特级甘露茶

四川总志．雅州·蒙山》山川条目记载：“蒙山，县西十里许，顶作五峰，其中峰曰上清峰，最高俯视峨眉诸山，产甘露，瑞云上有天盖智矩等寺，仰则天风高畅，万象萧瑟，俯则羌水环抱，众山罗绕，茶畦杉径，异石奇花，足称名胜，《尚书》'蔡蒙旅平'即此蒙山，多产茶，在极顶者贵，以受阳多。”

《四川总志．雅州·蒙山》物产条目记载：“仙茶，产蒙顶上清峰，甘露井侧，叶厚而圆，色紫味略苦，春末夏初始发，苔藓庇护，阴云覆焉，相传甘露祖师自岭表携灵茗植五顶，至今上清仅八小株，七株高仅四五寸，一株高仅尺二三寸，每岁摘叶止二三十片，常用栅栏封镇，其山顶土止寸许，故茶自汉到今不长不灭。”

明朝以前，饼茶、龙凤团茶和散茶同时并存。明初，各地进贡茶叶都沿袭宋代做法，制成大小不同的团状，即所谓龙团凤饼。洪武二十四年（1391年），明太祖朱元璋“废团茶，兴散茶”，加之纪念“甘露祖师”吴理真的缘故, 甘露茶越加兴盛。自此，蒙顶山茶贡品改为散茶，品名有甘露、黄芽、石花、雀舌、芽白等，其中甘露名列第一。

初时散茶以蒸青制法为主，但出现苦味难除、香味不正等缺点，于是出现了利用干热发挥茶叶优良香气的炒青技术。明代后期黄龙德在其撰写的《茶说》中这样描述蒙顶甘露制作工艺：“先将釜烧热，每芽四两，做一次下釜，炒去青气。以手急拨不停，睹其将熟，就釜内轻手揉卷，取起铺于箕上，用扇扇冷。俟炒至十余釜，总复炒之。旋炒旋冷，如此五次。其茶碧绿，形如蚕钩，斯成佳品”，这与现代蒙顶甘露的“三炒、三揉、三烘”工艺如出一辙。

“医圣”李时珍在其撰写的《本草纲目》“果部·第三十二卷·茶叶”中这样评价蒙顶山茶：“真茶性冷，唯雅州蒙山出者温而主疾”，道出了蒙顶山茶的茶性是温性的，这与蒙顶甘露、蒙顶黄芽等为代表的蒙顶山茶独特的加工工艺有着极大的关系。

蒙顶山茶历来以贡茶著称。贡茶是中国古代专门进贡皇室供帝王将相享用的茶叶。将茶叶当作贡品进献天子，最早可追溯到西周时期。据东晋史学家常璩《华阳国志·巴志》记载：周武王联合四川各民族共同伐纣之后，巴蜀地区所产之茶，就被列为贡品，于是诸民族首领就带着茶叶去进贡。那时的茶叶并非作为茗饮，而是用于祭祀、药用或食用，吃法跟煮菜汤差不多。这是最早有关贡茶的文字记载。

永兴寺甘露道场

真正的饮茶之风，由唐代肇始。由于唐代“风俗贵茶，茶之名品益众”（出自唐朝文学家李肇《唐国史补》），再加上宫廷中也大量饮茶，茶宴、茶道层出不穷，各地名茶渐渐从普通茶叶中分离出来，成了皇室及贵族阶层的高档消费品，从而催生了贡茶制度。

唐代是封建社会政治、经济、文化的顶峰时代，也是茶文化高度发达的时代。唐代贡茶制度主要有两种形式。

一是朝廷选择出产茶叶且品质优异的地方“定点”纳贡。

二是选择茶树生态环境得天独厚、产量集中、交通便利的重点地区及其产品，由朝廷直接设立贡茶院，专业制作贡茶，浙江湖州吴兴的顾渚贡茶园即是。而蒙顶贡茶，则属于第一种“定点”纳贡。

唐朝皇帝大多爱饮茶，尤其是唐玄宗之后，纵无此嗜好，出于发展经济考量也十分热衷茶事。古语道：“上之所好，下必甚焉”。皇帝嗜茶，臣子也要懂茶，以便在茶宴上陪王伴驾、谈茶饮茶。皇帝赐茶成为一种弥足珍贵的嘉奖，且有一定仪制，往往臣子在获得赐茶后会写文章以谢皇恩。之所以唐诗宋词中，专门写蒙顶山茶的茶诗词较多，就是因为当时当大官的大诗人、大文豪较多，他们有机会得到皇帝恩赐的蒙顶山茶，继而写下众多吟赞蒙顶山茶的诗、词、歌、赋、散文、佳句，至今广为流传。

