Which Temple in China Serves the Best Zen Tea?

From various social media platforms, we can glimpse that temples have become a spiritual sanctuary for contemporary young people.

While young people indulging in daily superstitions flock to temples seeking love, career, children, or wealth, they might overlook the fact that these deeply cultured temples hold something even more precious—Zen tea.

From koi fish to Buddha, young people’s hope for wish fulfillment has never changed.

The world says, “Zen and tea are one!” But when faced with such fine tea, I’d advise you to simply “crave tea.”

In ancient China, Zen empowered tea, and tea embodied Zen. This long established the inseparable connection between famous mountain temples and fine tea.

For practitioners, tea is indeed a remedy to refresh the mind and aid cultivation, perfectly helping Buddhist monks meditate and alleviate physical and mental fatigue. (Don’t modern 996 young workers also need a functional drink to stay alert?)

Monks and tea seem to share an inherently indispensable relationship.

As the saying goes, “Fine tea grows in high mountains and mist,” and “Since ancient times, monks have occupied famous mountains.” Thus, monks, being closest to the source, would have tea first—if they didn’t drink it, even Buddha might disapprove.

Of course, monks choose tea not just for its refreshing qualities. Tea immortal Lu Tong said, “The first bowl moistens the lips and throat, the second bowl dispels loneliness… the fifth bowl purifies the flesh and bones, the sixth bowl connects to the divine…” Naturally, it carries a spiritual solace.

So, between praying for love or career, why not join us in exploring the charm of Chinese Zen tea?

Three pilgrimage sites every tea lover must visit in their lifetime.

Xita Temple: The inspirational holy land of Tea Sage Lu Yu.

Lu Yu, the Tea Sage of the world and a pivotal figure in Chinese Zen tea development, authored China’s first systematic tea monograph, *The Classic of Tea*.

*The Classic of Tea* opened a worldview centered on tea.

The reason Lu Yu’s tea sought no fame or profit was that he first expressed the spirit of tea as “refined conduct and frugal virtue.” Why did he “wander the world with a skinny horse”? The young Lu Yu spent years researching tea mountains, trees, and production methods, leading to his groundbreaking *The Classic of Tea*.

And the starting point of it all was Xita Temple.

Does the sunset over Xita Temple still hold fragments of the Tea Sage’s legacy?

Orphaned as a child, Lu Yu was fortunately adopted by Zen Master Zhiji, the abbot of Xita Temple (then called Longgai Temple) by West Lake in Tianmen City, Hubei. Immersed in Buddhism (and Confucian-Taoist culture) and tea, he later became the Tea Sage.

“Evening mist rises over the lake, towers fade into the sunset.” Anyone who loves tea culture should visit Xita Temple at least once in their life to complete their tea pilgrimage.

Bailin Temple: Join Monk Zhaozhou in “going for tea.”

One branch of Zen Buddhism emphasizes sudden enlightenment, and among the tea-related Zen sayings, one is particularly famous: "Go drink tea." It originates from Zen Master Congshen (also known as Zhaozhou Monk) of Berlin Temple in Hebei, the fourth-generation successor after the Sixth Patriarch Huineng.

The "Guang Qun Fang Pu · Tea Manual" records: "A monk visited Zen Master Congshen of Zhaozhou. The master asked, 'Have you been here recently?' The monk replied, 'Yes.' The master said, 'Go drink tea.' He then asked another monk, who answered, 'No.' The master again said, 'Go drink tea.'"

Someone asked why the master invited both those who had been there and those who hadn't to "go drink tea." In reality, these three words are not careless or meaningless repetition but a form of non-logical language concealing profound insight.

The ordinary mind is the Way—enlightenment while drinking tea.

As for how to understand it, a sage once advised: "Holding hundreds of verses in vain is not as good as going to drink tea." As a hotpot lover, it made me grasp a deeper meaning of another famous saying: "Nothing can't be solved with one hotpot meal! If not, then two!" This is the so-called breaking of self-attachment.

If you are fortunate enough to visit the temple, the octagonal multi-eaved Zhenji Zen Master Pagoda in the southwest is a must-visit. It is the imperial-bestowed stupa for Master Congshen's relics and is said to be particularly efficacious for prayers of peace and marriage.

The octagonal multi-eaved Zhenji Zen Master Pagoda—beloved by both ancient architecture enthusiasts and those seeking peace.

Tianxin Yongle Zen Temple: The Ancestral Home of Wuyi Mountain's Da Hong Pao.

For new tea enthusiasts, there are pitfalls in tea names, such as Anji White Tea and Da Hong Pao. Anji White Tea is not white tea but green tea, while Da Hong Pao is not red tea but oolong tea.

