EN
"Te Lohan"
trans. "Iron Arhat"
Tie Luo Han is one of the most ancient cliff teas, classified as highly fermented oolongs of the highest quality. It grows in the north of Fujian Province in the Wuyi Mountains region among cliffs, sheer rocks, deep depressions and spacious valleys. The tea is grown on specially constructed terraces in rock crevices and cracks, in all the recesses in the cliffs. These places are called "pot" type gardens (盆栽式茶园, pen-zai shi cha yuan). Tie Luo Han is produced from the tender leaves of the trees of the same variety, growing on the Huiyuan cliff (慧苑岩) in the Inner Demon Cave (内鬼洞, which is also called the Honey Den tract, 蜂窠坑). In this gorge, the rock walls almost meet and only a small stream flowing along provides the plants with all the necessary moisture.
The tea got its name in honor of the Arhats, characters from the Buddhist pantheon. People who have achieved the highest spiritual development and fulfill the will of Buddha, capable of reaching his abode at any moment.
According to one of the legends about the appearance of the Iron Arhat in the Wuyi Mountains on the territory of the Buddhist monastery Huiyuan (translated as "Garden of Insight") lived a monk named Ji Hui. He devoted his entire worldly life to growing tea and continued to do this already as a monk. His tea was distinguished by the fact that after taking a few sips, peace came to the soul, the chakras became clear, and the body was filled with energy. The locals immediately fell in love with this tea and one day, when the monk achieved enlightenment (the state of an Arhat), he revealed to them his secret of its production, the intricacies of processing and harvesting. Then he left the mortal world, and grateful peasants named the tea variety in his honor. Iron Arhat - the strong character and steadfastness of a monk who succeeded in both spiritual and secular life. Wuyi Shan Oolong Tie Luohan, with its unique "cliff melody", has been valued for centuries for its tart aroma, rich and multifaceted taste and high tonic properties.