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Tieguanyin (鐵觀音/铁观音 Tiě Guān Yīn), or Iron Guanyin, is a premium variety of Chinese oolong tea associated with Fujian province. Named after the Buddhist deity Guan Yin, it has also been translated as "Iron Goddess of Mercy".
There is a legend associated with this name. A peasant farmer often passed by an abandoned temple with an iron statue of Guan Yin inside. Saddened by the lack of care, he took it upon himself to sweep and clean the temple whenever he passed by. In thanks, Guan Yin visited the peasant in a dream and told him to look for treasure behind the temple. When he woke from the dream, he rushed to the rear of the temple and found a small tea shrub. The leaves of this shrub produced a particularly fragrant brew and the peasant became rich by cultivating and selling his "Iron Guanyin" tea.
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