/ 2008- 2014

National Standards Established, Mountain Tops Emerge, Rediscovery of the Value of Large-Leaf Varieties /

The deep and crisscrossing mountains and rivers, the original habitat where Tea forests coexist, and the multi-ethnic ecological communities living alongside ancient tea trees… As the diverse and high-quality large-leaf tea resources of Pu'er tea were rediscovered and the national standards for geographical indication products were published, Pu'er tea entered an era marked by “Mountain Tops Emerge, National Standards Established.”

The ancient mountain-top tea trees gradually constructed a new ecosystem in the Pu'er tea industry, becoming a significant force driving its development. People's pursuit of healthy lifestyles and green foods, as well as their yearning for good ecological environments and the allure of nature, found answers here.

02

Please respond, 2008

The diverse and high-quality tea resources of Yunnan's large-leaf varieties were rediscovered, leading more people to delve into the vast tea mountains in southwestern Yunnan. Scholars conducted in-depth field research, tea merchants established deeper connections with local communities, tea enthusiasts found their own “Book of Tea” in this birthplace of tea trees, and relevant government departments began to attach importance to this industry.

People gradually affirmed the resources of Yunnan's large-leaf varieties and recognized the value of ancient tea trees. For a long time, there was no concept of “ancient tree tea”; locals simply considered those trees of a certain age, scattered among the forests, as wild-grown teas. In an era focused on yield, ancient tree tea was far less popular than plantation tea.

Ancient tea trees mostly inhabit mountain tops at higher elevations and coexist with virgin forests. The undisturbed ecosystems achieved a perfect ecological balance over time. Such a leaf signifies nature and health, and all the advantages of large-leaf resources are embodied in ancient tree tea. Later, when people referred to mountain-top teas, they were mostly talking about ancient mountain-top tea trees.

Before the Pu'er tea industry entered a downturn in 2008, beneath the seemingly prosperous market, chaos abounded and intensified: raw materials from other provinces in China or Southeast Asian countries were mixed and used; there were differing opinions on processing techniques; pesticide residues exceeded standards in the tea leaves; and the ages of the teas were falsified. From the raw material end to the market end, there were no standards to speak of.

In 2008, the Chinese government issued the “National Standards for Geographical Indication Product Pu'er Tea (GB/T 22111-2008)” (hereinafter referred to as “National Standards”). These standards covered aspects such as environmental conditions of the production area, tea tree varieties, planting and management of tea trees, picking and transportation of fresh leaves, processing procedures, quality requirements, testing methods, inspection rules, marks, packaging, transportation and storage, and physical standard samples. They addressed the root causes of the chaos at multiple levels, including raw materials, processing, and warehousing.

The issuance of the National Standards began to regulate the numerous details of the market, making the bottom line for eliminating chaos increasingly clear. It also boosted market confidence to a great extent, safeguarding the industry's sustained development.

Starting from 2008, national standards were established, and mountain tops emerged. Unlike the era of numbered grades, this was an era characterized by a firm belief in the value of Yunnan's large-leaf tea resources and mountain-top and ancient tree teas. Many tea companies re-entered the market, and the industry began to recover. During this period, many brands emerged that focused on producing high-quality teas from specific mountain-top regions. Well-known examples include Chen Sheng Hao's Old Ban Zhang, Feng Hao's Bing Dao, Jian Shen Tea Leaves' Xi Gui, and Lancang Ancient Tea's Jing Mai. Amidst the craze for mountain-top teas, these brands found their footholds.

In addition to these well-known brands, there were also smaller-scale brands. Gu Yun Liu Xiang was founded in 2008. According to founder Shen Jian, the market had shrunk by ninety percent at the time. Those who remained were truly passionate about Pu'er tea. These people began reflecting on the past and actively sought ways out amidst that slim hope. “In prosperous times, tea thrives. Yunnan has excellent natural resources, and Pu'er tea has great room for development.”

However, before 2007, the development of the Pu'er tea industry was still in a relatively basic stage as an agricultural product. With the development of the times, many consumers pursued individuality. Individualistic products often have two characteristics: high quality and a distinct personality. The popularity of mountain-top ancient tree teas would drive the emergence of some brands to meet the needs of consumers seeking individualistic teas.” In its early days, Gu Yun Liu Xiang established its own grading system for tea trees, processing system, product system, and tasting system based primarily on several mountain-top regions in Lincang, gaining continuous recognition from customers.

Under the dual impetus of the mountain-top concept and the National Standards, the market restarted with important advances in the refinement and control of raw materials, the refinement of processing techniques, and scientific warehousing. Tea companies established after 2008 and focused on long-term production of regional teas and quality had strict controls over raw materials, mature explorations in processing, and made efforts in warehousing. They continued to build their own product systems. As mountain-top teas became further subdivided and product quality improved, tea companies gained their own consumers, and consumers found the Pu'er teas they liked.

03

The Dual Nature of the Mountain-Top Tea Craze

The concept of mountain-top teas is essentially a description of the production area. For food items that have made humans “addicted” for thousands of years, such as Coffee, wine, and tobacco, there is always a core concept of production areas.

Taking coffee, which was born under industrial civilization, as an example, whether purchasing coffee beans or ground coffee powder, information about the country, plantation, detailed bean variety, initial processing method, and Roasting method is always publicly available.

The process of refining production areas matches the diversified segmentation of consumer markets and is a crucial support point for market development. The concept of ancient six major tea mountains proposed by Tan Cui, a scholar from the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty, in his book “Yunnan Sea Chronicles,” was the embryonic form of the Pu'er tea mountain-top concept. Before 2007, the general division of Pu'er tea production areas was similar to today's, with regions like Lincang, Pu'er, and Xish