Huangshan Qimen Tongkeng

Tongkeng is a secluded small mountain village, where the mountains are high, the forests are dense, and the ravines crisscross, with streams babbling all year round. From a high vantage point, one can see that the village is situated right at the confluence of two small streams, merging into one, which is the origin of the name 'Tongkeng'. Also, because it is surrounded by mountains on all sides, resembling a barrel, and the village is at the bottom of the pit, it is also known as 'Tongkeng'. The highest peak of Tongkeng is Weizi Mao, with an altitude of over 1400 meters. The protruding boulders on the mountain peak look like a hat placed on the ridge of the mountain, forming the symbol of Tongkeng, which is clearly visible even from Lixia, more than ten kilometers away. There are many cliffs and precipices on the high mountains, with few trees. After heavy rain, the water pours down, and from a distance, it looks like a ribbon hanging on the rock wall. In winter, snowflakes start to flutter on the mountain peaks early. It's as if heaven is taking care of its own child, wrapping the entire summit in a thick layer of worn cotton-padded jacket, always afraid that Weizi Mao will be damaged by the cold. Whenever this happens, my grandfather would tell me that the weather is going to clear up. Qimen is known for the saying 'nine mountains, half water, and half farmland'. Tongkeng is a small village in Qimen without even half a division of farmland, located in the hinterland of the Guoniujian Nature Reserve. It is adjacent to Shitai County, poor and backward, which is evident at a glance. Generations have lived on tea, which grows among the rocks in the mountains, with little soil but fertile land. The tea picked is robust and well-shaped, with thick juice and a mellow taste after being brewed for a long time. Also, because Tongkeng is at a high altitude and the weather is unpredictable, with fog surrounding it all year round, the tea produced here, regardless of size or price, is fragrant and refreshing. Unfortunately, due to the abundance of mountains and the scarcity of land, the production cannot scale up, and without the support of a brand, Tongkeng tea has still not made its way out.