寻找泉州世遗的中国之最 西坪镇铁观音发源地母树

安溪在唐末就有茶树栽培，距今已有1000多年的历史。该遗迹保存很好，为探索安溪铁观音起源、发展的历史提供重要的实物资料。

看专题视频，赏安溪铁观音母树风采。

采茶女采摘红心歪尾铁观音

乌龙茶中的极品、中国十大名茶之一的安溪铁观音最早在安溪发现，其发祥地在安溪县西坪镇，这是世人公认，从无争议。不过，关于铁观音的母本原株却有尧阳村的“王说”和松岩村的“魏说”两种说法，二者各说铁观音源自于此。

用国家级“非遗”乌龙茶安溪铁观音制作技艺代表性传承人、掌门人王文礼的话说，是他们祖上的读书人将经过精心炒制的茶叶辗转献给皇帝，又通过当时最高权威人士的口做了最好的宣传，才让这棵茶树为天下人所熟知。在尧阳南山头一处幽静的书轩里，挂着发现“神树”的王家先祖——王仕让的画像。画像之下摆着一系列佐证物品。在书轩一侧，高耸的花岗岩牌坊方正气派，环绕着正中间一棵茶树。一批批游客沿着蜿蜒山道接踵而至，都是为了这一树神圣之茶而来。相传，乾隆年间，尧阳南阳有位读书人王仕让，勤奋好学。一日，在书轩旁偶然发现一株生态奇异的茶树，爱不释手，遂移植在书轩圃内，精心培育，适时采摘精制。果然，制成的茶品非同一般，色香味俱佳。后来，王仕让进京，特意带上这一茶品敬送礼部侍郎方苞。方苞转献内廷，乾隆皇帝饮品之后大加赞赏，“以其茶乌润结实，沉重似铁，味香形美，犹如观音”，于是赐名为“铁观音”。这一“铁观音”来源的说法，被称为“王说”。

人们在“王说”发源地参观铁观音母树

王文礼的表哥、新加坡茶叶出入口商公会会长魏荣南，更愿意相信是他的先祖满心虔诚，获神仙指引，梦境成真，才有了今天的天赐神树。跟魏荣南看法一致，国家级“非遗”乌龙茶安溪铁观音制作技艺代表性传承人、魏荫第九代孙——魏月德，相信这是个“神明引路”获茶的故事：铁观音来自清雍正年间魏家先祖、松岩茶农魏荫手里。今天的松岩松林头，在发现铁观音母树的地点，魏家人重新移种铁观音，并在一旁的溪岸巨石凿出魏荫品茶的石像。石像上方立有土地龛供奉土地爷，在茶园坡地上，则高高耸立起观音菩萨石像。相传，雍正年间，松岩村松林头茶农魏荫，笃信观音菩萨，每日晨昏都要以清茶三杯敬奉。数十年如一日，其虔诚之心感动了大慈大悲的观世音菩萨。忽有一夜，观音菩萨赐梦，让他在梦里见到一株葱郁温润的茶树。第二天清晨，魏荫遵循梦中指引，终于在打石坑石崖峭壁上找到一株异于他种的茶树。魏荫如获至宝，把它移植在家中的一口破铁鼎里，用心护育，亲自培土、莳草、浇水，采撷制作的茶叶，果然是上品。其为观音所赐，又紧结沉实似铁，故名曰“铁观音”。这一“铁观音”来源的说法，被称为“魏说”。

“魏说”发源地之打石坑（

“魏说”发源地立着观音像

在林荣溪和陈德进撰写的《中国铁观音》一书中写道，三百多年来，关于铁观音的起源，双方各执一词。王家坚持“文人献茶，乾隆赐名”，魏家则始终认为是“观音托梦，魏荫传茶”。这两种说法随着铁观音香韵的荡开，在爱茶人的瓯杯之间，广泛流传，成为人们揭开铁观音神秘面纱的“打开方式”之一。

鉴于两家说辞在茶人之中形成的广泛影响，《中国茶经》《福建乌龙茶》以及1994年出版的《安溪县志》，把铁观音的起源王魏两说进行了一番整理，一并收录，以便喜欢寻源问根的人们查阅。

事实上，王魏两说的“争端”在当地并没有给两家人造成隔阂，年轻人该结亲的还是结亲，年长一点的就坐到一张八仙桌前，一起泡茶“话仙”。因为他们都明白，如今人们一致赞同，世界名茶铁观音的发源地就是在安溪，就是在西坪。

倒是这一棵铁观音，借着皇帝、观音的名义，声名传出四乡八里，出村出镇，出县出市，直至海内外，最后传遍了五大洲。今日，有相当多的国内外人士都会把安溪和铁观音紧密相连。一说到安溪，就想起那里有棵茶树，叫铁观音，而提到铁观音，人们就自然而然地联想到那一方“小溪煮山、四季飘香”的山水佳境。

Tea trees were cultivated in Anxi in the late Tang Dynasty, with a history of more than 1,000 years. The ruins are well preserved and provide important physical information for exploring the origin and development of Anxi Tieguanyin.

Watch the special video to appreciate the style of the Tieguanyin mother tree in Anxi.

