The 3,200-year-old ancient Tea tree grows in Xiangzhuqing Village, Jinxiu Village, Xiaowan Town, Fengqing County, Lincang. It stands 10.6 meters tall with a circumference of 5.28 meters and a base diameter of 184 centimeters. This is the world's oldest and thickest cultivated ancient tea tree. Through examination, its age can be traced back to the period of King Wu of Zhou, and it is referred to locally as the “Jinxiu Tea King.” Its existence provides strong evidence supporting the theory that Lincang is at the center of tea's origin.
3,200-Year-Old Jinxiu Tea Sovereign
Seasons change, and all things follow their natural course. Over the past 3,200 years, the Jinxiu Tea King has recorded the history of the ancient Pu people growing, processing, and Drinking Tea, generation after generation, alongside these trees. Even Nobel laureate Mo Yan sought to catch a glimpse of its splendor, visiting Jinxiu Village to embrace and cherish it, engaging in a dialogue spanning time.
Along the Lancang River, more than 100 kilometers away from the 3,200-year-old “Jinxiu Tea King,” lies Baiying Mountain, renowned for documenting the cultivation history of large-leaf Yunnan tea. Baiying Mountain, named for the white orioles that nest there year-round, preserves over two million ancient tea trees of wild, transitional, and cultivated varieties. It is hailed as a natural museum that comprehensively records the evolution of tea trees from wild to cultivated states.
Lincang boasts the historic “Taihua Tea,” which Xu Xiake drank and recorded in his diary during his travels through the region over three hundred years ago. It also includes the Yunnan Black Tea, recognized for its intangible cultural heritage, the internationally acclaimed Bingdao tea and Xigui tea, and other famous mountain teas like Nahan, Mangfei, Ma'anshan, Meiziqing, and Pabei.
Lancang River
Lincang Tea Trees
Why does Lincang have such abundant tea resources?
Lincang, nestled between the Nujiang and Lancang River watersheds, is a land of mountains. Though located in a low-latitude zone, it boasts three snow-capped peaks over 3,000 meters in altitude. Many of Lincang's famous mountain teas grow at the foot of these peaks, amidst rivers and streams, shrouded in mist. The most well-known of these, the Mengku Great Snow Mountain, reaches an elevation of 3,233 meters and is renowned for its rich biodiversity, where “grass does not wither even in winter, and flowers do not fade outside of spring.” At altitudes between 2,200 and 2,750 meters, there exists the world's highest, densest, and most extensive cluster of ancient wild tea trees, preserved in their original state and with remarkable resilience.
Mengku Great Snow Mountain Wild Ancient Tea Tree Cluster
The unique geographical, natural, and ecological conditions have endowed Lincang tea with a rich flavor and a lasting aftertaste. Renowned climatologist Lu Dong praised Lincang as a “biological optimal growth zone,” a paradise for tea trees. Renowned botanist Cai Xitao once said, “The best tea in the world comes from China, the best tea in China comes from Yunnan, and the best tea in Yunnan comes from Lincang.” In recent years, Lincang has adhered to the concept of “green mountains and clear waters are golden mountains and Silver mines,” promoting the integration of Tea culture, tea industry, and tea science, and has made concerted efforts to drive high-quality development in the tea industry. In 2025, the city had a tea plantation area of 2.093 million mu, with a raw tea output of 172,000 tons and a finished tea output of 120,400 tons. One out of every three cups of Pu'er tea in China comes from Lincang, and one out of every five cups of black tea in China originates here as well.
Drinking Tea Amidst the Clouds in Bangdong
The mountains and rivers of Lincang are found both in nature and in tea. In Xu Xiake's writings, Lincang is portrayed as a place imbued with the fragrance of tea, warming the heart. Perhaps you have never been to Lincang, but its teas will surely make you fall in love with this place.
There is a way of life called Yunnan, and there is a unique tea aroma in Lincang. On May 21, International Tea Day, let us share a cup of Lincang tea!
Yunnan Web – Journalist Li Chunqian, Intern Journalist Li Tong, Ruisin, Correspondent Zhang Yaying. Information is valuable when shared; please contact us to remove if copyright issues arise.