The story of Emperor Zhao Bing’s Elixir goes back to the Song dynasty when Emperor Zhao Bing, a young child at the time, fled to Wu Dong Mountain (乌岽山) during a war.
The locals found him in a weakened state and dehydrated. They then gave him tea leaves to chew on, which not only quenched his thirst but also provided him with enough energy to travel back to the village.
As a result of this event, Dan Cong tea became known as the “Tea of Song” (宋茶 ‘Song Cha’) and later came to be known as the Song cultivar (宋种 ‘Song Zhong’), elevating its status to that of an imperial tea.