To trace the origin of Da Hong Pao's misleading name, it is linked to Tianxin Yongle Zen Temple in Fujian's Wuyi Mountain. Legend has it that during the Ming Dynasty's Hongwu era, scholar Ding Xian suffered heatstroke on his way to the imperial exams and was cured by monks using tea as medicine. After passing the exam as the top scholar, he draped his red robe over the tea plant in gratitude, giving rise to the name "Da Hong Pao."

Tianxin Yongle Zen Temple was originally named "Shanxin Yongle Nunnery."

Wuyi Mountain, a Danxia landform, is a UNESCO World Heritage site for both culture and nature. Among its attractions, the Tianxin Tea Trail is a paradise for rock tea lovers and hikers—a 7.5-kilometer scenic mountain path encompassing Tianxin Temple and the core tea-growing areas of "Three Pits and Two Streams."

Along the way, you'll see tea plants growing among rugged rocks and mountain streams, offering a purifying experience for both body and mind.

For rock tea and Da Hong Pao enthusiasts, Tianxin Yongle Zen Temple and Wuyi Mountain are pilgrimage destinations to visit in this lifetime.

The Wuyi Mountain Rock Tea Trail—where tea-seeking meets the Way.

Mengding Mountain: The First Recorded Place of Tea Cultivation in History.

"Water from the heart of the Yangtze River, tea from the peak of Mengding Mountain."

From Chengdu, it takes about an hour and a half by car to reach Mengding Mountain.

"In tea, old friends are found in Mengshan"—but know the tea ancestor Wu Lizhen.

Bai Juyi wrote a poem about it, with one line stating, "In tea, old friends are found in Mengshan." The sentiment is subtle and elusive, but it hints at a truth: tea and Mengshan have been long acquainted.

This roughly means that, according to legend, during the Western Han Dynasty, a master named Wu Lizhen planted tea trees here artificially, becoming the first documented tea cultivator in history. Unintentionally, Master Ganlu initiated the millennia-old tea garden and Zen tea culture of Mengding Mountain.

Today, tea lovers visit Mengding Mountain's tea gardens every year to explore.

Mengding Mountain tea was already a famous imperial tribute tea during the Tang Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, Song Lei ranked tribute teas in *Xiwu Liyu* and wrote: "Mengding is first, Guzhu second, and Yixing tenth."

The mountain houses many temples, with Yongxing Temple, Tiangai Temple, and Zhiju Temple being the most renowned. In the past, many tea trees were temple property, so tribute teas were often harvested and processed by monks, turning many into master tea makers. Among them, Mengding Huangya and Mengding Ganlu are the most famous, and even today, tea enthusiasts visit temples in search of these teas.

Mengding Ganlu has an elegant, curly appearance with abundant fine hairs and a mellow, sweet taste, while Mengding Huangya is flat and straight, slightly yellow in color, with fully exposed buds, a fresh and sweet aftertaste, and a rich, sweet aroma.

A sip of Mengding tea brings fresh sweetness to the heart.

If you want to experience the flavors of Ganlu and Huangya at their origin, take the cable car up the mountain directly to Tiangai Temple, where you can rest and enjoy tea. The vast terraced tea fields, the Imperial Tea Garden, thousand-year-old ginkgo trees, and Ganlu Spring will make for a memorable tea mountain journey.

Seek fine tea, academic success, and peace.

Mount Emei: The Sacred Site of Samantabhadra and a Hub of Zen Tea.

About a hundred miles southeast of Mengding Mountain lies Mount Emei, one of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains.

Within its hundreds of square miles, Mount Emei boasts lush forests and rolling seas of clouds, earning its reputation as "the most elegant mountain under heaven." Its fame speaks for itself—sunrises, cloud seas, and the mountain's monkeys leave a lasting impression.

In Buddhism, it is called the "Mountain of Brightness," the sacred site of Samantabhadra, aiding career success. It gained prominence during the Tang and Song dynasties. As for tea, Tang scholar Li Shan noted in *Annotations to the Zhaoming Literary Selections*: "Emei abounds in medicinal herbs, and its tea is exceptional, unlike any in the world. Behind Heishui Temple, tea grows on steep cliffs, tasting superb—white one year and green the next..."

Mount Emei's tea gardens are distributed at elevations of 800–1,500 meters in Wannian Temple, Heishui Temple, Qingyin Pavilion, Bailong Cave, and Longdong, nestled among mist-shrouded peaks.

Mount Emei's tea gardens are renowned for Sichuan's early spring tea.

