Just as it once basked in historical glory, Yiwu holds an important place in the comprehensive revival of modern Pu'er Tea and to some extent initiated the “Mark-Level” era of Pu'er tea. Iconic teas such as the 96 Zhen Chun Ya, 98 Shun Shi Xing Yiwu Spring Tip, 99 Yi Chang, 99 Green Big Tree, the first batch of 99 Da Du Gang, One Leaf, and Chen Yuan Mark were exquisite products left behind during the revival of Yiwu tea. More importantly, this period saw the gradual rediscovery of old brands and traditional tea-making methods, and the emergence of new brands, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent comprehensive revival of Pu'er tea.

How did Pu'er tea become popular in Taiwan?

Taiwan is one of the significant starting points for the modern revival of Pu'er tea, which began entering Taiwan around the early 1980s.

As one of the “Four Asian Tigers,” Taiwan's rapid economic development brought prosperity to its people, leading to a more discerning lifestyle. By 1980, Taiwanese tea enthusiasts not only cared about the quality of the tea but also the suitability of teapots. The crudely made large clay pots or porcelain pots from Taiwan were no longer favored. Instead, they turned their attention to the more refined Yixing purple clay teapots, sparking a miraculous 20-year-long craze for collecting these teapots.

In mainland China, which was in the early stages of reform and opening up, there were no direct trade channels with Taiwan at the time. The high demand for Yixing teapots in Taiwan had to be met through smuggling via Hong Kong, generating profits several times over. This lucrative business led to a constant stream of smugglers traveling between Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Initially, the smuggling of Pu'er tea was unrelated to that of Yixing teapots. However, smugglers soon began to fill their ships with goods, including Pu'er tea, when returning to Taiwan, inadvertently introducing it to the island.

However, the initial reception of Pu'er tea in Taiwan was lukewarm. Due to its low price, Pu'er tea gradually captured the lower-end market, providing an affordable option for those who could not afford high-altitude oolong tea. However, many Taiwanese referred to Pu'er tea as “Stinky Pu,” indicating their reluctance to accept its taste.

Taiwanese tea merchants selling Pu'er tea would often say, “It doesn't matter if you don't drink it, because Pu'er tea isn't meant for drinking; it's used to condition teapots. Look at the dark and thick tea liquor—it's perfect for conditioning teapots. A brick of ripe Pu'er tea can condition a Teapot as effectively as ten pounds of Taiwanese tea, saving you money. You can even use the leftover tea liquor to water plants and the tea leaves as fertilizer… It's okay if you don't buy the tea; just buy one of my teapots, and I'll give you ten bricks of tea…”

Pu'er tea was promoted in Taiwan using a half-selling, half-giving approach, or even through coaxing and persuasion. During this process, Pu'er tea provided an excellent alternative for many long-term oolong tea drinkers who suffered from weak stomachs and stomach pain. These individuals were not necessarily from the lower classes but included many high-end tea enthusiasts, professionals, and elites. As they entered the market, they gradually discovered the charm of Pu'er tea, leading to the introduction of premium aged teas like Mark-Level and Seal-Level teas into Taiwan.

The 1980s and 1990s were crucial decades for the growth of Pu'er tea in Taiwan. Over these ten years, some Taiwanese tea enthusiasts gradually progressed from drinking lower-end ripe teas to premium aged raw teas, eventually developing a desire to trace the origins of Pu'er tea.

Taiwanese Tea Enthusiasts Spark the Revival of Yiwu Tea

Many historical events are written unintentionally or by chance, such as the 96 Zhen Chun Ya. This tea, customized by Lui Li-zhen, holds significant value and flavor within the Pu'er tea industry and market, and to some extent ignited the revival of Yiwu tea.

In 1994, Taiwanese tea enthusiasts first stepped foot into what they considered the holy land of Pu'er tea: Yiwu.

Among the antique Pu'er teas still in existence, such as Song Pin, Fu Yuan Chang, and Tong Qing, most originated from Yiwu. However, for a long period of history, Yiwu and the ancient Six Great Tea Mountains were forgotten and unknown. This situation changed in 1994, largely due to the arrival of Taiwanese tea enthusiasts.

In April 1993, the first China Pu'er Tea Festival was held in Simao (now Pu'er City), coinciding with the “International Symposium on Chinese Pu'er Tea” and the “Symposium on the Protection of China's Ancient Tea Trees.” These conferences attracted nearly 200 scholars and experts from China, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Deng Shi-hai participated in the conference as a scholar and presented a paper titled “Aging and Aroma,” marking the beginning of Taiwanese tea enthusiasts' research on Pu'er tea.

In August 1994, the Third International Tea culture Symposium was held in Kunming. After the conference, a group of over 20 people led by Chen Huaiyuan, Lui Li-zhen, and Tseng Chih-hsien from the “Chinese Tea Art Joint Promotion Association” traveled to Yiwu to embark on a pilgrimage for Pu'er tea, driven by the mention of “Yiwu Mountain” on the inner tickets of many mark-level teas. At the time, Pu'er tea had become a common topic among Taiwanese tea circles, and with the market's push, its popularity began to rise.

When Lui Li-zhen and his group arrived in Yiwu, the local officials were surprised, as they believed there was nothing noteworthy in Yiwu, and the locals had long ceased producing Pu'er tea. After being introduced by Deputy Township Head Li Jianeng, Lui Li-zhen's group visited former Township Head Zhang Yi, who had written about tea in his works. They asked him to brief them and guide them through the old streets of Yiwu.

At that time, although every household in Yiwu still picked tea, the town lacked the bustling scene of numerous tea shops. It had become a remote and backward town on the southwestern frontier, with its past glory lost in the mountains. Travel and accommodation were extremely inconvenient. The old site of Tong Qing had been renovated, Song Pin was burned down in the 1970s and transformed into a primary school in Yiwu, and other historic sites like Ying Chun, Fu Yuan Chang, Che Shun, and Tong Chang were neglected due to lack of management. Witnessing the desolate state of this historically significant Pu'er tea hub had a profound impact on Chen Huaiyuan, Lui Li-zhen, and others. It was this sight that sparked an impulsive idea in Lui Li-zhen to revive Yiwu tea.

The Birth of 96 Zhen Chun Ya

Lui Li-zhen might not have foreseen that his spontaneous idea would awaken Yiwu, which had lain dormant for half a century. Once this idea took root, it could not be suppressed, and in 1995, Lui Li-zhen returned to Yiwu and reached an agreement with Zhang Yi to commission the production of “Zhen Chun Ya” using wild-grown Yiwu big tree tea as raw material and traditional handcrafted stone-pressing techniques.

In the production of Zhen Chun Ya and the revival of Yiwu tea, one name cannot be overlooked: Zhang Yi. Born in 1941, Zhang Yi served as the township head of Yiwu. However, his rediscovery and documentation of traditional Pu'er tea-making techniques began earlier.

From collecting various traditional tools for making seven-son cake Pu'er tea to consulting with surviving traditional tea masters, tea shop owners, or their descendants, to conducting field investigations in ancient tea mountains and villages and gathering historical data for study, Zhang Yi obtained many valuable oral histories. This was the reason Lui Li-zhen chose to collaborate with Zhang Yi on “Zhen Chun Ya,” as he was well-versed in the history and tradition of Yiwu tea.

However, Zhang Yi was not