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China's Sacred Gardens

No visitor has ever set foot in the very best China gardens. These remain shrouded in mystery and are quite secret. Few Chinese even know that these gardens exist, for they are familiar with the state cooperative farms only, and these produce "Standard" blacks and greens identified by number only. They are skillfully blended to guarantee stable quality whatever the climate conditions. Certain standard teas are nonetheless high quality products designed for export only: e.g., Imperial Yunnan or Imperial Keemun.

China’s secret gardens, however, are kept distinct from these cooperatives and are called "Sacred Gardens" by the privileged few. Their exact number is unknown, possibly thirteen to fifteen. They are said to be patrolled day and night by guards and dogs. Why such secrecy? These gardens produce TINY quantities of superlative green tea that is kept off the market and is reserved exclusively for high government officials.

Halfway between the state and the secret/Sacred gardens, China also has gardens producing tea that can be purchased, assuming one has managed to establish a special relationship with certain authorities. These gardens are in remote mountainous regions; the teas are rare and very expensive. Pi-Lo, "Spiral of Spring Jade," is one of them.

Yet, even these teas seem somewhat ordinary when compared to tea which is worth its weight in gold. It is a tea not steamed but merely dried—a veritable miracle produced in Fujian Province—known as Yin Zhen, "Silver Needles," and formerly reserved for the Emperor and a few court dignitaries. Called "Imperial Plucking," it is picked only two days per year strictly according to Chinese botanical observations. Should unanticipated wind or rain occur or be anticipated during the harvest, it is simply canceled! It was picked using only gold scissors, and all who came in contact with the tea wore gloves; nothing touched the tea except gold and the Emperor's lips.

The ethereal green teas of China’s Sacred Gardens are truly a transcendent experience, one that is beyond description. Think of God’s green heaven in a cup, and you may just begin to sense the possibilities.

The Tea Man

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Copyright © February 1996