Cloud tea is like life; life is learning, wisdom is cultivation.<\/p>\n
On Qixi night, the Cowherd and the Weaving Girl in the sky meet once a year; lovers on earth give flowers once a year. But this old tea head, on Qixi night, most wants to brew a pot of Bingdao ancient-tree raw tea, sit alone on the terrace, and gaze at the stars. It is not that I lack romance; rather, I believe romance does not require two people. One person, one pot of tea, one sky of stars: that is the purest form of romance.<\/p>\n
Bingdao tea comes from Bingdao Village, Mengku Town, Shuangjiang County, Lincang, Yunnan. The altitude is roughly 1,700 meters, with year-round cloud and mist and large temperature differences between day and night, giving the tea leaves exceptional sweetness. Bingdao ancient-tree raw tea is known as the “Queen of Pu-erh,” alongside Lao Ban Zhang’s “King of Pu-erh.” Its defining characteristic is a single word: “sweet.” Rock-sugar sweet: sweet from the first sip, even sweeter in the aftertaste. After drinking, the entire mouth is filled with sweetness.<\/p>\n
This Qixi, I am preparing the 2021 Bingdao ancient-tree spring tea. This cake has been stored for two years; the tea’s nature has begun to mellow, but the rock-sugar sweetness remains prominent. After one rinse, the second infusion yields a golden, brilliant liquor. The moment it enters the mouth, that rock-sugar sweetness surges forward: not the sweetness of added sugar, but a natural, clean sweetness, like drinking mountain spring water. By the third infusion, the returning sweetness emerges, and the entire throat is filled with a lasting sweetness.<\/p>\n
Qixi nights usually have fine weather: clear skies, brilliant stars. I sit in a rattan chair on the terrace, a Yixing tea set before me, city lights behind me. I slowly brew the Bingdao, watching the liquor flow in the cup, listening to distant music. At this moment, all troubles vanish; only tea fragrance and tranquility remain.<\/p>\n
The sweetness of Bingdao is not cloying; it is clean sweetness, like the feeling of a first love. By the fifth infusion, the sweetness reaches its peak, then gradually softens. Like a relationship: the most intense moment is not the beginning, but after a period of settling. I always feel that drinking Bingdao is like living through a relationship: from the surprise of first meeting, through the sweetness of companionship, to the eventual serenity and warmth.<\/p>\n
From a traditional wellness perspective, Bingdao tea is rich in amino acids and tea polyphenols, which are traditionally believed to provide antioxidant benefits. Qixi is China’s lovers’ festival. Giving flowers and chocolate is romantic, certainly, but giving a cake of fine Bingdao tea carries even deeper meaning. Flowers wilt; chocolate is consumed. But a cake of good tea can be enjoyed all year long, and each time you drink it, you think of the giver. That is the romance of tea: it is not merely a beverage; it is an emotional bond.<\/p>\n
I remember one Qixi, a young man came to my shop to buy tea. He wanted to give a cake of tea to his girlfriend but did not know which to choose. I asked what she liked to drink. He said she did not drink tea at all. I said: “Then give Bingdao, because the sweetness of Bingdao is something no one can resist.” He bought a cake. A few months later, he returned to tell me his girlfriend had fallen in love with tea, especially Bingdao. That is the magic of tea: it can change a person’s habits.<\/p>\n
Tea has grades; all may enjoy it regardless of status.<\/p>\n
By the eighth infusion, Bingdao’s sweetness has become extraordinarily delicate, like silk on the tongue. At this moment I look up and catch a shooting star. I immediately press my palms together and make a wish. Not sure what to wish for, I choose the simplest: may I have a pot of good tea every Qixi night. A simple wish, yet a difficult one. Because good tea cannot be bought with money alone; it also requires time, the right frame of mind, and fate.<\/p>\n
Qixi night, one pot of Bingdao, one person, one sky of stars. This is my Qixi. No roses needed, no candlelit dinner. Just one pot of good tea and one quiet night. Sometimes, the simplest romance is the most genuine.<\/p>\n
Make friends through tea, please enjoy a cup.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Author: Old Tea Head · Lin Shen (LamSam)
\nZen Tea Manor ZENTEA MANOR
\nTianying Supply Chain Company
\nwww.zentea-shop.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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