Tea tasting at Heming Tea House

Heming Tea House Tea Tasting Rhythm

2015.11.20

I have been in Chengdu for several years, but I haven’t been to Heming Tea Garden in People’s Park, which is a pity. I learned that there was a small chrysanthemum exhibition in the park recently, and I immediately thought I must do it. Last Sunday (11.15), it was a sunny day. I took the subway from Chadianzi with my wife early in the morning and got off at People's Park Station. When I exited the subway, I saw the "Monument to the Deaths of Xinhai Qiubao Road" surrounded by green trees in the park. A few minutes' walk along the winding path along the stream under the shade of the trees will lead you to the east gate of the park.

? Chengdu People’s Park is located on Shaocheng Road, Ancestral Street, about 500 meters west of Tianfu Square in Chengdu, corresponding to Chunxi Road. It covers an area of ??about 155 acres. It is a relatively large-scale park rarely seen in bustling urban areas. Large open landscape park. It is a comprehensive garden integrating cultural relics, leisure and entertainment, and a national "AAAA" tourist attraction. As long as you can get to Tianfu Square in Chengdu, go east to Chunxi Road, and go west to People's Park.

? The main scenic spots in the People’s Park include Jinshui Creek, Memorial Square of the 1911 Revolution Road Protection Movement, Goldfish Island-Yongju Tea House, Plum Garden, Begonia Garden, Orchid Garden, Bonsai Garden, East Rockery-West There are rockeries, artificial lakes, pillow-flow tea gardens, etc. The park is full of green trees that block the sun, winding paths, quiet flowing water, small bridges and corridors, a scene with each step, and the changing of caves and sky. But the most famous place for humanity is the Heming Tea House in the park.

? Heming Teahouse has a history of more than 100 years. It is the only landmark old teahouse with the most complete preservation in Chengdu today. It is also the oldest and most influential teahouse in the main urban area of ??Chengdu. According to It is said that it was founded by a Dayi man named Gong. The word "Heming" comes from the founder's dream. It is said that after an outing in the park, he had a dream when he returned. He dreamed of purple light in this area. In 1923, he rented a piece of land in Shaocheng Park at that time and built a pavilion-style teahouse named "Heming" (located in Dayi). Heming Mountain in Heshan Town is the birthplace of Taoism and the wonderland where Zhang Daoling attained Taoism. It is also the origin of Heming Tea). The teahouse is a two-story Chinese classical building. There are reliefs with pictures and texts on the walls inside the teahouse, recording the historical changes of the teahouse. Today, when there are many high-end teahouses and teahouses, Heming Teahouse is one of the teahouses in Chengdu with the most "Western Sichuan folk customs and ancient customs flavor". When you come to Chengdu, if you want to truly appreciate the historical charm of Chengdu and taste the millennium life culture and tea culture of Chengdu, after you wander around Kuanzhai Alley and Jinli, the third option should be to go to the Heming Tea House in People's Park and sit casually. He walked into the bamboo chair and calmly picked up a cup of tea.

? Walking into the east gate of the People's Park, not far away, you can see an archway deep in the forest. There are two large characters "Heming" written on it. The font is vigorous and elegant. In front of the archway, there is a huge copper teapot and a Three-piece tea bowl, this is the "Heming Teahouse". This large teapot and three-piece tea bowl set profoundly represent Sichuan's long tea-drinking culture. There are generally five procedures for drinking tea from a bowl: clean the utensils, place the tea, brew the tea, smell the aroma, and taste the drink. There are also special requirements for the tea lid of the tea bowl: leaning against the tea boat with the tea lid facing downwards is to invite the waiter to add water; placing small objects such as leaves, matches, small stones, etc. on the tea lid means that I am only leaving temporarily and do not put the tea bowl away. This is usually a sign of old age. The movements of tea drinkers; the tea lid is tilted outwards against the tea boat - this is how outsiders place it when asking for help; the tea lid is put upright next to the tea bowl. Old tea drinkers want credit, and teahouse owners generally will not break it, as they will save face for the guests; Putting the tea bowl with the tea lid upward is a signal to the teahouse owner that the tea bowl is ready for collection. If you don't understand these rules, placing tea lids randomly will make you laugh. However, these old rules are probably only followed by old tea drinkers nowadays. The action of brewing tea bowls used by the waiters at Heming Old Tea House is a beautiful artistic enjoyment for tea drinkers. In the elegant teahouse, the waiter was singing and wandering around like a shooting star. He held a long-mouthed copper teapot in his right hand, and held the tin holder and white porcelain bowl with his left hand. Suddenly, he raised his left hand, and a string of tea mats flew out of his hand. The tea mat had just stopped. , "Crack, click, click", the bowl is put on the tea mat, the teapot is raised, the dragonfly touches the water, and there is a circle of tea bowls. The fresh water in the bowls is spiked, but no trace of it splashes out of the bowl. There was once a tea blender named Wu Dengfang who pushed the art of tea blending to the extreme. When he was making tea, the tea guests held their breaths and watched the tea blender holding the bowl, carrying the pot, blending the tea, and roaring in the hall. It was like watching acrobatics while waiting for the tea to be poured into the bowl. , couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. The charm of Chengdu's tea culture spreads in every move of the tea blenders, permeating and taking root in the hearts of every tea drinker.

