Specifications

Tie Guan Yin ,Iron Goddess Oolong Tea (Ti Kuan Yin)

Jade Tie Guan Yin is our highest grade (Tea King) Tie Guan Yin. The name reflects the vibrant color and beautiful shape of the tea leaves, each resembling a tiny piece of green jade. Tie Guan Yin from Anxi province is one of China's Ten Famous Tea. It is extremely popular and can be found in the menu of most Chinese restaurants throughout the world.

Other names:
Jade Iron Goddess of Mercy, Jade Ti Kwan Yin

Taste:
Unlike normal Jade Tie Guan Yin, the dried tea leaves have very subtle fragrance. Yet, once steeped, the lovely orchid-like fragrance fills the air. Almost heavenly! It has a sweet honey note with a hint of floral taste. Refreshing, mild but lasting floral aftertaste.

Appearance:
Tightly curled dark jade green leaves. The infusion is yellowish green in color.

Origin:
An Xi (Gan De), Fujian Province

Harvest Period:
Autumn 2013

Tieguanyin Tea translated into English as Iron Goddess Tea is one of the most famous types of Chinese Tea. It has many different translations and is often called Tieguanyin, Ti Kuan Yin, Tikuanyin, Iron Buddha, Iron Goddess Tea, and Iron Goddess of Mercy Tea. No matter what name you use, it is a wonderful tea. Originating in Anxi County in Fujian Province, some of the best Tieguanyin Tea is also now produced in Nantou, in Taiwan. This tea is a variety of Oolong Tea and has been very popular for centuries. The tea's leaves are dark green and rolled into tight balls. The "Tie" in Tieguanyin is translated into English as "Iron" This is because as you drop the leaves into your teapot they ring like iron as they hit the pot. The tea has the aroma of orchids with no hint of grassiness and its flavor is long lasting. It is a wonderful tea and a great tea to begin with.

Legends of Tieguanyin Tea
Tieguanyin has several origin legends associated with it. They are quite wonderful and add to the culture and enjoyment of the tea.

Legend 1:
The first legend features a scholar named Wang. One day he discovered a tea plant growing beneath a rock, known as Guanyin Rock, in Xiping County in Anhui Province. He brought the plant home with him and planted the tea plant. He processed the leaves of the tree every spring. He eventually became a very successful scholar and had the chance to visit Emperor Qianlong. He offered some of his tea as a gift from his village. The emperor was so impressed that he asked Wang how he came by such a wonderful tea. He told the emperor how he found it under Guanyin Rock. The emperor named the tea Tieguanyin after the rock and the sound that the tea made as it hit the bottom of the teapot.

Legend 2:
During the reign of Emperor Qianlong there in Fujian Province's Anxi County there was a dilapidated temple that was dedicated to the Buddhist Bodhisattva Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy. A poor farmer named Wei Yin, on his way to his fields’ everyday, would pass the temple and noticed its deteriorating state. He felt something needed to be done. The farmer was quite poor and didn't have the means to restore the temple, so instead he brought a broom and incense to the temple. He thoroughly cleaned the temple and burned the incense in offering to Guanyin. He did this twice a month for many months. One night in a dream, the Bodhisattva Guanyin appeared to him and told him of a cave located behind the temple. Guanyin told him that a treasure was waiting in the cave for him. He was told to take this treasure and share it with others. When he woke up, Old Wei headed straight to the temple and found the cave which he had never noticed before. Growing in the cave was a single tea shoot. He took the shoot home, planted it, and nurtured it until it grew into a large bush. The tea he made from this bush was fantastic and unlike any tea he had ever tasted. He knew that this tree was indeed a treasure. He gave cuttings of the bush to all of his neighbors and began selling the plant as Tieguanyin, or Iron Goddess of Mercy. The tree of legend still exists and is considered a national treasure. Located near the tree, carved into the cliff is the name of the farmer who, according to legend, found the original tree.