In the eleventh year of Chongzhen (1638 AD), in May, Xu Xiake entered Yunnan from Guizhou, marking the final chapter of his life's travels. For him, perhaps the most memorable thing about Yunnan was the availability of excellent Tea everywhere he went, “sufficient to console the traveler.” In *Xu Xiake's Travel Notes*, he recorded over 80 tea-related events during his journey, nearly 60 of which took place in Yunnan. This reflects the popularity of tea drinking in Ming Dynasty Yunnan. Not long after his Yunnan travels, in the fourteenth year of Chongzhen (1641 AD), Xu Xiake passed away in his hometown Jiangyin. Three years later, Qing troops crossed the pass, and the Ming-Qing dynastic change began, with warfare quickly spreading to Yunnan. From the rebellion of the local chieftain Sha Dingzhou in the second year of Shunzhi (1645 AD) to the Qing forces' pacification of Yunnan in the first year of Kangxi (1662 AD), and finally the suppression of Wu Sangui's rebellion in the twentieth year of Kangxi (1681 AD), the continuous warfare for almost 40 years had long erased the prosperity of tea culture that Xu Xiake had described. It wasn't until the Qianlong era that Pu'er tea from Yunnan became popular nationwide. Xu Xiake was fortunate to have tasted the fine teas of Yunnan before the fall of the Ming Dynasty and the ravages of war. As for us who came later, the author Wang Chong is a member of the Yunnan Xu Xiake Research Society. Following the words of Xu Xiake's travel notes, we return to the Yunnan of the late Ming Dynasty, some 400 years ago, and sort through five episodes related to tea, allowing us to taste the varied flavors of Yunnan's teas alongside Xu Xiake.
Yunnan was the province where Xu Xiake spent the longest period outside his hometown. Xu Xiake had a strong fondness for tea. Throughout his travels across much of China, he enjoyed countless cups of tea, which provided solace when he was weary from his journeys.
In the extant *Xu Xiake's Travel Notes* (hereafter referred to as *Travel Notes*), he recorded nearly 80 tea-related events during his travels, with almost 60 of them taking place in Yunnan. This shows the depth of comfort Yunnanese tea brought him and its significant presence in his writings. Xu Xiake's accounts of tea in Yunnan include the pleasure of brewing and tasting tea, the fun of evaluating tea during its picking and processing, and the scenes of tea offerings at rest stops. His writing style is fresh and natural, his language simple yet exquisite, and the descriptions of tea-related scenarios vivid and lifelike. Whenever reading about his tea experiences in Yunnan in *Xu Xiake's Travel Notes*, one finds them captivating and evocative, almost as if one were right there with him. Here, I will humbly present five of these episodes to serve as an introduction to the topic.
Visiting Qiongzhu Temple in Yunnan and Tasting Taihua Tea
On the seventh day of the twelfth month in the eleventh year of Chongzhen (1638 AD), after completing his exploration of the source and course of the Panjiang River and visiting the scenic spots in southwestern Yunnan, Xu Xiake set out for the western regions via the Yuan Dynasty temple Qiongzhu Temple in the western suburbs of Kunming. Qiongzhu Temple is located on Yucase Mountain west of Kunming, with the northern part of Lake Dian, known as Kunming West Lake, directly below it. That evening, he stayed at Qiongzhu Temple, coincidentally meeting Yan Sizu, the grandson of Yan Qing, the Minister of Rites during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, who was studying at the temple. The next day, he visited the He Mu Pavilion beside Qiongzhu Temple with Yan Sizu and the temple abbot, Tikong, where they enjoyed tea, appreciated orchids, and viewed Lake Dian, creating a picturesque scene of harmony between nature and humanity. In his *Travel Notes* for that day, Xu Xiake wrote:
The pavilion sits amidst the slope, surrounded by forest and hills. To the east, a gap in the valley offers a view of Lake Dian, like a cup floating before one's eyes. The surroundings are serene and remote, evoking the style of Yunlin's brushwork. The pavilion is covered with thatched grass, the windows and frames clean, and inside there are two orchids, each a large cluster. One is a spring orchid, with only two sprouts emerging; the other is a winter orchid, with ten spikes, each two feet long, bearing more than twenty flowers per spike. The flowers are the size of daylilies, with an ochre-spotted color, but their shape is no different from that of an orchid. The leaves are broader and softer than those of orchids from Fujian, sprawling downward in all directions. The spikes extend above the leaves, and due to the weight of the large flowers, they also hang down by the side. The fragrance fills the entire pavilion, and upon entering the pavilion, one feels as though they've arrived in a land of myriad fragrances. The three of us sat facing different gaps in the window sills, perched on the window ledges. A servant served tea, which was the finest Taihua tea. With the tea being clear and the orchids exuding a delicate fragrance, this moment of tranquility was unparalleled. The He Mu is a special tree native to this mountain, unique to this location, hence the pavilion takes its name from this tree.
Mount Yucase is a famous mountain near Kunming, while Qiongzhu Temple is a renowned monastery from the Yuan Dynasty in Yunnan, and the He Mu is a precious tree unique to this mountain. Xu Xiake, along with Yan Sizu and Tikong, observed Lake Dian, admired orchids, and savored tea at the He Mu Pavilion, which is known for its beautiful scenery, “Qinglan of Mount Yucase.” They were a trio: one, a Daoist wanderer from the south with a transcendent demeanor; another, a scholarly gentleman from Yunnan, composed and refined; and the last, a senior monk with great virtue. Together, they sat “facing different gaps in the window sills, perched on the window ledges,” slowly savoring the finest Taihua tea while enjoying the intoxicating scent of the Yunnan orchids. They also quietly admired the beautiful scenery of Lake Dian, as if it were a cup floating before their eyes. They conversed about various topics, and the scene was just as Xu Xiake himself described it, “The surroundings are serene and remote, evoking the style of Yunlin's brushwork,” and “the fragrance fills the entire pavilion, and upon entering the pavilion, one feels as though they've arrived in a land of myriad fragrances.”
Savoring a cup of “Taihua tea” prepared and served by the young attendant, the experience was “with the tea being clear and the orchids exuding a delicate fragrance, this moment of tranquility was unparalleled.” Such a comfortable and elegant tea-tasting scene was a rare delight in Xu Xiake's life. Their tea-tasting, orchid-admiring, and Lake Dian-viewing at the He Mu Pavilion was indeed comparable to a landscape painting in the style of Ni Zan. Anyone reading Xu Xiake's *Yunnan Diary* would undoubtedly be captivated and moved by this passage.
After tasting tea and viewing Lake Dian at the He Mu Pavilion, Tikong and Xu Xiake hit it off immediately. Tikong sincerely wanted Xu to stay longer at the temple: “This pavilion is secluded and spacious, suitable for leisurely contemplation; there is a small pavilion to the side where you can rest; and in the hall, there are scriptures you can read. If you stay here for the New Year, it would be a wonderful thing for this quiet mountain. Although the offerings are simple, I