Legend has it that while gathering herbs near Gounao Mountain, Emperor Yan mistakenly ingested poisonous plants, causing him to feel dizzy and bloated. However, he happened to pick a handful of tender leaves from nearby bushes and chewed on them. Immediately, his mind cleared and he felt refreshed. These tender leaves turned out to be tea leaves.

 

While tasting various herbs in Tangxi Town, Emperor Yan discovered that the water bubbling up from underground was hot. He built a stone well and bathed in the hot spring water. He found that bathing in it not only relaxed his muscles and invigorated his body, but also cured many diseases. Later, Emperor Yan taught the people of Tangxi to grow and harvest tea and to bathe in the hot springs, bringing benefits to the neighboring villages.

 

 

At present, there are several legends still passed down in Tangxi that are associated with the preserved sites of Emperor Yan Hot Spring, Gounao Mountain Wild Tea, and Gounao Stone.

 

In 2012, the legend of Emperor Yan was included in the third batch of representative projects of intangible cultural heritage at the municipal level. And in 2016, it was also listed in the fourth batch of representative projects of intangible cultural heritage at the provincial level.