What Is Tribute Tea? A Detailed Explanation of the Definition and Historical Origins of Tribute Tea
Tribute tea was tea for the use of the ancient imperial court, and moreover it was tea exclusively for the enjoyment of the imperial palace. It was a symbol of China's feudal ethics and rites, and a product of the underdeveloped commodity economy of feudal society.
Characteristics of tribute tea:
Long history
According to local records, Ningbo tribute tea began in the early Yuan dynasty (1271———1368) and continued until the 23rd year of the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty (1595), lasting more than 300 years. Large quantities. “Each year the quota of tribute tea buds was 260 jin.” According to the Qing-era work Jilin Zazu, the prefecture of Jiujiang in Jiangxi, which produced famous tea, had an annual tribute tea quota of only 120 jin, while Cixi County in Ningbo Prefecture actually exceeded Jiujiang by more than double; if judged by county, in Zhejiang's tea-producing areas of Tonglu and Jiande, each county's tribute tea was no more than 5 jin, while Fenshui County's was only 1 jin.
Elaborate production
The person responsible for supervising the production of tribute tea at the tea-making bureau was the local county magistrate. Every year on the day before Qingming, the county magistrate came from the county seat to Chejiu Ao, and did not return to the government office until Guyu. All that was picked were tea buds, and the pickers were mostly young maidens in the bloom of youth.
Excellent quality
The original production area of tribute tea was Chejiu Ao and its vicinity. Chejiu was the place where King Goujian of Yue halted his carriage and fed his horses. It is located at the northern foot of Siming Mountain and the southern wing of Hemudu, where layered green hills, gurgling mountain springs, and a humid climate form a unique microclimate for tea production. To this day, from Lubu in the west, through Chejiu and Dayin, all the way to Wuyan Liaoshe, famous teas still emerge one after another.
Tribute tea has a long history in our country and has had a profound influence on the production of tea as a whole and the development of tea culture. Although with the development of the times tribute tea no longer exists, the editor believes that its influence will continue to be passed down along with tea culture.