Wèi Yín (魏寅) and the Guidance of Guānyīn (观音)

On the tenth day of the ninth lunar month in the 40th year of the Kāngxī (康熙) reign (1702), a boy was born into the Wèi (魏) family in Sōnglín Tóu (松林头). At birth, he cried incessantly, and his father, moved by devotion, lit incense before a statue of Guānyīn Púsà (观音菩萨) and prayed. Miraculously, the child’s cries ceased. He was named Wèi Yín (魏寅), symbolizing his family’s respect and gratitude to the Bodhisattva.

Under his father’s guidance, Wèi Yín (魏寅) grew up with a daily ritual of offering three cups of tea to Guānyīn (观音), cultivating devotion alongside the art of tea. As an adult, he built his own home and placed a gilded Guānyīn (观音) statue in the hall, praying for family safety and abundant harvests.

In the spring of the first year of the Yǒngzhèng (雍正) reign (1723), during the tea harvest, Guānyīn (观音) appeared in his dream: “On the peak of the Lóngtán Shíkēng (龙潭石坑) below Guānyīn Shān (观音山) grows a money-shaking tree. Pick from it endlessly; it will never run out. Bring it to the people and bring benefit to all.”

Awakening at dawn, Wèi Yín (魏寅) carried his hoe and tools to the mountain. Among morning light and chattering magpies, he found a tea tree with red hearts, tender buds, round leaves, and crooked tips swaying gently in the spring breeze. He carefully cleared the weeds, collected the leaves, strung them on silk threads to sun-dry, and meticulously processed them: shaking, fermenting, hand-rolling, and roasting. The brewed tea was golden, fragrant, and lingering on the palate—a true “rare and elegant tea.”

Wèi Yín (魏寅) propagated the mother tree with organic fertilizers, cultivating seedlings for future planting. By the second spring, he transplanted young trees to Guānyīn Shān (观音山), Shí Gù Fǔ (石鼓府), and his home’s iron cauldrons. Three years later, he achieved large-scale planting. During his father’s 60th birthday in 1725, Wèi Yín (魏寅) brewed the tea publicly and asked relatives to name it. Honoring Guānyīn (观音)’s guidance and the iron cauldron cultivation, the tea was named Tiěguānyīn (铁观音), and seedlings were shared with local and distant farmers, spreading this legendary tea across the land.

Wáng Shìlǎng (王士朗) and the Emperor’s Recognition

A few decades later, in the spring of the first year of the Qiánlóng (乾隆) reign (1736),

Wáng Shìlǎng (王士朗) of Nányán (南岩), Xīpíng (西坪), built a study called “Nánxuān” (南轩) at the foot of Nán Shān (南山). At sunset, while wandering among rocky garden plots, he discovered an extraordinary tea tree. Wáng transplanted it to the Nánxuān (南轩) tea garden, tending it day and night. The tree flourished, with round leaves and red hearts, yielding tea that was plump, glossy, and fragrant.

In the sixth year of Qiánlóng (乾隆), Wáng presented the tea to Fāng Bǎo (方苞), the Minister of Rites, during a court visit. Impressed, Fāng Bǎo (方苞) sent it to the imperial court. The emperor, tasting it, praised its weight, aroma, and appearance: “Firm and iron-like, fragrant and exquisite, like Guānyīn (观音) herself.” Thus, the tea was officially named Tiěguānyīn (铁观音).

A Harmonious Legacy

Wèi Yín (魏寅)’s story speaks of devotion and meticulous care; Wáng Shìlǎng (王士朗)’s tale highlights literati taste and imperial recognition. Both converge in describing the same remarkable tea: unique leaves, carefully processed, fragrant, and rich in flavor—culminating in the world-renowned Tiěguānyīn (铁观音) of Xīpíng (西坪), Ānxī (安溪).

Today, in Xīpíng (西坪), whether among the mountain tea gardens, the old Wèi family residence, or the site of Nánxuān (南轩), one can still sense the spirit of dedication and care. Each morning, the aroma of tea rises like a gentle reminder: honor the past, cherish each leaf, and share the refined elegance of tea with the world.