唐玄宗天宝元年（７4２年）蒙顶山茶列为贡品，开始入贡皇室，一直延续到清末，绵延不断，长达1169年。如此受“待见”的贡茶在中国茶史上着实少见。蒙顶山茶能年年岁岁皆为贡品，清朝时还被专用于皇帝祀天祭祖，这是蒙顶山茶品质好、珍奇名贵的铁证。唐代《唐国史补》，宋代《新唐书》《宣和北苑贡茶录》《锦绣万花谷集》，明代《西吴里语》，清代《四川通志》等，都有蒙顶贡茶的记载。

清代贡茶制度最为完备，集历代大成，无论是贡茶区域、品种、数量，还是贡茶运输、交接、验收，均有严格规定，由礼部执掌。紫禁城内专设茶库，隶属内务府；另有御茶房、清茶房、奶茶房、皇太后茶房、皇后茶房、皇子茶房、皇孙茶房及各宫殿茶房等宫廷饮茶场所。除供皇族日常品饮外，贡茶亦用于祭祀、医药、宴会、赏赐诸事。

故宫出版社２０１４年版 《清代贡茶研究》记载：按照清宫进单，清代主要的进贡茶叶省份有１３个。四川省进贡的茶叶有“仙茶、陪茶、菱角湾茶、蒙顶山茶、灌县细茶、名山茶、观音茶、青城芽茶、春茗茶、锅焙茶”等１０种， 其中 “仙茶”“陪茶 ”“菱角湾茶”“蒙顶山茶 ”“名山茶”５种即出自蒙顶山。

蒙顶山茶在当时所有贡茶中地位独一无二，得到文人墨客的大书特书。晚清著名书法家、诗人、画家何绍基写有一首《名山蒙顶贡茶赋示陈新盘明府》诗，以歌颂蒙顶贡茶为主题，对蒙顶山茶的贡茶地位、县衙重视以及采摘标准、制作工艺、进贡品类、护送过程均进行了详细描述。全诗为：“蜀茶蒙顶最珍重，三百六十瓣充贡。银瓶价领布政司，礼事虔将郊庙用。旗枪初报谷雨前，县官洁祀当春仲。正茶七株副者三，旋摘轻烘速驰送。仙人手植东京前，后来化身入蒙泉。古风古雨饱嘘吮，高三尺寿二千年。朱阑环之锁纽贯，县官来时一开看。我于茶品太疏略，喜陟高山到天半。夹江昨读酒官碑，名山令谒甘露师。敢云饮啜事琐琐，民生国典相纲纬。榷酤源流有通塞，当官桑孔要深思。”

曾两次担任雅州知府的晚清著名经学家、散文家、书画家黄云鹄在其《蒙顶留题》一诗中这样盛赞蒙顶甘露：“解渴咽仙茶，涤烦沃甘露”。

植茶始祖吴理真雕塑

清光绪版《名山县志》录有知县赵懿《蒙顶茶说》，该文详细记载了当时贡茶采制、运送过程 ：“每岁采贡三百六十叶，天子郊天及祀太庙用之。……岁以四月之吉祷采，命僧会司领摘茶僧十二人入园，官亲督而摘之。尽摘其嫩芽，笼归山半智矩寺，乃剪裁细及虫蚀，每芽只拣取一叶，先火而焙之。焙用新釜燃猛火，以纸裹叶熨釜中，候半蔫，出而揉之。诸僧围坐一案，复一一开所揉，匀摊纸上，胉于釜口 烘令干，又精拣其青润完洁者为正片贡茶。… …皆盛以木箱，黄缣丹印封之。

临发，县官卜吉，朝服叩阙。选吏解赴 布政使司投贡房。经过州县谨护送之”，其庄重与隆重可见一斑。

General Chronicle of Sichuan. Yazhou·Mengshan" Mountains and Rivers entry records: "Mengshan, ten miles west of the county, has five peaks on top, among which the peak is Shangqing Peak, the highest overlooking the mountains of Emei, producing nectar, and there are temples such as Tiangaizhiju on the Ruiyun. When the sky is high and the wind is high, everything is bleak, when you look down, you are surrounded by Qiang water, surrounded by mountains, tea borders and fir paths, strange stones and flowers, which are well-known places of interest. "Book of History" 'Cai Meng Lu Ping' is this Mengshan, prolific Tea, at the very top, is more expensive because it receives more sunlight."

