The Story Of Bi-Luo-Chun Tea in the TaiHu Lake

"Bi-Luo-Chun" *, whose meaning is "Green Conch in Spring", is one of the most famous tea in China. It is planted on the Eastern & Western DongTing Hill in the TaiHu Lake in JiangSu Province. The best time to pick up Bi Luo Chun Tea is in the third lunar month. At that time there are only one bud and one tender leaf on every twig of the tea tree. For the best Bi-Luo-Chun tea, there are many white hair coating on the surface of the spiral tea bud. If you soak the tea in hot water, the tea will extend to one bud and one leaf. The green tea soup is fragrant and refreshing.

There is also a beautiful story about BiLuoChun: many years ago, there was an orphan girl named BiLuo. This nice girl was a really good singer. Her songs can relax all the farmers and fish men around, making them forget all the unhappy things. For this reason she was extremely welcome in this area. With all the villagers, BiLuo led a very happy life

The peaceful life was suddenly broken by a ferocious dragon. The dragon required the people to build a big temple for him, with all kinds of offerings inside. Every year the villagers had to sacrifice a pair of virginal boy and girl as his slaves. Furthermore, he even asked BiLuo to become his wife!

The villagers refused his requirement and hide BiLuo well, so the angry dragon made huge waves on the lake and broke all the fish boats. At night, the dragon made strong gale, destroyed all the plants, trees and houses on the Western Dongting Hills. The villagers' lives were threatened.

The dragon's behavior irritated a secret admirer of BiLuo. His name was Xiang, living on the Eastern Dongting Hill. Xiang was really a good fighter and he always loved Biluo. With a harpoon in hand, the boy swam to the Western DongTing Hill at a dark night and challenged the dragon by himself.

Xiang and the dragon fought for the whole seven days, at last both of them were badly injured, bleeding, and lying on the ground exhaustedly. The villagers heard the news, they came here and chopped the dragon into pieces. However, there was nothing can save Xiang: He was injured so badly that he could only lie down in the bed without any movement. He got weaker and weaker, the only one thing that could wake him was the singing of Biluo. Whenever he heard BiLuo singing, he could feel better and keep awake for a little while. Biluo finally knew the boy was in love with her.

With gratitude and love, BiLuo decided to find a catholicon for her lover. She searched every inch of earth on the DongTing islands. One day, she passed by the place where Xiang ever fought the dragon, she found a small tea tree growing there. She thought it should be a good idea to replant the tree to the top of the hill, so that everyone would know that a brave young man named Xiang had fought with the evil dragon here. This tree would be the monument for xiang. It was early spring, BiLuo was afraid that the buds will be frozen in the frost, so she hold every bud in her mouth, warm them up by her own heat. It was almost "GuYu" festival (March 30 by lunar calendar), Bi Luo said to herself: I warm the tea up by my singing mouth, now I am gonna pluck the tea bud by them again. She picked some tea buds by her lips and made a cup of tea for Xiang.

The tea had specially good effect on Xiang, he recovered quickly. Everyday Biluo went to the top of the hill, warm up the tea buds by her mouth, and then pick them up by her lips. xiang became better and better, even stronger than before. However, at the same time, BiGuo was weaker and weaker day by day. She pumped all her vigour and vitality on that tea and will never recover. Soon after, BiLuo passed away with smile on her face. The greatly mournful boy Xiang buried her on the peak of the hill and settled down there. He decided to accompany with his girl forever.

Many years passed, occasionally some villager climbed to the peak of the hill, they found Xiang was still as young as many years ago --- he became immortal by the tea.

Now, the peak where BiLuo was buried is called "Misty Peak", many girls come here around the "GuYu" festival, they pick up the tea buds from the tree and make them into green tea. This kind of tea is a valuable gift symbolizing love and blessing. This is what later come to be known as the BiLuo Chun Tea.

* In Chinese, BiLuo means "green conch", the meaning of "Chun" is spring (the season). So the name of the tea means "a green conch in the spring" which yearningly expresses our admire to the virgin singer Lady BiLuo who lived here many years ago.