Yanglou cave

Yanglou cave

Yangloudong is located in Yangloudong Town, 26 kilometers southwest of Chibi City. It is the hub of the border between Hunan and Hubei. It was one of the six ancient towns in Puqi (today's Chibi City) during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is the origin of "SONGFENG tea" and is known as the "hometown of brick tea".

brief introduction

Introduction to Chinese

Since the emperor's imperial edict of planting Camellia in Taihe period of Tang Dynasty, tea has been cultivated and processed locally. In Song Dynasty, brick tea was used as currency to trade tea and horse with Mongolia. Yangloudong Tea Horse Road began in Song Dynasty and flourished in Ming and Qing Dynasties. At the beginning of Jiajing in Ming Dynasty, the tea industry was quite developed, and the market towns developed accordingly. At its peak, there were more than 200 tea houses with a population of nearly 40000. There are five main streets and more than 100 shops in the ancient town. "Cave tea" is exported to the frontier and overseas, and Yanglou cave is known as "xiaohankou".

Yangloudong is the origin of green brick tea, which has a production history of more than 200 years. Lei Zhongwan, a businessman of Yangloudong, opened "Yangloudong Tea House" in the first year of Qianlong of Qing Dynasty, and later renamed "Yangloudong Tea House" as "Dongzhuang tea house". The tea house is located in the middle of Miaochang street in Yanglou ancient town, and the factory is located 60 meters below Guanyin spring. It is made from Yanglou cave tea and Guanyin spring water. Because the car of Guanyin Bodhisattva is lotus, the brick tea "takes lotus as the case and Dongzhuang as the knowledge", which has the saying of "the source of brick tea, Dongzhuang for a hundred years". Ancient poetry: the ancient lane of Yanglou is quiet with green stones, the wooden building of Dongzhuang has been built for hundreds of years in autumn, the fragrance of tea has been around for thousands of years, and the charm of Guanyin spring is romantic. It describes the famous Guanyin spring and Dongzhuang brick tea history of Yanglou cave. It takes old green tea as raw material and is pressed by steam at high temperature. The soup is bright red, strong and fragrant, with pure taste and lasting sweetness. Drinking green brick tea, in addition to producing body fluid and relieving thirst, it has the unique effects of removing greasy, strengthening stomach, reducing fat and weight, keeping cold and refreshing, sterilization and antidiarrhea, which are inferior to other teas. Mainly sold to Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai and other northwest regions and Mongolia, Georgia, Russia, Britain and other countries.

Yangloudong ancient town plays an important role in the history of Chinese tea industry. Three hundred years ago, countries along the Wanli Tea Road took Yanglou cave as their understanding of Chinese tea. This land, with an area of less than 0.7 square kilometers, has gathered elite merchants from Russia, Germany, Britain, Japan and other countries. It has become a "big tea market in China" with a population of more than 40000.

There is an ancient street in the town, which is mainly built in Ming and Qing Dynasties. The main street is 4 meters wide and 2200 meters long, accompanied by several T-shaped alleys. The construction area of the ancient street is 0.7 square kilometers. The street was paved with bluestone. In the past dynasties, the "chicken bus" for transporting tea rolled the stone slabs into more than inch deep grooves. There are three long stone bridges connecting the East and West SONGFENG port. The streets meander along with SONGFENG harbor, which is unique. At the foot of SONGFENG mountain in the southeast of the street, there is a famous Guanyin spring. Its water quality is clear and mellow. It is the source of refined famous tea in the past dynasties.

Shiban street of Yangloudong in Ming and Qing dynasties can be called the historical epitome of the development of Chinese tea industry. In 1996, it was listed as a municipal cultural relics protection unit, and in 2002, it was listed as a provincial key cultural relics protection unit. In December 2010, Yangloudong was awarded "China's famous historical and cultural village" by the Ministry of housing and urban rural development and the State Administration of cultural relics!

Introduction in English

Brief Introduction of Yangloudong

Located at the hub of the junction of Hunan and Hubei of China, Yangloudong is one of the "Six Ancient Towns of Chibi City", and the origin of "Songfeng Tea". She is well known as the "Brick Tea Town of China"!

Since the Taihe years of Tang Dynasty when there was an Imperial edict called on planting camellia in largescale, the local began to cultivate and process tea. In Song Dynasty, the brick tea was once used as a currency for tea-horse trading with Inner Mongolia.

In early Jiajing years of Ming Dynasty, the tea industry had been developed very well, and the market-town was booming. In the most prosperous period, there were more than 200 tea firms and a population of nearly 40,000. The ancient town once had 5 main streets and about 100 shops and hotels. At that time, the "Dong Tea" exported overseas, Yangloudong, which was called "Small Hankou", became a great tea market of China.

With buildings of Ming and Qing Dynasties, there are Heritage Streets remain at the ancient town. The main street is 4 meters wide, 2200 meters long , with several T-shaped alleies, and the construction area of the ancient street is 0.7 square kilometers. The whole pavement of the street was built with bluestones, and the wheelbarrows(transport the tea)of successive dynasties rolled the street with deep grooves.

In eastwest of the town, there are pillar-supported woodhouses near the Songfeng River, and 3 stone bridges through east and west. It's very unique style that the street zigzags with the Songfeng River. In eastsouth, at the foot of Mt. Songfeng, there is a famous spring named Guanyin Spring, the water, clear and sweet, is always the best choice for making tea.

As an epitome of China tea industry development history, The ancient street of Yangloudong was listed as architectural heritage at city level for preservation in 1996 and was listed as provincial level in 2002.

Historical evolution

In May 1854 (the 4th year of Xianfeng), Wang Xinbu of Xiang army was defeated by Chen Yucheng of Taiping Army in Yangloudong.

Chinese PinYin : Yang Lou Dong