羊楼洞
羊楼洞
羊楼洞位于赤壁市区西南26公里的羊楼洞镇，为湘鄂交界之要冲，明清之际系蒲圻6大古镇之一，为"松峰茶"原产地，素有"砖茶之乡"的美称。
自唐太和年间皇诏普种山茶起，本地就开始培植、加工茶叶。宋代曾一度以砖茶作为通货与内蒙进行茶马交易。明嘉靖初，制茶业已相当发达。集镇随之而兴。极盛时茶庄200余家，人口近4万。古镇有5条主要街道，百余家商旅店铺。“洞茶”远销海外，为“中国大茶市”，誉称“小汉口”。
镇区现存一条以明清建筑为主的古街，主街宽4米，长2200米，伴有数条丁字小巷。古街建筑面积0.7平方公里。街面全部以青石铺设。历代运茶的“鸡公车”将石板碾成寸余深槽。东西松峰港上多为吊脚木楼，有3座长条石桥贯通港东。街道随松峰港曲折逶迤，别具一格。街东南松峰山下，有观音名泉，水质清澈甘醇，是历代精制名茶的水源。羊楼洞明清石板街可称为中国制茶业发展的历史缩影。1996年，被列为市级文物保护单位；2002年被列为省级文物重点保护单位。
相关古诗一首:
羊楼洞
- 廖道南(明)
万嶂入羊楼,双溪绕凤丘.
天开珠洞晓,月旁石潭秋.
翠入梧桐秀,香来蕙草幽.
登临一长啸,日夕紫烟浮.
中国是茶叶的故乡，是世界上最早发现、利用茶叶的国家。茶区辽阔，东起台湾阿里山，西至西藏察隅河谷，南自海南岛的琼崖，北达山东半岛。茶类齐全，品种众多。茶树栽培与制茶技术经验，在世界上享有盛誉。
茶叶具有明目、益思、利尿、助消化等功效。现代科学证实，茶叶具有很丰富的营养价值和独特的药理功能。古代茶叶开始于药用，以后发展为饮料，并由野生发展为人工栽培。据《华阳国志•巴志》记载，巴蜀所产的茶，周武王时已列为贡品，可见三千年前，中国即开始栽茶、制茶。西汉时王褒《童约》中即有“买茶”与“烹茶”的记载，说明两千多年前茶叶已成为商品。唐代陆羽系统总结了先民种茶、制茶的经验，于公元780年撰写的著名《茶经》，是世界上第一部茶叶专著。唐朝茶叶已分布于南方43州1郡，形成山南、淮南、浙西、剑南、浙东、黔中、江西、岭南八大产区。到宋代发展到66个州，242个县。
中国人有饮茶的习惯。世界各国饮茶、种茶，都是由中国直接或间接传去的。公元729年饮茶首先传到日本。1610年荷兰商人从中国购入茶叶，以后转运至欧洲各国，茶叶随之成为世界性的饮料。中国种茶技术也是最早传播到日本，805年日僧最澄到浙江天台山国清寺学佛，带回茶籽种植于日本的台麓山地区。1780年印度东印度公司，从广东引进茶籽种于加尔各答植物园。1883年俄国从湖北羊楼洞买回茶籽茶苗种植于尼基特植物园内。到二十世纪八十年代,世界上已有50多个国家和地区种茶产茶。
十九世纪八十年代前后,中国茶叶处于生产盛期,1886年茶叶总产量达22.5万吨，出口量为13.4万吨。抗日战争时期， 茶区大部沦陷， 茶园遭到严重破坏。 到1949年全国茶园面积只剩下15.47万公顷，仅及抗日战争前的40%；茶叶总产量只有4.1万吨。
羊楼洞简介-英文
Brief Introduction of Yangloudong
Located at the hub of the junction of Hunan and Hubei of China, Yangloudong is one of the "Six Ancient Towns of Chibi City", and the origin of "Songfeng Tea". She is well known as the "Brick Tea Town of China"!
Since the Taihe years of Tang Dynasty when there was an Imperial edict called on planting camellia in largescale, the local began to cultivate and process tea. In Song Dynasty, the brick tea was once used as a currency for tea-horse trading with Inner Mongolia.
In early Jiajing years of Ming Dynasty, the tea industry had been developed very well, and the market-town was booming. In the most prosperous period, there were more than 200 tea firms and a population of nearly 40,000. The ancient town once had 5 main streets and about 100 shops and hotels. At that time, the "Dong Tea" exported overseas, Yangloudong, which was called "Small Hankou", became a great tea market of China.
With buildings of Ming and Qing Dynasties, there are Heritage Streets remain at the ancient town. The main street is 4 meters wide, 2200 meters long , with several T-shaped alleies, and the construction area of the ancient street is 0.7 square kilometers. The whole pavement of the street was built with bluestones, and the wheelbarrows(transport the tea)of successive dynasties rolled the street with deep grooves.
In eastwest of the town, there are pillar-supported woodhouses near the Songfeng River, and 3 stone bridges through east and west. It's very unique style that the street zigzags with the Songfeng River. In eastsouth, at the foot of Mt. Songfeng, there is a famous spring named Guanyin Spring, the water, clear and sweet, is always the best choice for making tea.
As an epitome of China tea industry development history, The ancient street of Yangloudong was listed as architectural heritage at city level for preservation in 1996 and was listed as provincial level in 2002.