The legend of Blacksmith Chou Tea

The Blacksmith Chou Tea is produced in Rong Kuang Town, Feng Cheng City, JiangSu Province. In the Ching Dynasty (1616 - 1911 A.D.), there lived a scholar here. His name was Blacksmith Chou. Chou took a reclusion life in the country side, planting tea in his tea garden. One year, the Great Emperor Chian Long traveled to Feng Cheng. The emperor dressed like a cloth dealer so that he could go closely to his plebeians. One day, when Chou was plucking tea on the hill, two cloth businessmen went to his home. It was hot outside and the two guests were thirsty. Chou's wife made two cups of tea for them. The guests were fully amazed by the refreshing feeling of the tea. When they left, they gave Chou's wife a piece of paper. Chou came back in the evening and read the paper, there was a note on it: "please send four pounds of high-quality tea to Beijing in autumn".

The autumn came soon, according to the address on the note, Chou took four pounds of tea buds to Beijing. When he arrived, he saw a lot of honor guard and soldiers.  This was the palace of the emperor! Chou showed the note and tea buds to the guards, the guards took them to the Emperor Chian Long. Chian Long was very glad to receive this gift and appreciate it. He tried to persuade Chou to stay in the court and become his officer but Chou refused because he could not leave his tea garden. Then the emperor ordered to name the tea as Blacksmith Chou, and appoint it as a regular tribute to the royal family. The Blacksmith Chou Tea became well known and it comes down till today.