The authentic origin of Pu'er Tea is in areas such as Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Pu'er City, Lincang City, Baoshan City, and other places in Yunnan Province. Major representatives include teas from Laobanzhang, Yiwu, Manyick, Bohetang, Kunlushan, Mangfei, Dashaxue Mountain, Laomane, Guafengzhai, and others.
Xishuangbanna Production Area
The main tea-producing areas in Xishuangbanna are Menghai County, Mengla County, and Jinghong City. The tea gardens in this production area are mainly distributed at altitudes of 800-1800 meters, where there is no frost throughout the year and an annual rainfall of 1,300-1,800 millimeters. The region is rich in tea tree germplasm resources.
In the Menghai tea area, notable mountains include Nannuoshan, Mengsong, Bulang Mountain, Bada Mountain, He Kai, Mannuo, and others. Among these, some famous villages include Banpo Laizhai, Pasha, Bama, Naka, Damanlu, Xin and Laobanzhang, Laomane, Mannuo, Zhangjiazhai, Zhanglangzhai, Manpare Zhai, Manlong, Nanqiao, and others.
The Yiwu tea area in Mengla County includes “seven villages and eight hamlets.” The “seven villages” are Mazhei, Gaoshan, Luoshuidong, Manxiu Village, Sanhe Society, Yibi, and Zhangjiawan. The “eight hamlets” are Guafengzhai, Dingjiazhai (Yao), Dingjiazhai (Han), Jiemiaozhai, Luodezhai, Dazhai, Mansa, and Xinzhai. Teas from the Yiwu area have a honey-like orchid aroma. Their ancient tree teas possess a woody orchid aroma that gradually develops into camphor, pine, sandalwood, and agarwood scents after long-term storage. This area is known for its sweet teas, which transform from delicate and mellow to strong and stable with a thick, smooth, and fine texture over time. They start slightly astringent and evolve from light to rich.
Lincang Production Area
The Lincang tea area includes: Cangyuan, Shuangjiang (where Mount Dashaxue is located, Bingdao is on the eastern slope of Mount Dashaxue), Fengqing, Yun County, and other places. The most famous mountains include:
Mengku's Eighteen Villages:
West Mountain (10 villages): Bingdao, Dakar, Dongguo, Dahusai, Gongnong, Banggai, Bingshan, Hudong, Dashaxue, Xiaohusai;
East Mountain (8 villages): Mangbang, Bamu, Najiao, Bangdu, Nazhai, Donglai, Mangna, Chengzi.
Compared to Xishuangbanna, the Lincang production area is generally less bitter but more astringent. In terms of taste, it is slightly harder with a robust soup quality and a narrower range of flavors. The leaves are thick and broad, with a unique fragrance that is strong and uplifting. The sweetness and orchid aroma on the tongue and the middle to back part of the upper palate are full-bodied, and the tea has a slightly higher level of stimulation.
Pu'er Production Area
Pu'er is located in the southwest of Yunnan Province and is named after Pu'er Prefecture. The Pu'er tea area is vast, with famous historical tea areas distributed throughout the city, including Jingmai, Bangwei, Qianjiazhai, Wuliang Mountain, Banshan, Fodian Mountain, Yingpan Mountain, and Niuluo River. These are spread across the four cardinal directions of the city and are important production areas for Pu'er tea.
The modern tea gardens in the Pu'er production area are considered among the best in the major tea regions. The characteristics of their teas are: high yield, slightly bitter and astringent. Among them, the most famous is the ancient tea garden on Jingmai Mountain in Lancang County, which stands out for its aroma and strong mountain flavor. There is also the ancient tea garden in Qianjiazhai in Zhenyuan County and Jinggu Big White Tea.
The teas from this area have a rice flower aroma and belong to the sweet-bitter tea region. Their teas start very fragrant, with a honey-like flavor, a high tea energy, and a clear sweetness. The base of the tea is mostly bitter, and the tea water tends to become thin after long-term storage.