In the Ming Dynasty, the term “Pu'er” came into use.

The naming of Pu'er Tea occurred during the Ming Dynasty.

The emergence of Pu'er tea is directly related to the establishment of administrative divisions in Pu'er. The central area of today's Pu'er City, including Simao District and Ning'er County, was known as “Buri Bu” during the Dali Kingdom period of the Song Dynasty. Initially part of Weichu Prefecture, it later fell under the jurisdiction of Mengshe Town. In the Yuan Dynasty, “Buri Bu” was renamed “Puri Bu.” In the sixteenth year of Hongwu (1383) in the Ming Dynasty, “Puri” was changed to “Puer,” belonging to the Cheli Office of the Yujiang Military-Civilian Government. During the Wanli period, “Puer” was officially renamed “Pu'er.” Because tea was produced in this region, the tea here became known as “Pu tea” or “Pu'er tea.”

The appearance of geographical markers provided Pu'er tea with its initial identity, but simply relying on the place-name “Pu'er” was not enough to make Pu'er tea a famous tea. The Ming Dynasty was an important era for the rapid development and significant achievements in ancient Chinese tea production. During this period, tea underwent comprehensive development in terms of technological innovation and cultivation, forming distinct characteristics of the time.

In the first year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang abolished certain old systems and established a decree for the tribute of Longtuan tea, which promoted the development of tea-making techniques. During the Ming Dynasty, through a series of institutional constructions and large-scale immigration policies, the central government of the Ming Dynasty achieved direct rule over Yunnan, leading to significant developments in the social economy and culture of the province.

This period also saw significant growth in the tea industry in Yunnan. A notable sign of this development was the emergence of several well-known types of tea in the region, such as Taihua tea from Kunming, Gantong tea and Wandian tea from Dali, Yongning “scissors coarse tea,” Cheli's “Pu tea,” and Wumeng tea from Zhaotong.

Among these teas, the reputation of Pu'er tea grew increasingly prominent, gradually overshadowing other varieties and becoming the representative tea of Yunnan. The “Yunnan General Gazetteer” from the Wanli period notes, “In Cheli, there is a headman who resides in Pu'er, where tea is produced.” This merely indicates that tea was produced in the area of “Pu'er” in Cheli. However, Xie Zhaozhe, a well-informed scholar during the Wanli period, mentioned in his book “Dian Sights” that “The tea used by scholars and commoners alike is all Pu tea, steamed into cakes.” This suggests that “Pu tea” had the highest circulation and sales volume across Yunnan at that time. In the late Ming Dynasty, Fang Yizhi recorded in “Physical Minor Knowledge” that “Pu'er tea is steamed into cakes and sold to the Western barbarians.” Here, “Western barbarians” refers to Tibet. This indicates that, in addition to being sold throughout Yunnan, the primary market for Pu'er tea during the Ming Dynasty was in Tibetan regions. Furthermore, Fang Yizhi's record is noteworthy as it represents the earliest written documentation of the name “Pu'er tea.”

Additionally, during the Ming Dynasty, Pu'er tea developed its most distinctive manufacturing process – the steaming and pressing into cakes. That is, during the Ming Dynasty, the Pu'er tea process took its preliminary form, transforming into Compressed tea. This process significantly changed the crude appearance of Pu'er tea before the Ming Dynasty.

The main raw material for Pu'er tea, the large-leaf variety, is naturally the most suitable for making compressed tea. If Pu'er tea were to appear in loose or Green Tea form, it would have no advantages within the established spectrum of Chinese teas defined by inland teas from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian. Not only would its appearance be rough, but its bold flavor would also be difficult for many to accept.

Once compressed into compressed tea, what was once a disadvantage became an advantage. Not only did the tea become aesthetically pleasing, but its flavor also underwent a wondrous transformation through the steaming and pressing process and a period of aging, becoming pleasantly refreshing. It was precisely because the process of making compressed tea showcased the advantages of Pu'er tea that it began to be offered as tribute tea, receiving praise from the imperial court. In addition to the Tibetan regions, a small amount of Pu'er tea was sold to inland areas each year, reaching more than 400 piculs during the Tianqi period.

It was during the Ming Dynasty that Pu'er tea received its name and gained its own identity, making a stunning debut. However, after receiving its name, it wasn't until the Qing dynasty that Pu'er tea entered its golden age in ancient times.

Originally published in “Pu'er” magazine

February issue, 2025

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