Among China's famous teas today, "Emei Green Tea" originates here—flat and straight in shape, tender green and glossy, with a rich, refreshing flavor, making it an excellent choice to savor Emei's spring essence.

It is said that Mount Emei, as the sacred site of Samantabhadra, symbolizes wisdom and intelligence, making it an auspicious place to pray for academic success.

Only by tasting Emei green tea can one truly feel its Zen essence.

Mount Jiuhua: The Sacred Site of Ksitigarbha and Its Jiuhua Buddhist Tea.

Mount Jiuhua is the sacred site of Ksitigarbha, one of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains, and the origin of the famous Jiuhua Buddhist Tea. Located southwest of Qingyang County, Anhui, its nine peaks rise above the clouds like a lotus, hence the name Jiuhua (Nine Glories) Mountain.

In the post-pandemic era, many visit Mount Jiuhua to pray for peace and health. The towering golden statue of Ksitigarbha by the lake exudes solemnity and reassurance from afar.

According to the "Record of Huacheng Temple on Jiuhua Mountain" by the Tang Dynasty hermit Fei Guanqing, the founder of Buddhism on Jiuhua Mountain was the monk Kim Gyo-gak, a Silla native, commonly known as the "Earth Treasury King." In the late Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, he came to China to exchange Buddhist teachings and attained enlightenment on Jiuhua Mountain, "sitting serenely alone, practicing asceticism."

The solemn and majestic Buddhist temple, the peerless and independent Buddha tea.

Jiuhua Buddha Tea is a historically renowned tea, formerly known as Minyuan Tea or Huangshixi Tea, now collectively referred to as Jiuhua Buddha Tea. It is produced in the sacred Buddhist site of Jiuhua Mountain and its surrounding areas. The tea leaves are slightly curled, uniform with visible buds, greenish-yellow in color, with a long-lasting aroma and a fresh, mellow, and sweet aftertaste.

Mount Putuo: Putuo Buddha Tea from the Bodhisattva Guanyin's Sacred Site.

Visitors to Mount Putuo seeking marriage or children should first pay homage to the South Sea Guanyin Bodhisattva. It stands on Shuangfeng Mountain, surrounded by shimmering waves and the sound of tides, symbolizing the Buddhist paradise between sea and sky.

Every year, countless devotees flock to Mount Putuo to pray.

The water towns of Jiangnan are blessed lands for tea trees. Before sunrise, Mount Putuo is shrouded in mist and dewdrops. It is said that as early as the Tang Dynasty, tea made by Putuo monks was already famous.

Li Rihua of the Ming Dynasty wrote in "Miscellaneous Notes from the Purple Peach Studio": "An elderly monk from Putuo gave me a packet of Xiaobaiyan Tea. The leaves have white fuzz, brew colorless, and slowly drinking it brings a cooling sensation to the heart."

Today, Putuo Buddha Tea is also known as Putuo Mountain Mist Tea or Phoenix Tail Tea. Its appearance is "neither spiral nor eyebrow-like," with emerald-green leaves covered in fine hairs, a fragrant aroma, and a fresh, refreshing, mellow, and harmonious taste with a lingering sweetness.

Putuo Buddha Tea is "neither spiral nor eyebrow-like," with a mellow and pleasant flavor.

Besides the South Sea Guanyin Bodhisattva, Mount Putuo is dotted with temples, among which Puji Temple, Fayu Temple, and Huiji Temple are the most famous, ideal for both worship and leisurely walks.

Most temples on the mountain face south, built along the slopes, nestled among layered peaks and towering mountains, offering picturesque scenery. Surrounded by the sea, the vast expanse of misty waves in the distance brings a sense of tranquility.

Three Chinese Temples That Shaped Japan's Tea History.

Guoqing Temple: Where Chinese Tea Seeds Were First Brought to Japan.

Guoqing Temple is an ideal mountain monastery.

Among ancient trees and stone bridges, an idealized Guoqing Temple.

The apricot-yellow walls are slightly weathered, not too high, hidden among ancient trees and greenery, exuding ancient elegance and simplicity—a pure Buddhist sanctuary. Located in Taizhou, Zhejiang, it is a thousand-year-old temple built during the Sui Dynasty, named with the meaning "If the temple prospers, the nation will be at peace."

It is the ancestral temple of the Tiantai School, personally sited and planned by its founder, Master Zhiyi, embracing five peaks and two winding streams.

The main existing structures of the temple were rebuilt in the 12th year of the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty. The three characters "Guoqing Temple" outside the mountain gate were inscribed at that time—those seeking marriage should visit here.