? Although the immortal sound of the cranes has been heard for a long time, once you enter the door, you will still feel a bit of the immortal atmosphere immediately, with towering trees, ancient eaves, and the slanting sun. The sun is blocked by thick shade, the tea guests are scattered, and the fragrance of tea is faint. There is a pair of black lacquer pillars in the Heming Tea House, with this pair of gilded couplets engraved on them: "The four worlds are empty. Sit for a moment without distinguishing between you and me. There is a road at both ends to eat a cup and go to each other's things." . "It's quite Zen-like. Several bird cages are hung under the high pergola, and the root-carved tea table is equipped with bamboo and wooden chairs on all sides. After the tea guests sit down, the bronze teapot with a long mouth is lit at three o'clock. The tea drinkers blow, smell, and stir. Sip, take a small sip and sink into the aroma of tea... These scenes can be seen everywhere in teahouses all over the streets and alleys of Chengdu. However, in Heming, surrounded by green trees, ancient pavilions, old canopies, and old tables and chairs. In the century-old tea garden, everyone's tea tasting actions look so warm and full of history and life charm. It is a pity that Dr. Tea’s unique skills of loosening cups, making tea, and refilling water at the famous Heming Tea House in Chengdu are no longer available. If you order a cup of tea, you will be given a kettle, and you can refill it yourself. If you want to appreciate the old cultural scenery of traditional Sichuan teahouses, you need to pay extra. This change makes people feel that they have lost a lot of the charm of Heming tea, and dimmed a bit of the glory of Heming tea. Regular guests are emotionally disrespectful.

? Another important story about Heming Teahouse is that before liberation, teachers’ jobs were unstable. In order to find a job, they would go to Heming Teahouse to exchange information. Gradually, Heming Teahouse became a "talent market" for teachers to find jobs. Every winter and summer vacation, teachers gather at Heming Tea House to find a good place to go. The competition for applications is very fierce, and no matter whether they win or lose, they will not leave easily. This scene that took place many years ago was jokingly called the "Liu La War" by Chengdu people.

? The open-air teahouse of Heming Tea House is adjacent to the artificial lake. The teahouse is in a long corridor connected to the pavilion. It is surrounded by trees, a corridor covered with wisteria, and old bamboo chairs. , antique pavilion, quiet lake. Drinking tea under the shade of the trees with the fragrance of birds and flowers, buying a few copies of your favorite tabloids, and reading them casually while lying under the bright setting sun is really pleasant. If the sun is shining high, there will be a bustle of people playing cards, picking ears, reading books, dozing off, all kinds of people are in their own way. You can drink tea for a long time, read a book facing the lake, or just be alone in a daze with hazy eyes. Quiet, comfortable, and spiritually at ease.

? Heming Teahouse is a teahouse for the general public. A bowl of tea is as cheap as ten yuan, and you can sit here for half a day or even a day. Although the tea is not good, it is just a handful of green tea with a little more. Chrysanthemum is called flower tea in teahouses, which is different from the "flower tea" we drink in other places. There are no operas or storytelling in Heming Teahouse. It is a relatively light and elegant tea garden. During the Republic of China, many cultural celebrities who came to Sichuan often drank tea here. The mobility of Sichuan's farming civilization for thousands of years has formed the character of tolerance and also created Chengdu's urban spirit. The Heming Teahouse in the People's Park, including the wooden gallery and traditional bamboo chairs built in the 1920s, has completely maintained its traditional charm and makes people feel friendly.

? The "Shaocheng Garden" adjacent to Heming Teahouse is a garden within a garden that mainly displays traditional chrysanthemums, orchids and bonsai. It is designed in the architectural style of Western Sichuan folk houses and the pattern of local traditional garden features. Contemporary style, poetic artistic conception. There was originally a lotus pond inside, filled with lotus flowers, and a stone Guanyin holding a water purification bottle. The water sprayed from the bottle could reach more than three meters high (it has been transformed). There are two on the south and north sides of the pond. There is a stone arch bridge, and cruise ships can pass through the pond. Peach blossoms, willows, pomegranates and other plants are planted around the lotus pond. There are stone benches beside the pond for tourists to rest. The current lotus pond is located in front of the Shuangquan Teahouse in Shaochengyuan. The Shaocheng Teahouse is also a beautiful scenery in the park. The elegant tea house for viewing and drinking tea is located in the garden, providing leisure, coolness and fresh air.

