Victoria's Tea Sourcing Trip 2017 - Meng Ding Mountain, Sichuan

This is the first in a series of photocentric blog posts sharing some of Victoria's adventures for the year!

Here's a look at her journey to Mengding Mountain, the origin of prestigious Meng Ding yellow tea, where the first human cultivated tea about 1200 years ago! 

Here is the picture Victoria standing in front of the ancient Tian Gai temple. Tian means the heaven. This temple was initially built in Han dynasty, then re-built in Song dynasty about 1000 years ago. There are 12 over one thousand years old gingko trees around the temple! 

The top of Mengding Mountain is usually very misty, about 1400 meters, or 4600 FT high. Misty mountain has naturally great conditions for growing some best teas. This is the home of Meng Ding Gan Lu, otherwise known as Sweet Dew green tea. There is an old Chinese poem saying, "the best water is from Yangzi river, the best tea is from Meng Ding mountain." 

At Lingquan Peak stands the 17-foot tall statue of Da Yu (or Yu the Great), the founder of the Xia Dynasty about 5000 years ago. 

Here is our very own Victoria standing in front of the Royal Tea Garden, comprised of the Seven Tea Bushes planted by Wu Lizhen that boast an age of 1200 years. It was once said the seven bushes were immortal tea. They were carefully cultivated and picked, starting in the Tang Dynasty, for royal tea offerings.

Here is a beautiful and luscious Meng Ding tea garden.

Finally, some pan-firing of fresh Meng Ding green tea! It tastes so delicate and sweet! At the valley of Meng Ding mountain, Victoria visited a tea farm and tasted one of the most delicious cup of Zhu Ye Qing green tea.

Victoria has visited Meng Ding mountain region several times in her life, but today's visit is still a well-worthied trip.