tea-king tree
'tea-king tree'
Definition#
Honorific, not a standard or grade, for a famous, huge or supposedly oldest tea tree of a village or mountain; its leaf is sold as 'tea-king' single-tree tea at very high prices. Sources disagree about individual trees. China Securities Journal reported in May 2017 that the Lao Banzhang '千年茶王树' had changed hands in early March at 320,000 yuan/kg, and quoted the Xishuangbanna Prefecture Tea Industry Association as saying that there is no expert-recognised (经专家认定) tea-king tree in the prefecture's ancient-tea areas and certainly none at Lao Banzhang. The Bangwei (Bangwai) 'transitional-type' tea-king tree is called nearly 1,000 years old (树龄近千年) by Jiemian in 2019 and more than 1,700 years old by People's Daily Online in 2016. No certifying body for the title was found, so every age and identity statement is a seller or press claim. Not the same as 茶王赛, the 'tea king' contests.
Translation and usage#
| Language | Use | Alternatives & cautions |
|---|---|---|
| English | tea-king tree honorary title for a famous or oldest tea tree of a place calque |
Also acceptable
Avoid tea king (as a grade) no grade of that name; 茶王赛 is a contest certified ancient tree there is no certification of the title |
| Deutsch | Teekönigsbaum Ehrentitel für den berühmtesten oder ältesten Teebaum eines Ortes calque |
Also acceptable
Avoid Teekönig (als Güteklasse) no grade of that name |
| Русский | ча ван шу («король чайных деревьев») почётное название знаменитого или старейшего чайного дерева pinyin with a gloss |
Also acceptable
|
| 简体字 | 茶王树 | |
| 繁體字 | 茶王樹 | |
| 日本語 | 茶王樹 地域で最も著名な、または最古とされる茶樹 |
Common confusions#
- The age and identity of any named 'tea-king tree' are unverified claims; sources conflict (nearly 1,000 vs more than 1,700 years for Bangwei).
- Not the 茶王赛 contest ('tea king' contests).