Menghai County
Boasting five ancient Tea mountains,
Menghai County is known as “China's First County of Pu'er Tea,”
the birthplace of the world-renowned “Pu'er Tea.”
Home to numerous clusters of ancient tea trees,
and a thousand-year-old wild “Tea King Tree,”
along with the profound history and culture of Pu'er tea,
Menghai County has become a prime destination for enthusiasts of Pu'er Tea culture and history from China and abroad.
The integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in Menghai County's ancient tea mountains primarily relies on the advantages of these ancient tea mountains.
This involves a deep exploration of the cultural resources of
Nannuoshan, Bulangshan, Bada, Mengsong, and He Kai,
five ancient tea mountains,
integrating culture and tourism organically.
The focus is on the tourism aspects of “eating, lodging, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, entertainment, and health care,”
cross-fusing ancient tea mountains with sightseeing, experience, study tours, exhibitions, sales, and health care,
to stimulate consumption in the ancient tea mountain areas,
forming new forms and advantages of integrated development of tea, culture, and tourism.
Beep… beep…
Please hold on tight.
Board the train bound for Bada Ancient Tea Mountain
to witness the splendid scenery of the tea mountains.
“Bada” in the Bulang language means
“the place where immortals left their footprints.”
Legend has it that there is a large stone in the mountain
with a giant footprint about a foot long on its exposed surface,
believed to be the footprint of an immortal,
giving the mountain its name.
Bada Ancient Tea Mountain is located in Xiding Township, Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture.
It is one of the most concentrated areas for wild ancient tea trees in Xishuangbanna
and one of the oldest tea mountains in Xishuangbanna.
The Bulang and Hani people have lived here for generations.
1
First Stop: Zhanglang Tea Mountain
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Zhanglang Tea Mountain is located in Zhanglang Village, Xiding Township, Menghai County.
Situated high up in the mountains of Bada,
its altitude reaches over 1,600 meters.
The Bulang people have lived here for thousands of years,
making it the largest ancient village with a single population of Bulang people in the country.
A millennium of culture and tea
is the proud hallmark of the people of Zhanglang.
Zhanglang Village has five “millenniums”:
Millennium Ancient Village
Millennium Ancient Temple
Millennium Ancient Well
Millennium Ancient Tea
Millennium Bulang Culture
Zhanglang Tea
grows mixed among the forest,
with diverse formation of fragrance,
prominent honey floral aroma,
the leaves of Zhanglang ancient tea trees are elliptical in shape,
with raised leaf surfaces,
back-arching or inward-folding leaf bodies,
soft leaf texture,
yellow-green leaf color,
tapering or tail-pointed leaf tips,
and wedge-shaped leaf bases.
The taste is slightly bitter and astringent at the back of the tongue and upper palate,
however, the average quality of the tea is relatively thin.
There is a special odor on the middle and back of the upper palate,
the tea fragrance fills the throat and tongue,
bitterness lingers slightly with slight astringency,
with light astringency.
After the third infusion, a smooth and silky sensation gradually appears,
followed by a cooling sensation on the tongue after the astringency subsides.
2
Second Stop: Manmai Dui Tea Mountain
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Manmai Dui Tea Mountain is located in Manmai Village, Xiding Township, Menghai County.
Manmai Dui is a pure Bulang ethnic village,
where “Dui” in Bulang language means migration,
thus Manmai Dui translates to a migrated village.
With a history spanning a millennium,
Manmai Dui has two bright “calling cards”:
football and tea.
Though small, Manmai Dui built a beautiful football field
because the children here love football very much,
but due to its remote location,
there were no conditions for playing football.
Therefore, in April 2025,
under the care and support of various levels of the party, government, and relevant departments,
Manmai Dui constructed a standardized seven-a-side football field,
providing a place for the children to play football.
On the green field, the children run with their dreams,
forming a beautiful scene on the border.
Manmai Tea
has slender and narrower leaves,
thinner leaf stems,
and a tightly compact appearance.
The tea soup is golden and translucent,
rich and sweet,
somewhat bitter and astringent upon entry,
quickly turning into a sweet and refreshing taste,
the tea soup is thick and slippery,
carrying a unique rice soup-like aroma,
the tea leaves at the bottom are yellow-green and evenly sized,
with a fine and lustrous finish,
strong wild character,
robust tea energy,
the aroma in the cup is rich and lasting.
3
Third Stop: He Song Tea Mountain
He Song Tea Mountain is located in Manwa Village, Xiding Township, Menghai County.
Situated in the high mountains