"Sichuan General Chronicle. Yazhou·Mengshan" property entry records: "Xiancha, produced on the top of Qingfeng on the top of Mengding, on the side of Ganlujing, thick and round leaves, slightly bitter in color, purple in color, beginning in late spring and summer, sheltered by moss, covered with cloudy clouds, according to legend, nectar The ancestors brought Ling Ming to plant five tops from Lingbiao. So far, there are only eight small plants in Shangqing, seven plants are only four or five inches high, and one plant is only two or three inches high. Only twenty or thirty leaves are picked every year, and the town is often fenced off. , the soil on the top of the mountain is only an inch, so the tea has not grown and perished since the Han Dynasty."

Before the Ming Dynasty, cake tea, dragon and phoenix group tea and loose tea coexisted. In the early Ming Dynasty, tribute tea from all over the country followed the Song Dynasty practice and made doughs of different sizes, the so-called dragon and phoenix cakes. In the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu (1391), Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang "abolished the group tea and revitalized the loose tea". In addition to commemorating the "Ganlu Patriarch" Wu Lizhen, the nectar tea became more and more prosperous. Since then, Mengdingshan tea tribute has been changed to loose tea, with the names of Ganlu, Huangya, Shihua, Quetong, Yabai, etc. Among them, Ganlu ranks first.

At the beginning, the method of steaming tea was the main method of making loose tea, but there were shortcomings such as difficult to remove bitterness and incorrect aroma. Therefore, the technique of stir-frying tea by using dry heat to bring out the excellent aroma of tea appeared. In the late Ming Dynasty, Huang Longde described the making process of Mengding nectar in his "Tea Shuo" written by him: "First, heat the kettle, make four taels of each bud, make a lower kettle once, and fry the green gas. When it is ready, roll it lightly in the kettle, take it out, spread it on the pan, and cool it with a fan. After frying to more than ten kettles, it is always fried again. Stir fry and cool for five times. The tea is green and shaped Such as silkworm hooks, it becomes a good product", which is exactly the same as the "three frying, three kneading and three baking" processes of modern Mengding Ganlu.

"Medical Sage" Li Shizhen commented on Mengdingshan tea in his Compendium of Materia Medica "Guobu·Volume 32·Tea": "True tea is cold in nature, only those from Mengshan in Yazhou are warm and the main disease is the main disease", It is pointed out that the tea nature of Mengding camellia is warm, which has a great relationship with the unique processing technology of Mengding camellia represented by Mengding Ganlu and Mengding Huangya.

Mengdingshan tea has always been known as tribute tea. Tribute tea is a kind of tea that was specially paid to the royal family in ancient China for the emperor and generals to enjoy. The use of tea as a tribute to the emperor can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty. According to the Eastern Jin historian Chang Quan's "Huayang Guozhi·Bazhi", after King Wu of Zhou joined forces with all ethnic groups in Sichuan to attack the Zhou Dynasty, the tea produced in the Bashu area was listed as a tribute, so the leaders of the various ethnic groups brought the tea to pay tribute. At that time, tea was not used as a tea drink, but was used for sacrifice, medicinal or edible, and it was eaten in a similar way to cooking soup. This is the earliest written record of tribute tea.

Yongxing Temple Ganlu Dojo

The true style of drinking tea began in the Tang Dynasty. Due to the "custom and expensive tea in the Tang Dynasty, the famous tea is beneficial to the public" (from the Tang Dynasty writer Li Zhao's "Tang Kingdom History Supplement"), coupled with a large number of tea drinking in the court, tea banquets and tea ceremonies emerged in an endless stream, and famous teas from all over the world gradually became more and more popular. It was separated from ordinary tea and became a high-end consumer product for the royal family and aristocratic class, thus giving birth to the tribute tea system.

The Tang Dynasty was the peak era of feudal society, politics, economy and culture, as well as the era of highly developed tea culture. There are two main forms of tribute tea system in Tang Dynasty.

First, the court chose to pay tribute to places that produce tea with excellent quality.

The second is to select key areas and their products with unique tea tree ecological environment, concentrated production, and convenient transportation. The court directly set up tribute tea houses to specialize in the production of tribute tea, such as Guzhu Gong Tea Garden in Wuxing, Huzhou, Zhejiang. The Mengding tribute tea belongs to the first type of "fixed-point" tribute.

Most of the emperors of the Tang Dynasty liked tea, especially after Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. There is an old saying: "What is good above, what is below must be good". The emperor is addicted to tea, and the courtiers should also understand tea, so that they can accompany the king to drive, talk about tea and drink tea at the tea banquet. The emperor's gift of tea has become a precious reward, and there are certain rituals. After receiving the gift of tea, the courtiers often write articles to thank the emperor for his kindness. The reason why there are many tea poems dedicated to Mengdingshan tea in Tang poetry and Song poetry is because there were many great poets and great writers who were high officials at that time. They had the opportunity to receive Mengdingshan tea as a gift from the emperor, and then wrote many praises for Mongolian. The poems, words, songs, fu, prose and good sentences of Dingshan tea are widely circulated today.

