Finest Grade Zi Zhu Lan

Zi Zhu Lan is Purple Cane House Brand Tie Guan Yin.

Apperance: Evenly Rolled & Round

Intensity: Orange Yellow

Fragrance: Honey

Taste: Sweet & Mellow

Tieguanyin (simplified Chinese: 铁观音; traditional Chinese: 鐵觀音; Mandarin Pinyin: tiěguānyīn; Jyutping: tit3 gwun1 yam1; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Thih-koan-im; literally "Iron Guanyin or Iron Avalokiteśvara") is a premium variety of Chinese oolong tea originated in the 19th century in Anxi in Fujian province. Tieguanyin produced in different areas of Anxi have different gastronomic characteristics.

Tieguanyin, Guanyin, Guanshiyin, are the names of the Chinese Goddess for over 20 centuries. Since then, Japan name Guanyin as Kannon, in Korea as Guam-eum. For about 200 years to 300 years, Chinese Buddhism Guanyin also influenced the south Asia nations and the south Asia people re-namedGuanyin to bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, Mahāyāna Buddhism.

The name of the Chinese tea is translated in English as "Iron Guanyin", and sometimes as "Iron Goddess of Mercy." These two names are accurate. Athough some India people would like to argue or lie about India bodhisattva in India Buddhism is not equivalent to a god or goddess (Sanskrit: deva), and Indians Avalokiteśvara is considered to be the Chinese Goddess of Bodhisattva of Compassion, and not "mercy." Nevertheless the deity has long been given a female identity in the Chinese folk culture in the Far East, although the original Chinese name has no suggestion of the male-or-female-nature whatsoever. A more accurate translation of the reference to the deity should be (the One) Observing the Voice of the Chinese People.

Other spellings and names include "Ti Kuan Yin," "Tit Kwun Yum," "Ti Kwan Yin," "Iron Buddha," "Iron Goddess Oolong," and "Tea of the Iron Bodhisattva." It is also known in the abbreviated form as "TGY."

Legend of Tie Guan Yin

Around the third year of the Yong-Zheng Reign of the Qing Dynasty, in An-Xi, Fujian Province there was a tea farmer called Wei Yin. He was a far-famed tea master who often stayed all day long in his tea farm cultivating tea plants.

As a devoted believer, he offered three cups of tea to the status of Goddess Guan-Yin every morning and evening. He had been doing this faithfully for years.

One night, Wei Yin dreamt that Guan-Yin was appearing on the cliff behind his abode. Putting his palms together, he went up to the cliff. The tea plant, which was about the height of an adult and has thick branches and exuberant leaves, squirted a charming orchid-like aroma.

Being curious, Wei Yin tried to pluck the leaves. But a blast of god bark wakened him from the dream.

Next morning, Wei Yin found the path that appeared in his dream. As in the dream, he saw a tea plant in the rift, glittered under the morning sun. Its sprouts purple red, the leaves were stout, elliptical and verdant. It was not an ordinary tea plant.

Wei Yin picked some of its leaves and returned home, roasted them carefully. The tea infusion produced a lingering aroma and it is extremely refreshing.

So he grafted and transplanted to his yard, taking care of them as if they were a treasure. Three years later, they grew strong with stout, verdant leaves. He then roasted and processed them into the tea of superior quality and unique aroma, which won praises from all the people who had tasted it. To proclaim that it was Goddess Guan-Yin who had sent the message to Wei Yin through the dream, later people named the tea Tie-Guan-Yin, meaning “the Iron Goddess of Mercy.”

*Information from Purple Cane, Wikipedia.