When the new Longjing tea picking season began this month in Hangzhou, local farmers held a ritual to honor Monk Biancai. In the Biancai Pavilion, the first glass of freshly fried Longjing tea was brewed in front of the Biancai statue.
Biancai, a Buddhist master, is believed to have invented Longjing tea. His practice of making tea for visiting scholars contributed to Hangzhou becoming a point of interest for travelers. He led the Tianzhu Temple to clear hill slopes for tea cultivation during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), laying the groundwork for today’s Longjing tea plantations.
Tianzhu Temple is still teeming with devout believers today, but only a few people are aware of the connection between Biancai and Longjing tea. Last year, local farmers began hosting etiquettes in Biancai Pavilion to commemorate the Buddhist master.
In 2011, the pavilion was rebuilt in the Ancient Longjing Imperial Plantation to mark Biancai’s 1,000th birthday. That plantation contains the 18 oldest Longjing tea trees, which will be harvested this year and auctioned off to benefit social charities. At the auction in 2015, 100 grams of tea harvested from the 18 trees were sold for 145,600 yuan (US$21,102)…