What is the legend about Yixing purple clay teapot?

In what era was the purple clay pot produced? The purple clay pot was once a unique hand-made clay craft in China. Now it is also manufactured in large quantities by machines. The raw material is purple clay, which originates from Yixing, Jiangsu Province. It is also known as Yixing purple clay teapot. Its origin can be traced back to Fan Li, a Yue official in the Spring and Autumn Period, and has a history of more than 2,400 years. Since the Zhengde reign of Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty, purple clay teapots have been made into pots, and famous craftsmen have emerged in large numbers. Over the past 500 years, fine products have been handed down. It is said that the founder of the purple clay teapot was Gong Chun in the Ming Dynasty of China. The characteristic of the purple clay teapot is that it does not take away the aroma of tea and does not have the smell of cooked soup. The wall of the pot absorbs the tea smell. After long use, the empty pot can still have the aroma of tea when boiling water is poured into it.

In what era was the unique and precious resource - purple clay teapot produced? How was Yixing purple clay clay discovered? There is a beautiful legend... Yixing Dingshan (Dingshu Town) is located on the coast of Taihu Lake. It is an ordinary but beautiful town. Legend has it that a long time ago, the villagers in the town went out early and came back late to plow the fields and do farm work. In their spare time, they used clay to make bowls and pots for daily use. In this way, they lived a carefree and simple life. One day, a strange monk appeared in their town. As he walked, he shouted loudly: "Rich royal soil, rich royal soil", and the villagers looked at this strange monk with curiosity. The monk noticed the confusion in the villagers' eyes, and said, "If you are not a royal family, can you not be rich?" People became even more confused and looked at him walking around. The strange monk raised his voice and walked quickly as if there was no one around. Some knowledgeable elders thought he was strange, so they followed him and walked to Huanglong Mountain and Qinglong Mountain. Suddenly, the monk disappeared. The elder looked around and saw several newly opened caves with clay of various colors in them. The elder brought some colored pottery home, pounded it, cast it, and fired it. Miraculously, pottery with a different color than before was produced. One spreads to ten, and ten spreads to a hundred. In this way, purple clay pottery art slowly took shape.

Among all the types of purple clay pots, we have to mention the "Dongpo Tibetan Teapot" that people love He came to Shushan and lived leisurely in Fenghuang Village at the foot of Shushan. He liked tea and was very particular about tea. This place not only produces the famous "Tang Gong Tea", but also has Jade Girl Pond, Jinsha Spring with good water, and the purple clay pot that is "sought after all over the world". With these three things, Su Dongpo felt that eating tea and reciting poems was more comfortable than being an official in the capital. However, among the three, Su Dongpo still felt that there was one thing that was lacking in the ointment. What? Even the purple clay teapot is too small, what should I do? Su Dongpo thought: Why don't I make a big teapot according to my own wishes? Yes, make your own teapot and use it yourself! He asked the book boy to buy good azure clay and a few necessary tools, and started to work. Unexpectedly, it seemed easy to do, but it was difficult. Su Dongpo had been working on it for several months, but he was still at a loss.

One night, the little bookboy brought the snacks with a lantern. Su Dongpo held the snacks in his hands, but his eyes turned towards the lantern, thinking: Hey! Why don't I make a teapot like a lantern? After eating the snacks, I did as I was told, and as soon as I did it, it was until the rooster crows at dawn. When the thick shell was ready, the problem started to appear: because the clay was rotten, the teapot's shoulders kept falling down. Su Dongpo thought of a simple method, split a few bamboo sticks, propped them in the belly of the lantern pot, and then removed the bamboo sticks after the mud became harder.

When the lantern pot is ready, it is big and smooth and difficult to hold. You must make a handle. Su Dongpo thought: This teapot of mine is used to make tea. If the handle is placed on the side of the belly like other teapots, when the fire is on, the handle will be burnt black and hot to the touch. what to do? He thought again and again, and then he looked up and saw that the roof beams were stretched from one end to the other, with wooden pillars supporting them at both ends. He had an idea and said, "Yes!" He quickly started to make a teapot according to the shape of the roof beams. After several months of careful work and refinement, the teapot was completed. Su Dongpo was very satisfied and named it "Liang Teapot".

Because this teapot is unique, some artists later imitated it and called this style of teapot "Dongpo Tibetan Teapot", or simply "Tisu".