Pasha ancient tree Tea is part of the Menghai tea region, located in the Gelanghe Hani Nationality Township of Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province, between Nannuoshan and Brounshan. It is characterized by uniform and neat strips, emerald green color, and prominent downy hairs. When brewed, the tea soup displays a golden hue with a rich green tone, has a strong aroma, a sweet taste, and no grassy or burnt flavors.

Pasha ancient tree tea is from the Menghai tea region.

Pasha Village is part of the Gelanghe Hani Nationality Township of Menghai County, situated between Brounshan and Nannuoshan. It is a place predominantly inhabited by the Hani people, and is located six kilometers away from the township government. The name “Pasha” means “rest stop,” referring to its historical role as a resting place for travelers moving between the Menghun Basin and the Damailong Basin in the Xishuangbanna area.

Throughout the entire mountain range of Pasha, there are villages such as Pasha New Village, Pasha Old Village, Pasha Middle Village, Nangan, and Laoduan, all of which are Hani settlements. The ancient tree tea of Pasha is mainly distributed around these villages, with trees aged mostly between 200 and 500 years old, covering a total area of more than three thousand mu. The ancient tree tea in Pasha Old Village is of the highest quality. The cultivated Pasha ancient tea trees have a long history, with the earliest planting dating back to the Tang Dynasty.

Speaking of this, we cannot help but mention Lao Banzhang. It is a custom among the Hani people to divide a village when it grows beyond 100 households, leading to the establishment of new villages. The current middle and new villages were split off from Pasha Old Village. It is said that over 130 years ago, the present-day Lao Banzhang was also established by migrants from Pasha. Thus, Pasha tea is one of the original varieties of Lao Banzhang, and it can be said that Pasha and Lao Banzhang share a common lineage.

The Pasha ancient tea mountains are shrouded in mist throughout the year, with ample rainfall. The altitude ranges from 1,500 to 1,800 meters, with an average annual temperature of 22°C and annual precipitation of 1,500 millimeters. The vegetation here is lush, and the forest floor is rich in decomposed organic matter, making the soil fertile and conducive to vigorous growth of tea trees. The tea trees here sprout early and have a long picking period, producing long and plump leaves of high quality.

Due to its location between Nannuoshan and Brounshan, the tea produced here combines the unique flavors and characteristics of both regions. Therefore, authentic Pasha tea is renowned for its clarity and sweetness, with higher altitudes yielding teas of greater depth and complexity. As Pasha tea is scattered across different villages, the dry tea, aroma, and taste can vary slightly from one village to another.

In Pasha's tea gardens, there is a widespread phenomenon of mixed and hybridized cultivars, with large-leaf, medium-leaf, and small-leaf tea trees growing together. This can be identified through the appearance of the tea trees, leaf shape, and leaf color. For example, in Figure 2, these are fresh leaves from ancient trees, showing a clear contrast in leaf size. It is not the case that larger leaves come from ancient trees while smaller ones do not; the size of the leaves alone does not determine whether they come from ancient or young trees. In forests with a mix of tree species, the resulting tea tends to have a richer and more complex flavor profile. [Joyful]… Pasha tea is characterized by its clarity and sweetness, which are very persistent, with a rich and varied layering in the mouthfeel. The first and second infusions are clear and sweet, smooth, with floral aromas, giving a slightly different feel compared to traditional Menghai region teas. By the third infusion, the tea's character becomes more pronounced, with a stronger bitterness in the new tea, some astringency, and a gradual transformation into a sweet aftertaste and salivation. There is a subtle coolness and sweetness in the throat, leaving a lasting aftertaste. The tea has good durability and infinite potential for aging, serving as a typical example of a tea that improves over time.