The 2008 national standard clarified the concept of Pu-erh tea, which is made from sun-dried green tea of Yunnan large-leaf species within the geographical protection area, produced using traditional or innovative methods, and characterized by unique qualities. Pu-erh tea is divided into raw Pu-erh (sheng cha) and ripe Pu-erh (shu cha) types.

In fact, Pu-erh tea trees can also be classified by leaf size into large-leaf and small-leaf varieties. Specifically, large-leaf varieties feature elliptical leaves with a broad tip, prominent main veins, dense and clear secondary veins, abundant backside fuzz, and noticeable serrations. Small-leaf varieties have thinner elliptical leaves, closely spaced serrations, sparse backside fuzz, and nearly symmetrical buds. In tea classification, one method divides leaves by area: extra-large leaves (>50 cm²), large leaves (28–50 cm²), medium leaves (14–28 cm²), and small leaves (