Ti Kuan Yin oolong tea is made in Fujian Province, China. Many interesting myths exist about how it became known as the Iron Goddess of Mercy. Ti Kuan Yin has a sweet taste and a fragrant finish, making it a popular choice.

How did an Oolong tea get the name "Iron Goddess of Mercy"?

As you might expect, there are a few different versions. But the story of the poor farmer is our favourite because it tells a beautiful Chinese story about how this tea came to be.

The story takes place in Fujian, China, where our Oolong tea is grown. According to a legend, there was an old temple that had not been used for a long time and was in bad shape, but inside it was a beautiful iron statue of the Goddess of Mercy (Kuan Yin). The farmer passed the temple daily, and even though he had no money to fix it, he chose to keep it clean. He swept away the leaves and dust every day and lit incense to honour Kuan Yin.
One night, the farmer had a dream about Kuan Yin. She told him he would find real wealth behind the temple. However, for the wealth to materialise, he had to take care of it and share it with others. The farmer did indeed find a source of wealth the next day; it was a tea shoot. He cared for and fed the tea shoot until it grew into a full-grown tea bush. After trying the leaves with hot water, the farmer found that they made a delicious tasting tea. He now had something he could harvest and sell.
Happy with this find, the farmer gave cuts from the tea bush to all his friends and neighbours so they could benefit and harvest the tea, just as Kuan Yin had given a gift to him.
One day, as he dried the tea leaves, their dark colour made him think of the iron statue of Kuan Yin, so he named the tea after the Iron Goddess of Mercy.