A Buddhist monk named Gan Lu (Sweet Dew) brought tea
back with him when he returned from a pilgrimage to India during the
first century. Seven "fairy tea trees" he supposedly planted are still
to be seen on Mt. Mengding in Sichuan. The Mengding tea was explicitly for the use of the Royal family. Every spring, a religious celebration would be held before the plucking. The local governors would dress up and host the entire activity. They would first worship the “tea fairy” and the whole picking process would be monitored by the governor. Only six hundred leaves would be plucked. These leaves would then be processed in a temple surrounded by chanting monks. In the end, the tea would be sealed in delicate silver containers and which was then escorted by the army to the royal palace.
https://www.teamuse.com/article_020901.html
http://qifullife.com/sichuan/
https://www.teaguardian.com/quality-varieties/tea-varieties/mengding-ganlu-green-tea/
