“Fog locks in the Tea among a thousand trees, clouds part to reveal verdant ravines. Aroma wafts ten miles away, robust flavor fills a single cup.” This is how ancient poets praised Pu'er tea. For centuries, “Menghai tea” has made its way to the world via the ancient tea horse road and the Silk Road, endearing many to “Pu'er tea” and the unique taste of “Menghai.”

“Tea Harvesting Song” by Zuo Lianjiang

Menghai County, located in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture at the southwestern frontier of our country, is a place where one would not want to leave once they arrive. Here, there are not only beautiful mountains, clear waters, and picturesque scenery but also a cool climate and rich, potent tea. Menghai is a city that grew out of tea forests. On its vast 5,368 square kilometers, it has nurtured renowned ancient tea mountains such as Laobanzhang, Hekai, Nanuoshan, Naka, and Zhanglang, giving rise to the unique flavor of Menghai tea, known for its rich taste and intense aroma.

“Drying Tea” by Yan Fengting

In 1961, a 1,700-year-old wild-type ancient tea tree was discovered in Bada Hesong; an 800-year-old cultivated-type tea king tree grows in Nanuoshan. The ancestors of the Dai, Hani, Lahu, and Bulang peoples recognized, utilized, and cultivated wild tea trees, initiating a millennia-long history of tea cultivation, processing, and trade. In 1940, Mr. Fan Hejun, the 27th-generation descendant of Fan Zhongyan's Bamboo Garden Support Hall and a scholar who had studied in France, founded the predecessor of Dayi Group's “Menghai Tea Factory,” the Fohai Experimental Tea Factory, with the ideals of “revitalizing national tea” and “supporting the war effort.” “Dayi tea” production techniques were included in the “National Intangible Cultural Heritage” list, recognized as a “China Famous Trademark” and “China Time-honored Brand,” and launched several classic products such as 7542 and 7572. “Menghai tea” thus became a top-tier tea recognized worldwide. Menghai Pu'er tea has been promoted multiple times at the Great Hall of the People, Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, and CCTV, leading to a situation where wherever there is Pu'er tea, there must be “Menghai Pu'er tea.” The annual Menghai (International) Tea King Festival has gradually become an international tea event where tea enthusiasts from around the world discuss the future of the tea industry and deliberate on its revival.

Villagers from Xiding Village harvesting tea on the mountain

“Deep in the Ancient Tea Forest” by Liu Zhirong

According to reports, Menghai County has vigorously advanced the construction of ecological tea gardens. Following the requirements of “continuous layout, garden-like tea areas, premium varieties, and scientific management,” it has created ecological tea gardens where “tea is among the forest and tea is in the forest.” It has fully established a raw material base for Pu'er tea with “ecological foundation and optimal quality,” owning 900,000 mu of modern tea gardens, nearly 400,000 mu of organic certification, and over 80,000 mu of cultivated ancient tea clusters over a century old. Successive special actions have been implemented to “nurture” and “purify” the Pu'er tea industry, severely cracking down on illegal activities such as counterfeiting, false advertising, passing off fake goods as genuine, and passing off inferior goods as superior, which disrupt market order. A comprehensive regulatory system from “tea garden to teacup” has been constructed, ensuring controllable sources, traceable processes, and guaranteed quality, allowing consumers to buy with confidence and drink with peace of mind.

Ten-thousand Mu Tea Garden Base provided by Menghai Tea Factory in Bada

Today, there are 15,238 various tea business entities in the county, with 29 tea enterprises above designated size, including 2 national-level leading enterprises and 7 provincial-level ones, with eight having sales revenues exceeding 1 billion yuan. The county's tea industry achieved a comprehensive output value of 25 billion yuan, with production volume and tax revenue consistently ranking first in the province's tea industry, increasing the average income of 280,000 tea farmers by 13,100 yuan. Over 11,000 brand-exclusive stores of Menghai tea enterprises are spread throughout the country, with products sold far and wide to places like South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and beyond, making “Menghai tea” a renowned brand both domestically and abroad.

Bulang Women provided by Yan Fengting

Ten-thousand Mu Tea Garden in Menghai (photographed by Menghai Photographers Association)

Menghai thrives due to tea, prospers because of tea, becomes wealthy through tea, and is beautified by tea. Menghai County will continue to write the narrative of “tea,” integrating tea industry, tea technology, and Tea culture, linking “production, processing, and sales,” and fusing “agriculture, tourism, and culture.” With the full strength of the county, it will continue to polish the golden signboard of “China's No. 1 County for Pu'er Tea.”

Source: Yunnan Net – Xishuangbanna Release, information shared for its value. If copyright issues arise, please contact for deletion.