The legend of Da Hong Pao tea is a fascinating tale that takes place hundreds of years ago.
According to the legend, during the Ming Dynasty in 1385, a scholar named Ju Zi Ding was on his way to attend the Imperial exam, which was a primary path to a career as an official. However, he fell ill upon arriving in Wuyishan and was unable to continue his journey.
Fortunately, a monk from the ‘Tian Xin Yong Le’ temple came across Ju Zi Ding and served him a tea that helped him recover in time for the exam. Ju Zi Ding went on to pass the exam with the highest score and was awarded an imperial scarlet red robe.
Grateful for the monk’s assistance, Ju Zi Ding went back to the temple to thank him and inquire about the tea’s origin. He discovered that the tea came from the nearby tea bushes and was so thankful that he wrapped his red robe around the bushes three times and carried some Da Hong Pao tea back to the palace in a jar.
From that time on, the tea became known as Da Hong Pao, which translates to “Big Red Robe”.