Mt.
Putuo, rising like a mirage out of the sea, is one of the three
hundred islands of the Zhoushan Archipelago just outside the Yangtze
estuary. It is a famous Buddhist retreat and one of China's four
mountains sacred to that faith. Legend has it that the bodhisattva
Guanyin meditated and preached there before attaining enlightenment.
The
island and its there hundred temples are maintained chiefly by
monks, who grow fruit and other produce for sale to help support
themselves. Their tea bushes provide Puto Fo Cha, help support
themselves. Their tea bushes provide Puto Fo Cha, help to be one of
the five most famous in China. Served to guests, it is sold only on
the island, and is highly prized as a souvenir gift. It is
reputed to be a remedy for diarrhea and lung lesions. The great Ming
dynasty pharmacologist Li Shizhen wrote in his Canon of Medicinal
Herbs that is was used to treat hemorrhages and dysentery.
The glossy green finished leaves are tadpole shaped, neither
round nor in strips, and the clear beverages has a fresh aroma.