? It is said that there are six teahouses in People’s Park ***, each with its own group of tea customers: "Heming" teahouse is mainly composed of teachers; "Zhenliu" teahouse is mainly composed of students; "Yongju" is the introduction The place where young men and women get to know each other is known as the "Yin and Yang Realm"; the "Lvyin Pavilion" is mainly for military and political personnel; the "Shede Club" is mainly for sports and national martial arts; and the "Nongyin" is mainly for chess players. Most of the people who came here in the past were also out-and-out Chengdu natives. Now more and more foreigners who come to Chengdu will come here to experience the tea charm of Chengdu. From time to time, you can also see blond and blue-eyed foreigners. Come here to experience the authentic and traditional Chengdu life.

Everyone sat in the open air, with the towering trees above their heads, facing the green lake, feeling comfortable and leisurely, elegant and leisurely, drinking tea, chatting, or reading newspapers. Chengdu’s tradition and spirit of leisurely life spread here. Don’t underestimate these humble ordinary tea drinkers, but the fragrance of their tea, their expressions and manners while drinking tea contain the innocence of “Republic of China-style” intellectuals that is rare nowadays. , virtue, taste, dignity, this is a kind of straightforward life inspired by the tea culture of Sichuan and the teahouses of Chengdu.

? Tea charm is the special feeling you get when drinking tea soup. It is a kind of tea whose quality and style have reached the highest grade in its category. It is a feeling, a symbol and a kind of tea. kind of realm. Yun means uniform, harmonious and beautiful sound. It is usually associated with Qi, and is called "Qi Yun". In addition to color, aroma and taste, tea soup also has charm, which is called the "four phases of tea soup". The feeling of "four aspects of tea soup" is called tea charm.

? People who are good at tea tasting pay attention to appreciating the charm of tea. For example, "Tieguanyin" has a "Guanyin charm" with a high and elegant fragrance, and a honey-bottomed orchid fragrance. Lu You praised the unique charm of Tieguanyin as "the root of the tongue always stays sweet until the end of the day." Wuyi's "rock tea" has the "rock charm" of rock bones and flowers; Taiwan's "frozen top oolong" has the rich, sweet "throat charm"; "Fenghuang Dancong" has the "mountain charm" of natural floral scent; "Longjing tea" "The aroma is fresh and long-lasting, with a sweet and mellow "charm". Lu Cizhi, a man of the Qing Dynasty, said: "Longjing tea is really sweet and fragrant, but light and seems to be tasteless. After drinking it, I feel a kind of peace. The breath lingers between the teeth and cheeks, this tasteless taste, even the taste..." This comment is very subtle. Without a deep understanding of the unique charm of Longjing tea, it seems impossible to make such a high comment. ...There are also the "cold rhyme" of Huangshan Maofeng, the "secret rhyme" of Wuzi green tea, the "Chen rhyme" of Pu'er, etc.

To appreciate the charm of tea, you need to taste it slowly and appreciate it carefully in a quiet atmosphere. Only in this way can we enter the wonderful realm described by the poet Lu You: "The fine breasts are refreshing, and the slight chanting is fragrant." Tasting and appreciating the unique charm of famous tea is a beautiful artistic enjoyment.

The tea charm of Chengdu and the tea charm of Heming are different from the above tea charms. I have been in Chengdu for six years, and I have been thinking about what is the connotation of Chengdu’s tea charm?

Chengdu people drink tea, especially jasmine tea, and the charm of tea should be that of scented tea. In modern times, the famous "Three Flower Tea" appeared in Chengdu, and "drinking the Three Flower Tea and washing the shells" became a portrayal of people's lifestyle at that time. In recent years, due to the silent influence of Chengdu's profound tea culture, coupled with the abundant jasmine flowers in his hometown, and the favorable timing and location, the "Bitan Piao Xue" improved and created by Mr. Xu Jinhua from Jinhua Town, Xinjin became famous far and wide. Take the lead in the scent of Chengdu scented tea. The delicate tea buds of this tea come out of the Yunwu Mountains and absorb the energy of heaven and earth to obtain the three flavors. The jasmine flowers are hand-selected and are as clean and tender as snow, free and refreshing, and obtain the soul of jasmine. After brewing, the soup is clear and blue, yellow and clear, like a deep pool, with white flowers floating on it like auspicious snow falling from the sky. The milk flowers are erratic, floating in the water, like snow falling on a deep pool, which is quite ornamental and beautiful. Sip gently and carefully, the aroma of the tea soup is clear and elegant, with a rich aroma of jasmine and a refreshing fragrance of green tea. When you drink in a covered bowl, you can see it is like a layer of snow floating on the green pool, which is pleasing to the eye. You can smell the fragrance of the flowers and see the shapes of the flowers. Flowers and tea, culture and art are endless and complement each other. They are really the fusion of heaven, earth, mountains and rivers. The essence gathers the essence of Bashu humanities and elevates the tea culture of Sichuan and the tea charm of Chengdu by more than one level.

