In February 1950, after the liberation of Xishuangbanna, successive governments at all levels vigorously supported the development of Tea production. They established tea research, management, and processing institutions, mobilized the public to reclaim old tea gardens, and develop new ones. As a result, tea production rapidly developed. Before the 1960s, technical transformations were made on old tea trees, including pruning and replanting, and some new tea gardens were opened. In 1974, Menghai County was listed as one of the 100 key counties in China with a tea output of 50,000 dan. After 1986, high-yielding standardized tea gardens were constructed. In 1987, Menghai County was designated as one of Yunnan Province's eight tea export base counties and one of the six provincial comprehensive demonstration districts for tea, significantly boosting tea production in Menghai. The early 1990s marked the beginning of a period of high-yield development in Menghai County's tea production.
Entering the 21st century, especially after 2005, with the favorable market outlook for Pu'er tea and rising tea prices, Menghai's tea production was stimulated, and farmers' enthusiasm for growing tea increased. The area under tea cultivation continued to grow. The unique geographical environment and natural conditions, combined with centuries-old Pu'er tea-making techniques, resulted in Menghai Pu'er tea characterized by its “Menghai flavor.” This tea became beloved by tea enthusiasts both at home and abroad, sweeping the global tea market.
In April 2011, the prefectural Party Committee and government proposed the strategic development goal of making Menghai County “China's No. 1 Pu'er Tea County.” The county Party Committee and government took this very seriously and actively set out to achieve this goal. In November 2013, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine approved Menghai County's plan to establish a “National Pu'er Tea Industry Famous Brand Creation Demonstration Zone.” Seizing this opportunity, Menghai County adhered to the brand creation philosophy of “high quality and safety, ecological health.” Focusing on improving quality and efficiency, it increased investment in creation efforts, fully implemented a brand strategy, and promoted the ecological, standardized, healthy, and internationalization of famous brands. It compiled four sets of standards and specifications, such as the “Menghai Ecological Tea Garden Technical Regulations and Operating Procedures” and the “Pu'er Tea Raw Material Primary Processing Techniques and Management Standards,” successfully advancing the establishment of the demonstration zone.
In 2014, Menghai County was named “The Most Beautiful Tea Country in Western China.” In 2015, it won titles including “One of the Top 100 Key Tea-Producing Counties in China” and “One of China's Top Ten Transformation and Upgrading Demonstration Counties for the Tea Industry.” By 2015, the total tea garden area in the county reached 577,500 mu, and the Pu'er tea industry had become the largest economic pillar in Menghai County.
As the Pu'er tea consumer market continued to heat up, domestic and international companies began large-scale investments in the development of the Pu'er tea industry. Subsequent products like Chrysanthemum Pu'er tea, Pu'er Flower tea, Pu'er instant tea, and Pu'er tea beverages entered the market, further invigorating the development of the Pu'er tea industry.
The tea produced in Menghai is characterized by its “rich and mellow taste with a sweet aftertaste and an aromatic fragrance,” known among tea aficionados as the “Menghai flavor.” This unique “Menghai flavor” is inseparable from the region's superior natural environment. Due to the indivisibility of tea varieties and their natural environments, even when other tea regions introduced Menghai tea varieties, they could not replicate Menghai's natural conditions, resulting in teas that did not match the quality of those produced in Menghai. This led to the conclusion among domestic tea experts that “Chinese Black Tea from small-leaf varieties cannot compare to that from large-leaf varieties, and large-leaf varieties grown in introduced areas do not match the quality of those from their original habitats.” Thus, the superior natural environment of Menghai County has created the uniquely distinctive and internationally renowned “Menghai tea” and “Menghai flavor.”
By the end of 2025, the total tea garden area in Menghai County reached 905,900 mu, with 857,700 mu available for harvesting, producing 38,300 tons of raw tea. The county had 5 well-known trademarks in the tea sector, 8 Madrid trademarks, and 16 geographical indication certification trademarks.
In 2025, the integration of the three sectors of the Pu'er tea industry deepened, with 29 regulated enterprises. The tea industry played a significant role in driving local economic development and promoting rural revitalization.