Menghai County boasts superior climatic conditions, fertile soil, abundant rainfall, and a well-preserved ecosystem, which together provide a natural advantage for Tea production. It is recognized internationally as one of the original birthplaces of tea trees and a renowned source of Pu'er tea.
The history of tea cultivation in Menghai County. The Bulang people, indigenous to the region, reside in areas rich with ancient tea trees, exemplifying the phenomenon of “Puhren tea planting.” Experts in tea science, history, and ethnology have concluded that the Bulang people are among the earliest tea cultivators in Yunnan Province. In the early 1980s, Jiang Quan and others conducted research on the history of tea cultivation by indigenous ethnic groups in Yunnan, concluding that the ancient Puhren people, the common ancestors of today's Bulang, De'ang, and Wa ethnic groups, were the earliest tea cultivators in Yunnan, with a history of over 1,000 years. The ancient tea areas of Bulang Mountain and He Kai are adjacent, mainly located in villages under the jurisdiction of Ban Zhang Village Committee (Lao Man'e, Lao Ban Zhang, Xin Ban Zhang) and Xin Long Village Committee (Man Xin Long). Lao Man'e is the oldest and largest Bulang village in Bulang Mountain Township, established in 638, with nearly 1,400 years of history and 3,205 acres of ancient tea trees. Ban Zhang, meaning “cassia grove,” is divided into Lao Ban Zhang and Xin Ban Zhang, originally inhabited by the Bulang people and later by the Hani people, with over 3,000 acres of ancient tea trees. The ancient tea gardens in Lao Man'e and Ban Zhang sit at an altitude between 1,600 meters and 1,900 meters (average 1,700 meters), with yellow-brown or yellow soil. The forests within these tea gardens are dense, providing a favorable natural environment, and the tea trees grow vigorously, with ages exceeding 200 years. The tea produced here is characterized by “prominent white down, thick and bright buds, heavy and intense flavor, good aftertaste, and durability.” It is considered a premium product among Menghai teas. The first infusion delivers a strong flavor, with a concentrated bitterness and slight astringency, yet the aroma is rich. The second infusion has even more strength, with a quick transformation of bitterness into a rising aftertaste and a smooth texture, and the aroma is bold and prominent. The third infusion maintains the strength, with a noticeable aftertaste, salivation under the tongue, and a pleasant throat sensation. Tea enthusiasts praise Ban Zhang tea as the king of kings among Pu'er teas, the finest quality Pu'er tea raw material, and an excellent item for collection.
Fixed layout
Set fixed width and height on the toolbar
Background can be set to be contained
Align background images and text perfectly
And create your own templates
The tea produced in Menghai County was already being sold in Tibet during the Tang Dynasty. According to “Pu'er Tea Records” by Ruan Fu in the Qing Dynasty: “Pu'er tea historically belonged to Yinzhen Prefecture. Therefore, the use of Pu'er tea by the Tibetans dates back to the Tang Dynasty.” “Pu'er tea is famous throughout the world, with the most robust flavor, especially valued in the capital.” By the Qing Dynasty, Pu'er tea had become a tribute tea. The Qing court had a special register for Pu'er tribute tea, with over a thousand baskets paid annually as tribute, regarded as a precious commodity. In “Complement to the Compendium of Materia Medica” by Zhao Yumin of the Qing Dynasty, it is recorded: “Pu'er tea is formed into cakes in three sizes: large, medium, and small. Large cakes weigh five catties each and are shaped like a human head, known as ‘human head tea.' These are sent as tribute every year and are not easily available to the public. There are imitations called ‘Sichuan tea,' made by the local people at the border between Sichuan and southern Yunnan. Their cakes are not firm, and their color is yellow, lacking the unique fragrance and clarity of Pu'er tea. Pu'er tea paste is black as lacquer, best for sobering up, with green ones being even better.”
Fixed layout
Set fixed width and height on the toolbar
Background can be set to be contained
Align background images and text perfectly
And create your own templates
In the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period, as the Fohai tea area gradually prospered, the center of tea production and processing shifted from the ancient six tea mountains north of the river to the modern six tea mountains south of the river centered around Fohai (Menghai, Mengsong, Nannuo, Nanqiao, Bada, Jingmai), making the Fohai tea area the core production area of Pu'er tea in modern times. In the second year of Xuantong (1910), the Shilin tea merchant Zhang Tangjie opened the first tea shop in Fohai, initiating the processing of tea there, and loose tea no longer needed to be transported through Simao and Pu'er. During the Republic of China period, merchants from inland regions came to Fohai to open tea shops and process tea, leading to a prosperous tea industry in Fohai. Caravans transporting tea were constant, making Fohai the trading center for Pu'er tea in the Che (Li), Fohai, and Nanqiao regions.
Fixed layout
Set fixed width and height on the toolbar
Background can be set to be contained
Align background images and text perfectly
And create your own templates
In the second year of the Republic of China (1913), tea processed by Zhang Tangjie was sold to the Burmese merchant Zhang Zhongde in Kengtung, who then transported it to India, marking the beginning of Fohai tea exports to India. From then on, compressed Fohai tea was exported through the Daluo customs, traveling through Burma, Thailand, and the Indian trade routes to be sold in Tibet and Southeast Asian countries. In the 28th year of the Republic of China (1939), the second branch of the Yunnan Sipu Region Tea Experiment Station was established in Nannuo Mountain. In April of the 31st year of the Republic of China (1942), after the establishment of the Sipu Enterprise Bureau, the second branch was renamed the Nannuo Mountain Tea Plantation. After three years, 170,000 tea plants had been successfully planted and cultivated using scientific methods. The fresh leaves produced were of high quality and were supplied to the Nannuo Mountain tea factory to produce black and Green Tea.
Before the 27th year of the Republic of China (1938), Yunnan primarily produced sun-dried green tea, made from large-leaf variety fresh leaves through the processes of killing the green, rolling, and sun-drying. Historically, Pu'er tea referred to the sun-dried green tea of the original Sipu region (Simao and Xishuangbanna) and the various shapes and specifications of Compressed tea made from this tea, including seven-son cake tea, brick tea, and tuocha, among others. As it was concentrated in Pu'er for trade, Pu'er tea became famous both domestically and abroad, named after the place. According to Li Fuyi's “Overview of the Tea Industry in Fohai,” it explains: “The tea produced in the Twelve Prefectures (today's Xishuangbanna) is generally concentrated in Pu'er for manufacturing, and at the same time, Pu'er is also the distribution center for tea in the Pu'er-Simao border region.” “The origin of the name ‘Pu'er tea' seems to come from its concentration in Pu'er for manufacturing and distribution.”