A monk at Huiyuan Temple gained fame through his renowned tea-making abilities. The tea he made combined an enchanting aroma with sweet flavors that were rich. Those who consumed the tea experienced heightened clarity and alertness. Everyone nearby loved his tea.

The monk possessed dark skin and powerful muscles which gave him a statue-like appearance of an arhat (a Buddhist guardian figure). His powerful build led locals to name him “Iron Arhat".

While walking along a rocky cliff one day he discovered a special tea tree growing in the cliff's crevice. The tree reached great heights and exhibited strong branches that were pale yellow. The tea tree's fuzzy buds possessed a cotton-like texture while giving off a pleasant scent. The young leaves were picked by him and then he returned to the temple where he prepared rock oolong tea from them.

He extended an invitation for everyone in his neighborhood to taste his newly made tea. “What’s the name of this tea?" they asked. Unable to provide an answer to their question about the tea’s name, he shared the story of how he found the tea tree with them.

After hearing his story, the villagers decided: Because he found the tree and created the tea we should give it the name ‘Tie Luo Han’ (Iron Arhat) which represents our strong monk. The tea received its designation which reflects both the monk’s essence and the mountain’s offering.