Putuo Fo Cha is one of the five most celebrated teas in China. A tradition of almost two and a half millennia ensures that this tea, cultivated in gardens between Buddhist monasteries on an island in the East China Sea and exclusively hand processed, is abundantly endowed with superior quality.
Tea and Buddhism
During the Tang Dynasty, tea drinking became increasingly popular among Chinese Buddhist monks. They recognized the green leaf as a means of clearing the mind, gaining mental discipline and providing stimulation to allow for longer sessions of meditation. As many Buddhist monasteries were located in high mountain regions where tea plants flourished, the monks began cultivating tea and became some of the earliest producers of quality green teas.
The tea originates from Mount Putuo, (an island southeast of Shanghai) and is considered one of China’s four famous Buddhist retreats. Mt. Putuo is located to the southeast of the Zhou Shan Archipelago of Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province. It is in one of the four Buddha holy lands in China and the well-known site for mother buddha. Mt. Putuo has many man-made landscapes, including several hundred’s temples, monasteries, and thatched huts. Among the most famous are the PuJi temple, Fayu Temples, Huiji Temple.
The monks…
Of Mt. Putuo have always believed that tea and Zen have the same taste. Since the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the monks of the PuJi Temple and the other temples in the mountain have been planting and making tea, which is known as the Budda Tea from Mt. Putuo. In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the tea was chosen as a tribute tea. Later, with the rise and fall of Buddhism in the area, tea production was also interrupted from time to time. It resumed since 1979. Now, the Buddha Tea from Mt. PuTuo is also called the Buddha Summit Cloud and Mist.
https://www.jiangtea.com/green-tea/putuo-buddha-tea/#.XBv8JFxKhPY
The climate…
The Buddha Tea producing area in Mt. Putuo includes the mountain itself and the neighboring places such as Zhu Jia Jian and Tao Hua Island. The area enjoys a temperate marine climate with plenty of rainfall, humid air, lush woods and fertile soil. The soil with lots of vegetation and trees, provides a unique micro-climate that is reflected in the region’s tea.
The ABC's of Tea 