Tea pickers pick red hearts with twisted tails and Tieguanyin

Anxi Tieguanyin, one of the top oolong teas and one of the top ten famous teas in China, was first discovered in Anxi, and its birthplace was in Xiping Town, Anxi County. However, there are two versions of the original strain of Tieguanyin: "Wang Shuo" in Yaoyang Village and "Wei Shuo" in Songyan Village, both of which say that Tieguanyin originated from this.

In the words of Wang Wenli, the representative inheritor of the national "intangible cultural heritage" oolong tea Anxi Tieguanyin production skills and the head of the Bama tea industry, it was the scholars of their ancestors who dedicated the carefully roasted tea to the emperor, and passed the highest standards at that time. Authoritative people made the best publicity to make this tea tree known to the world. In a quiet bookstore at the top of Nanshan Mountain in Yaoyang, there is a portrait of Wang Shirang, the ancestor of the Wang family who discovered the "sacred tree". Beneath the portrait is a series of supporting items. On the side of the bookstore, the towering granite archway is square, surrounded by a tea tree in the middle. Groups of tourists follow along the winding mountain road, all for the sacred tea of this tree. According to legend, during the Qianlong period, there was a scholar Wang Shirang in Nanyang, Yaoyang, who was diligent and eager to learn. One day, I stumbled across a strange ecological tea tree next to the Shuxuan, and I couldn't put it down, so it was transplanted in the Shuxuan Garden, carefully cultivated, and picked and refined at the right time. Sure enough, the tea produced is extraordinary, with good color and fragrance. Later, when Wang Shirang went to Beijing, he specially brought this tea to Fang Bao, the servant of the gift department. Fang Bao presented it to the Inner Court, and Emperor Qianlong praised it after drinking it. "Its tea is black and strong, heavy like iron, with beautiful flavor and shape, just like Guanyin", so he gave it the name "Tieguanyin". The origin of this "Tieguanyin" is called "Wang Shuo".

People visit the mother tree of Tieguanyin in the birthplace of "Wang Shuo"

Wang Wenli's cousin, Wei Rongnan, president of the Singapore Tea Importers and Exporters Association, prefers to believe that his ancestors were full of piety, guided by immortals, and their dreams came true. Consistent with Wei Rongnan's opinion, Wei Yuede, the representative inheritor of the national "intangible cultural heritage" oolong tea Anxi Tieguanyin production skills and the ninth-generation grandson of Wei Yin, believes that this is a story of "gods leading the way" to obtain tea: Tieguanyin came from the Yongzheng period of Qing Dynasty In the hands of Wei Yin, the ancestor of the Wei family and Songyan tea farmer. Today's Songyan Pine Forest Head, where the mother tree of Tieguanyin was found, the Wei family replanted Tieguanyin, and carved a stone statue of Wei Yin drinking tea from the boulder on the side of the stream. Above the stone statue, there is a niche dedicated to the land master, and on the slope of the tea garden, a stone statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva stands tall. According to legend, during the Yongzheng period, Wei Yin, a tea farmer from Songlintou in Songyan Village, believed in Guanyin Bodhisattva and worshipped him with three cups of tea every morning and evening. For decades, his devotion has moved the compassionate and compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva. Suddenly one night, Guanyin Bodhisattva gave him a dream, in which he saw a lush and warm tea tree. The next morning, Wei Yin followed the guidance in his dream and finally found a tea tree different from his species on the cliff of Dashikeng. Wei Yin, as if he had obtained a treasure, transplanted it into a broken iron cauldron at home, and cared for it. He personally cultivated the soil, planted the grass, watered it, and picked and made the tea leaves. It is given by Guanyin, and it is tight and solid like iron, so it is called "Tie Guanyin". The origin of this "Tieguanyin" is called "Wei Shuo".

Da Shikeng, the birthplace of "Wei Shuo" (

A statue of Guanyin stands in the birthplace of "Wei Shuo"

In the book "China Tieguanyin" written by Lin Rongxi and Chen Dejin, it is written that for more than 300 years, the two sides have disagreed about the origin of Tieguanyin. The Wang family insisted that "the literati offered tea, and Qianlong gave the name", while the Wei family always believed that it was "Guanyin entrusts the dream, and Wei Yin passed the tea". With the fragrance of Tieguanyin, these two versions spread widely among the tea lovers' cups, becoming one of the "opening ways" for people to uncover the mystery of Tieguanyin.

In view of the extensive influence of the two rhetoric among tea people, "Chinese Tea Classic", "Fujian Oolong Tea" and "Anxi County Chronicle" published in 1994 have sorted out the origin of Tieguanyin, Wang Wei Liang's theory, and put them together. It is included for those who like to find the source and ask for the root.

In fact, the "dispute" mentioned by Wang Wei and Liang did not cause any estrangement between the two families in the local area. The younger ones should marry, and the older ones would sit at a table of the Eight Immortals and make tea "Huaxian" together. Because they all understand that today people agree that the birthplace of the world famous tea Tieguanyin is in Anxi and Xiping.

But this Tieguanyin tree, in the name of the emperor and Guanyin, became famous in four villages and eight li, out of villages and towns, out of counties and cities, even at home and abroad, and finally spread all over the five continents. Today, there are quite a lot of people at home and abroad who will closely link Anxi and Tieguanyin. When it comes to Anxi, one thinks of a tea tree called Tieguanyin there, and when it comes to Tieguanyin, people naturally think of the beautiful landscape of "a small stream boils the mountain, and the four seasons are fragrant".