Ⅰ.Story about Seeds Spread by Zhuge Liang

The“Story about Seeds Spread by Zhuge Liang”, also known as the“Story of relics in six tea mountains”, is a legend widely spread in Pu’er (formerly Simao)and Xishuangbanna.ZhuGe Liang, the Prime Minister of Shu in the Three Kingdoms Period, led his troops to Yunnan to suppress the rebellion of the“dominating groups”of Nanzhong and the“local tribes”.Six tea mountains are the six tea mountains in Jinghong and Mengla in Xishuangbanna today.According to the Records of Daoguang Pu’er Fu Zhi Volume 26 Monuments,“The relics of the six tea mountains are all in the south of the city.It is said that Zhuge Liang went to all six tea mountains, and left a bronze gong in Youle, a rivet in Mangzhi, an iron brick in Manduan, a wooden rat-tat in Yibang, a saddle iron in Gedeng and a bag in Mansa.Therefore, these tea mountains get their names.Furthermore,there is a tea king tree in Mangzhi tea mountain, which is larger than tea trees in other five tea mountains.This tea king tree is said to be planted by Zhuge Liang, and native people still offer sacrifices to it”.According to the legend, Zhuge Liang suppressed the rebellion in Nanzhong, the Shu army entered Southern Yunnan and arrived at Mount Nannuo in Menghai (Youle Mountain, one of the six tea mountains according to another legend).The soldiers suffered from an eye disease due to acclimatization.Zhuge Liang inserted his walking stick into the ground and turned it into a tea tree, which grew leaves.The soldiers picked leaves and boiled them in water, and drank the water to heal.Later Mount Nannuo (Youle Mountain)was called Mount Kongming.There is a tea king tree on Mangzhi Mountain, which is larger than the other tea trees on the other five mountains.Today the local people still offer sacrifice to it.(Historical research shows that Zhuge Kongming had not been to Simao,Pu’er and other places at that time, but this legend is well known with a far-reaching impact in Pu’er(formerly Simao)and Xishuangbanna.

Fig.3-12　Zhuge Kongming