Guoqing Temple ushered in a new era for Chinese tea's global journey.

Saichō, the founder of the Japanese Tendai sect, was the first to bring Chinese tea seeds to Japan. In 804, he traveled with the Japanese envoys to the Tang Dynasty to study Tendai doctrines at Guoqing Temple, where he also drank tea and learned about tea culture.

In 805, Saichō returned to Japan after completing his studies, carrying not only Buddhist scriptures but also several tea seeds. He later planted these seeds at the base of Mount Hiei in Kyoto, near the Hiyoshi Shrine, thus ending Japan's history of having no tea and ushering in a new era.

Kūkai, the Japanese "Xuanzang," and His Tea Studies at Qinglong Temple

In 804, another prominent Japanese monk who traveled to the Tang Dynasty was Kūkai.

While Kūkai may not be widely recognized, many are familiar with the monk portrayed by Shōta Sometani in the popular film *Legend of the Demon Cat* years ago—that was Kūkai.

Kūkai was a figure who profoundly influenced Japanese Buddhism. At 31, he arrived in Chang'an and studied at Qinglong Temple, where he received the true teachings of Huiguo, the seventh patriarch of the Esoteric Buddhism tradition, becoming its eighth successor.

Qinglong Temple had a profound impact on Japanese tea culture.

In fact, beyond Buddhist studies, Kūkai was an encyclopedic scholar, delving into painting, sculpture, astronomy, geography, medicine, and practical sciences—tea being one such subject.

He returned to Japan in 806, bringing back many tea seeds, which he planted across Japan. He actively practiced, promoted, and popularized tea drinking, playing a pivotal role in the development of the Japanese tea ceremony.

Late March to early April is just around the corner, and the cherry blossoms at Qinglong Temple are breathtaking—don’t miss them if you’re visiting Xi’an.

The cherry blossoms at Qinglong Temple are truly worth experiencing.

Jingshan Temple: The Origin of Japanese Tea Ceremony

Jingshan Temple is located on Mount Jing, a branch of Tianmu Mountain in Yuhang District, Hangzhou. The Northern Song poet Su Shi visited three times, leaving behind the famous verse: "Peaks descend from Tianmu Mountain, galloping like steeds across the plains." As the foremost of the "Five Mountains and Ten Temples of Jiangnan," it is said to be especially efficacious for career success.

Jingshan Temple is indeed the origin of the Japanese tea ceremony.

Today’s globally popular Japanese matcha owes its existence to Jingshan Temple, as the monk Enni Ben’en brought the Song Dynasty tea-whisking technique back to Japan—where from? None other than Jingshan Temple in Hangzhou.

No temple influenced Japanese Buddhism and tea ceremony more than Jingshan Temple. Dozens of Japanese monks came to study here, and Jingshan also sent monks to Japan to teach. It is regarded as the birthplace of the Japanese tea ceremony.

In ancient times, besides being used for Buddhist offerings and personal consumption, Jingshan tea was a tribute to the imperial court and served to esteemed guests. By the Song Dynasty, the grand Jingshan Tea Banquet had gained international fame.

Even today, Japanese monks continue to preserve the art of matcha.

Emperor Xiaozong of Song once ordered Jingshan Temple to hold a grand tea ceremony in honor of the monk Eisai for his rainmaking success. Eisai later wrote Japan’s first tea book, *Kissa Yōjōki*, and is revered as the father of Japanese tea.

Additionally, Nanpo Shōmyō brought back seven tea texts from Jingshan, including *Tea Ceremony Rules* and *Tea Ceremony Classics*, greatly influencing Zen tea culture in Japan. This legacy culminated in Murata Jukō’s establishment of the Japanese tea ceremony.

It is worth mentioning that last November, the Jingshan Tea Ceremony, as an important component of the "Traditional Tea Processing Techniques and Associated Social Practices in China," was officially inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, bringing this tradition to the global stage once again.

The Jingshan Tea Ceremony, now listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Cultural integration is always a slow yet stirring process. For ordinary people, discussions about Buddhist temples often feel like distant tales. Yet, through the medium of tea, reflecting on these shared human experiences becomes profoundly moving and uplifting, bridging the gap between humanity and the divine.

Few can clearly define the essence of a Buddha's heart. Entangled in worldly affairs, if a sip of tea allows even a fleeting moment of transcendence, perhaps we are not far from it.

Text by Zhang Shiba, Ou Hantian

Planning & Review by Ou Hantian

Header & Cover Photos | Visual China Group

*Chinese Tea Classics* (2011 Edition)

This article is original content from [*Authentic Tea Journeys*]