The reason why Dahongpao is expensive is related to some mysterious stories.
Dahongpao reveals the secret
The reason why Dahongpao is particularly eye-catching is not only because the myth is interesting, but also because it is always mysterious. Its mystery lies in its rarity first. There are few dahongpao in history. Today, the only recognized Dahongpao is a few trees on the rock wall of Kowloon. At most, in the best year, the output of tea is several hundred grams. Since ancient times, things have been rare. So few things are naturally worth a hundred times. In the Republic of China, a kilo was worth 64 silver dollars, equivalent to 4000 kilos of rice. A few years ago, the government took Dahongpao tea from Kowloon to the market for auction, and 20 grams actually sold for a sky-high price of 6.5438+0.568 million yuan, setting a record for the unit price of tea! Such precious tea leaves are invisible to ordinary people, let alone appreciated. In fact, Dahongpao has been crowned with the aura of tribute tea since it was known by the world. However, has Dahongpao ever made "tribute tea"? Wuyi tea was once listed as tribute tea in history, but now it is the tea from the Royal Tea Garden on the Jiuqu River, and there has never been tribute tea in Kowloon. The earliest time to confirm Dahongpao was 1927. At that time, even the last emperor Puyi had abdicated in China 10 years ago. Although there are no emperors wearing dragon robes, there are still "emperors" who don't wear dragon robes. 1927 Sun Yat-sen, followed by Chiang Kai-shek; 49 years later, it will be Chairman Mao. Whether Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek received Dahongpao is unknown. After liberation, the local government of Chong 'an gave it to Chairman Mao. Unfortunately, Chairman Mao doesn't like it, and it is said that he has given special instructions not to send it again in the future. Despite this, people still stubbornly believe that this is a kind of "tribute tea" sealed by the imperial seal. Since it's tribute tea, you have to take good care of it. According to some people in Wuyishan, as early as the Kuomintang era, Dahongpao was guarded by soldiers; In the early days of liberation, the * * * production party also sent troops to guard it; During the Cultural Revolution, at most, there was only one platoon of soldiers guarding it. Not long ago, there was an article describing a touching story of a veteran guarding Dahongpao revisiting Wuyishan from the north. Several small tea trees actually asked the government to send troops to guard them. I'm afraid this is unique in China. Even the 18 mother tree of West Lake Longjing Imperial Seal, which is much more famous than Dahongpao, has never experienced such a special experience. In fact, this is also for a reason, there is no evidence. When and where the Kuomintang government sent troops to defend Dahongpao, there is no historical data to check. On the contrary, Chiang Kai-shek has been to Wuyishan, and there is a memorial arch on the top of God bless. Perhaps in order to protect Chiang Kai-shek's safety, a sentry was set up in Kowloon. For a long time after liberation, the original temple property in the scenic spot, including Dahongpao, was all placed under the management of the nearby reform-through-labour farm. So there are often armed police walking around Kowloon. This is the origin of sending troops to guard tea. However, it doesn't matter whether there are soldiers guarding it or not. For many years, Dahongpao has indeed been guarded. To this day, there is still a family living there for a long time. Under normal circumstances, it goes without saying that the leaders of the tea bureau must be present in person to supervise when picking and making; The prepared tea must be kept by a special person, and each piece of tea must be approved by the county magistrate when used. Chen Dehua, former director of Wuyishan Tea Research Institute, recalled that in 1964, a classmate who worked in the provincial tea research institute came to ask for Dahongpao tea seedlings, and only with the approval of provincial leaders were five cuttings allowed to be cut. And he, because there is no leadership approval, can only stand in the distance and watch eagerly! Such strict management of several tea trees will probably set another China Guinness Book of Records. Can Dahongpao not be mysterious?