? Today’s Chengdu, both urban architecture and people’s consumption habits, have become more fashionable and modern. Emotional cafes and various innovative drink shops are all over the streets of Chengdu, but Sichuan People are still deeply in love with that Sichuan tea flavor that contains infinite charm, because this tea contains the memory of this city for more than two thousand years, and the unique nostalgia and watchfulness of this land and water. A cup of tea is the charm and soul of Chengdu... In the minds of Chinese people, drinking tea in teahouses is not only a living habit and social phenomenon, but also a cultural phenomenon rich in meaning.

? A feeling of loving and cherishing life floats in the steam in Chengdu teahouses. Cherishing time, not wasting it, striving to do something beneficial to the society and the country, and contributing one's own years are certainly admirable, but knowing how to respect life and how to enjoy the beauty of the short moments of life is also worthy of respect.

Just like the famous saying of the German philosopher Heidegger, "People live poetically on the earth." Take the poetry into your mouth, taste the taste, dissolve the poetry into your body, enjoy the beautiful poetry given to us by nature, and integrate the poetry into Life, we dwell poetically. Chengdu people have actually poeticized a philosophical concept into an ordinary life. This is the profound and clear meaning of Chengdu’s tea charm.

? The fragrance of tea at Heming Tea House is also infiltrated with the soul of a moderate understanding of the value and meaning of life. Mr. Wang Yuanhua, a famous scholar, literary theorist, and literary critic, famously said in his later years, "The world is no longer fascinating." He believes that the past world was full of charm and meaning, but today's world is increasingly meaningless and no longer fascinating. Mr. Wang was very painful for this in his later years. Mr. Lu Xun once wrote a letter to a young man and said, "Life is really painful, and I am sincere in what I say." This kind of pain of intellectuals is related to their feelings of family, country and world, and their sense of sorrow. This is not only the greatness of the will, spirit, and personality of pure intellectuals, but also the sadness of intellectuals. In fact, if you think about the width of time and space, most people’s survival significance to their families, work teams, society, and country is gradually diminishing. So it is better to take a step back and live a good life behind closed doors. When I was young, I walked into the tea garden to enjoy a cup of pleasant tea with a calm heart and no desire to make progress; people cannot all become the creators and promoters of history, nor can they all become saviors or heroes. Take a step back and think, heroes So what? In the time and space of the universe, how much significance and value does a remarkable figure have? So, enjoy this peaceful world of sunshine, greenery, flowers, and birds chirping!

? Therefore, the tea charm of Chengdu, the tea charm of cranes, and the tea charm of countless teahouses in Sichuan are integrated into the cultural character of Chengdu people: when you can make a difference, you can "put others first" ; When life is not going smoothly, "advance and retreat freely" and never force it; cherish the heart of "be happy to welcome the world" and cultivate the virtue of "being at ease in ups and downs". This is the true "tea charm" of understanding life and death, understanding the meaning of life, and understanding the implication of life! The tea charm of Chengdu is a song of life and life, and a popular life classic.

? Outsiders may be quite disapproving of the calm, comfortable and comfortable tea guests in Heming Tea House at first, but after sitting down and drinking three cups of tea, they may think a little bit. , and if you can "enlighten the Tao", you will start to reflect and feel ashamed of your current life and life that you are proud of. Therefore, in this sense, a person cannot fail to come to Chengdu once in his life, and when he comes to Chengdu, he cannot fail to taste three cups of tea at Heming Teahouse. The tea charm of Heming can help you clearly understand life, understand life, and know the meaning of life. Isn’t this kind of tea worth tasting?

? Friends, no matter how busy you are or how far away you are, you should go to the Heming Teahouse in Chengdu People’s Park to taste tea. Under the shade of trees with mixed light and dark, on the bamboo chair with the lingering Sanskrit music, a cup of fragrant tea, dense heat and faint fragrance. Smell it, sip it, and savor it again and again until your heart and spleen are clear and your spirit is refreshed. Steal half a day's leisure, a cup of tea, and wash away the dust. How many times in your life can you have such a taste of life?