Cloud tea is like life; life is learning, wisdom is cultivation.<\/p>\n
The Torch Festival is a traditional holiday of the Yi and Bai peoples, held around the twenty-fourth day of the sixth lunar month. Known as “the Oriental Carnival,” people carry torches through the fields, praying for a good harvest and peace. And this old tea head, on Torch Festival night, most wants to brew a pot of ripe tea and sit beside the bonfire, sipping slowly.<\/p>\n
The Torch Festival is mainly celebrated in Chuxiong, Dali, Lijiang, and other places in Yunnan. The weather here is quite special: scorching sun by day, cold by night. On Torch Festival night, everyone gathers around the bonfire, drinking and eating heartily. But after the drinking and feasting, the body may feel sluggish. At such a time, a cup of warm ripe tea is the perfect choice.<\/p>\n
This year I went to Chuxiong for the Torch Festival. Chuxiong is the capital of the Yunnan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, and the celebrations there are particularly grand. In the morning I visited a Yi village to see the traditional ceremony; in the afternoon I watched a bullfighting competition; at night came the torch parade and bonfire party. I brought the 2016 Menghai ancient-tree ripe tea, aged for nine years. The aged aroma is prominent, a blend of jujube and medicinal notes.<\/p>\n
On Torch Festival night, the bonfire blazes and everyone gathers around, eating and drinking. I sat in a corner and brewed a pot of ripe tea. A Yi friend beside me was surprised to see me drinking tea: “Tea at the Torch Festival?” I poured him a cup. He took one sip and said: “So smooth!” Then he started talking to me about the Yi people’s tea culture. It turns out that the Yi traditionally drink roasted tea: tea leaves placed in a clay pot, slowly roasted over charcoal, then boiled with water. This method shares the same warming gentleness as ripe tea.<\/p>\n
Drinking ripe tea at the Torch Festival has an advantage: it helps ease the effects of alcohol and aids digestion. During the festival, drinking is unavoidable. But afterward, the body can feel heavy. The polyphenols in ripe tea are traditionally believed to help break down alcohol and alleviate hangover symptoms. Moreover, ripe tea is warming, protecting the stomach lining and reducing the irritating effects of alcohol.<\/p>\n
The warmth of the bonfire and the gentle warmth of the ripe tea together create a feeling of deep comfort. Gazing at the flames, sipping ripe tea, the whole person feels at peace. At this moment, all troubles vanish; only firelight and tea fragrance remain.<\/p>\n
The meaning of the Torch Festival is not only celebrating the harvest; it is also about community cohesion. Everyone gathers around the bonfire, sharing food and drink, talking and telling stories. A good cup of tea makes this sharing even warmer. I saw some Yi elders bring their homemade roasted tea to the party, sharing it with all. This traditional spirit of sharing is something rarely seen in modern society.<\/p>\n
Tea has grades; all may enjoy it regardless of status.<\/p>\n
The final event of Torch Festival night is releasing sky lanterns. Everyone writes a wish on a lantern and sends it into the sky. My wish was simple: may I have a pot of good tea every year. The lantern rose slowly, growing smaller and smaller, until it was just a tiny point of light. I took a sip of ripe tea and felt deeply content. This is what the Torch Festival gives me: warmth, happiness, fulfillment.<\/p>\n
When leaving Chuxiong, I brought several cakes of local tea as souvenirs. Though not famous teas, tea drunk on Torch Festival night always tastes especially good. This is the magic that festivals bring to tea: tea drunk on special occasions, accompanied by the mood and environment of the moment, always tastes better.<\/p>\n
Make friends through tea, please enjoy a cup.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Author: Old Tea Head · Lin Shen (LamSam)
\nZen Tea Manor ZENTEA MANOR
\nTianying Supply Chain Company
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