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TdC - BANG WAI 2018Respectable tea trees Published on wednesday 18 july 2018
Summer always reminds to us our first steps in Pu'Erh tea mountains, in search of the old tea trees : unforgettable initiatory journey, during 2005 summer.
We met the first ones of these majestic
trees in Nannuo Mountains and in Hekai : kings with dignity honored or patriarches of gardens.
Today, we invite you meeting some of those respectable tea trees and some other remarkable ones we
have pleasure to find again every season in our favourite terroirs, as old friends.
Patriarches and Kings of Tea trees
There are trees revered by the passers-by and the visitors at any time of the year, by burning some incense: as in Kunlu Shan imperial garden, in Qianjiazhai or near Fengqing.
There are those who, in villages or in some gardens, are decorated and receive offerings at special times, as Bulang new year, in Jingmai or in Bada.
Finally, there are those who make the pride of the producers: the most beautiful tree of their garden or the oldest one.
Some are wild, established at the heart of remote mountains; others were cultivated and are harvested every year, this picking is supposed to be reserved for the villagers. Their ages are varied, but always respectable.
Look at the following pictures.
First of them, known as being the patriarch: let us begin with King of Xiang Zhu Qing's, (a village close to Fengqing).
Old one, for sure... because this tree (which would have been planted by man's hand) was dated as 3200 years old. By contemplating it, one loses time measure.
Age and size do not still go hand in hand, everything also depends on the soil, the heat and on the hygrometry.
But the sensation of power and stability one feels remains always the same..
The crossing of time - of centuries in fact - gives them a particular aura. We use to embrace them and to settle against them a few moments with eyes closed.
We find same impressions by tasting the tea stemming from the harvest of unique old trees.
It is moving to notice how much each has its own personality and its particular flavors, even when we compare two trees standing very close in the same garden.
We also had the privilege to enjoy Pu' Erh stemming from Bangwai King of trees, old of some 1800 years: it was an unforgettable experiment.
There are those who, in villages or in some gardens, are decorated and receive offerings at special times, as Bulang new year, in Jingmai or in Bada.
Finally, there are those who make the pride of the producers: the most beautiful tree of their garden or the oldest one.
Some are wild, established at the heart of remote mountains; others were cultivated and are harvested every year, this picking is supposed to be reserved for the villagers. Their ages are varied, but always respectable.
Look at the following pictures.
First of them, known as being the patriarch: let us begin with King of Xiang Zhu Qing's, (a village close to Fengqing).
Old one, for sure... because this tree (which would have been planted by man's hand) was dated as 3200 years old. By contemplating it, one loses time measure.
Age and size do not still go hand in hand, everything also depends on the soil, the heat and on the hygrometry.
But the sensation of power and stability one feels remains always the same..
The crossing of time - of centuries in fact - gives them a particular aura. We use to embrace them and to settle against them a few moments with eyes closed.
We find same impressions by tasting the tea stemming from the harvest of unique old trees.
It is moving to notice how much each has its own personality and its particular flavors, even when we compare two trees standing very close in the same garden.
We also had the privilege to enjoy Pu' Erh stemming from Bangwai King of trees, old of some 1800 years: it was an unforgettable experiment.
The skin of trees
These old tea trees are also a happiness for the photographer and offers us moments of pure poetry.
Leaves, flowers, barks, interlaced wood, tea trees in the mist and sometimes frozen in the ice: it will be the purpose of our next post.
Leaves, flowers, barks, interlaced wood, tea trees in the mist and sometimes frozen in the ice: it will be the purpose of our next post.
