-cake Tea, Tuo Tea (i.e. bowl-shaped compressed mass of tea leaves), Maohe Tea (i.e. the shape of the tea like hat), and Zhuan Tea. Among those tea products, the most representative and developed ones should be the Qing Zhuan Tea and Mi Zhuan Tea.
In Chinese history, Zhuan Tea has played an extremely outstanding role in consolidating the central governance, maintaining national unity, and driving economic and cultural development of Yang Lou Dong tea-producing area. The Qing Zhuan Tea and Mi Zhuan Tea of Yang Lou Dong has undergone several ups and downs from the ancient technique to modern process refinement and up-to-date scale production. Nevertheless, depending on its long-maintained reputation and constant quality pursuit, local tea products have restored the vitality. The time-honored tea brand has been passed from one generation to the next amid the fragrance of tea leaves.
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