In the first year of Tianbao of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty (742), Mengding Mountain tea was listed as a tribute, and it began to pay tribute to the royal family. The tribute tea that is so "respected" is really rare in the history of Chinese tea. Mengdingshan tea can be used as a tribute every year, and it was also used exclusively for emperors to worship heaven and ancestors in the Qing Dynasty. Tang Dynasty "Tang Kingdom History Supplement", Song Dynasty "New Tang Book", "Xuanhe Beiyuan Tribute Tea Record", "Splendid Wanhua Valley Collection", Ming Dynasty "Western Wuli", Qing Dynasty "Sichuan Tongzhi", etc. Records of Dinggong Tea.

The tribute tea system in the Qing Dynasty was the most complete, and it was a collection of all dynasties. Whether it was the region, variety, and quantity of tribute tea, or the transportation, handover, and acceptance of tribute tea, there were strict regulations, which were in charge of the Ministry of Rites. In the Forbidden City, there is a special tea storehouse, which is affiliated to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In addition to the daily drinking of the royal family, tribute tea was also used for sacrifices, medicine, banquets, and rewards.

According to the 2014 edition of the Palace Museum Publishing House "Research on Tribute Tea in Qing Dynasty": According to the list of the Qing Palace, there were 13 main provinces that paid tribute to tea in the Qing Dynasty. There are 10 kinds of tea tributes from Sichuan Province, including "Xiancha, Peicha, water chestnut bay tea, Mengding mountain tea, Guanxian fine tea, famous mountain tea, Guanyin tea, Qingcheng bud tea, spring tea, and pot roasted tea". Five kinds of "Xiancha", "Peicha", "Lingjiaowan Tea", "Mengding Mountain Tea" and "Famous Mountain Tea" come from Mengding Mountain.

Mengdingshan tea had a unique status among all tribute teas at that time, and it was written by scholars and writers. He Shaoji, a famous calligrapher, poet and painter in the late Qing Dynasty, wrote a poem "Famous Mountain Mengding Tribute Tea Fu to Chen Xinpanming House", with the theme of singing Mengding Tribute Tea, paying attention to the status of Mengding Mountain tea, the importance of the county government and picking The standard, production process, tribute category, and escort process are all described in detail. The whole poem is: "Shu tea Mengding is the most precious, with three hundred and sixty petals as tribute. The silver bottle is worth the price of the chief secretary, and the ceremonial piety will be used in the suburban temple. Before the flag gun is first reported to the Grain Rain, the county official Jieshi will be the Chunzhong. There are seven tea plants and three of them, and they are spun and lightly baked and sent quickly. Immortals were hand-planted before Tokyo, and later incarnated into Mengquan. The ancient style and ancient rain are full of breath, and they are three feet tall and have a life span of two thousand years. When the official comes, I will look at it. I am too sparse in the tea, and I like the high mountain to the sky. Jiajiang read the wine official monument yesterday, the famous mountain commander Ganlu division. I dare to drink and sip the trivial things, and the people's livelihood and the national code are Gangwei. There are stagnations in the source of savory, so when you are an official, Sang Kong must think deeply."

Huang Yunhu, a famous scribes, essayist, and calligrapher and painter in the late Qing Dynasty who had served as the prefect of Yazhou twice, praised Mengding Ganlu in his poem "Mengding Leaving Questions": "Quiet your thirst and swallow fairy tea, and cleanse Wo Ganlu".

Sculpture of Wu Lizhen, the ancestor of tea planting

The Guangxu edition of Mingshan County Records in the Qing Dynasty recorded Zhao Yi's "Mengding Tea", which recorded in detail the process of picking, making and transporting tribute tea at that time: "Three hundred and sixty leaves are harvested each year for tribute, which is used in the suburb of Tianzi and the Tai Temple. It's... . . . . . . . Fine and insect-eaten, pick only one leaf from each bud, burn it first, burn it with a new kettle, burn the fire with a new kettle, wrap the leaves in paper and iron them in the kettle, wait for half wilting, come out and knead it. The monks sit around a table, Open and knead them one by one, spread them evenly on the paper, dry them at the mouth of the cauldron, and select the ones that are green, moist and clean to be the original tribute tea. .

When he was about to leave, the county magistrate, Buji, kowtowed in court clothes. The election officials went to the chief minister to pay tribute. After the prefecture and county, I would like to escort him", its solemnity and grandeur can be seen.