Famous mountains and villages are well-known, and the scarcity of ancient tree tea has led to a rapid surge in its price. Below, Modao will introduce you to Yunnan's top ten ancient tree teas!

Lao Ban Zhang

The status of Lao Ban Zhang tea in Yunnan Pu-erh is comparable to that of Da Hong Pao in Fujian Oolong tea. Lao Ban Zhang emphasizes所谓的 tea energy (Qi). Pure-blooded Lao Ban Zhang tea possesses the most robust tea energy among all Pu-erh teas. Its characteristics include the most pronounced bitterness and astringency, a持久 sweet aftertaste, bright liquor, soft and even tea leaves, and a slight honey aroma. It has a pure, strong, and steady fragrance, a intense taste, and effects such as resolving phlegm, moistening the throat, and promoting saliva production in both cheeks.

Since ancient times, Lao Ban Zhang villagers have used traditional methods to manually care for ancient tea trees, follow folk customs to hand-pick fresh leaves, and use local methods: sun-drying. To this day, Lao Ban Zhang Pu-erh tea is one of the few tea origins in Yunnan Province that does not use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other inorganic substances, making it a pure natural, pollution-free, and ecological tea产地. Lao Ban Zhang Pu-erh tea has a strong and intense tea energy, a rich and mellow aroma, and an overwhelmingly霸气 presence. It has always been revered in the world of Pu-erh as the "King," "Tea King," "Ban Zhang King," and other supreme accolades.

Characteristics: The tea energy is霸道, the bitterness dissipates upon entering the mouth, leaving a持久甘甜 sweetness and a high, distant aroma that lingers endlessly. The moment the tea soup enters the mouth, a strong aroma permeates throughout. Equally strong is the bitterness, which is霸道 and powerfully masculine. However, this bitterness is mostly concentrated on the tongue surface, instantly transforming and promoting saliva production in the cheeks. The水路 is smooth, with a sweet aftertaste and throat sensation that处处彰显个性.

Bing Dao (Ice Island)

Bing Dao ancient tea garden is one of the birthplaces of Yunnan large-leaf tea, renowned as the "orthodox variety of Yunnan large-leaf tea." Its planting range is mainly in Bing Dao village, Gongnong village, and Dazhongshan area at the middle and lower parts of the Great Snow Mountain in Mengku Town, Shuangjiang County, Lincang City. It is a typical Mengku large-leaf arbor tree, with long large leaves, dark green color, thick and soft leaf texture, and a strong and unique tea aroma. It is the finest product of Mengku tea and also the finest product of Yunnan Pu-erh tea.

Characteristics: Bing Dao ancient tea combines the strengths of the eastern half-mountain tea's high aroma and pronounced taste, rich and full口感, sweet and thick quality, and the western half-mountain tea's strong quality and powerful energy. The tea energy is strong and powerful, with a long-lasting aftertaste. The bitterness and astringency upon entry are almost imperceptibly low, but the aroma is aggressive. The impact expected from an ancient tea slowly extends from the tongue root forward. The sweet and fragrant tea soup will弥漫 from the upper palate of the mouth throughout the nasal cavity, and passing through the throat will bring a slight coolness. The power of Bing Dao tea is generally concentrated in the middle and rear part of the tongue surface, with continuous saliva production in the cheeks.

Man Song

The true "Man Song Gong Cha" (Man Song Tribute Tea) yield is not high, and strictly speaking, the number of ancient trees for "Man Song Gong Cha" is寥寥无几. If you spend a high price to buy authentic "Man Song Gong Cha," then congratulations, you have a great tea缘分.

Man Song originally belonged to the jurisdiction of the First Township of Yibang District. Historically, there was Man Song old village, inhabited by the Xiangtang people, who were good at growing tea. Because of the high quality of Man Song tea, it was listed as tribute tea, with an annual tribute of 100 dan. It was once famous for its tribute tea, its reputation spreading far and wide, bringing glory to the then Yibang District and promoting local tea production and sales. The annual output of Man Song tribute tea is extremely scarce. According to local people, the annual output is no more than 10 kilograms, making it a top-grade product among Pu-erh teas.

Characteristics: Sweet and smooth. When drinking, the mouth feels very sweet, the throat feels very sweet. The tea energy is sufficient and warming. Just drinking a little bit will make the body feel warm, which is far unmatched by other tea mountains.

Na Ka

Na Ka ancient tree tea is the most representative tea of the Mengsong tea area. Na Ka village became known for producing high-quality ancient tree tea. The entire village has over 600 acres of contiguous ancient tree tea gardens, with tea tree ages between 300-500 years.

Na Ka tea, broadly classified, belongs to the Menghai Mengsong tea area. Among the arbor old tree teas in the Mengsong tea area, Bao Tang's are the largest, and Na Ka's are the most famous. Na Ka tea does not have the bitterness of "Bulang Mountain" nor the astringency of "Pasha tea." Its aroma is higher than Bing Dao tea, and its taste is similar, but the tea base is not as tender as Bing Dao's; Na Ka tea is durable through multiple brews and has a strong and obvious sweet aftertaste and saliva production. Na Ka's bamboo tube tea is also very famous. The bamboo tube tea made by the Na Ka Lahu people was well-known as early as the Qing Dynasty and was annually presented to the "Cheli Xuanwei Mansion."

Characteristics: Relatively strong mountain wild energy, good aroma left in the cup bottom, noticeable bitterness and astringency, with bitterness being more prominent. Sweetness in the soup, relatively fast and good sweet aftertaste, relatively full soup, and pure tea fragrance.

Xi Gui

Xi Gui is located in Bangdong Village, Bangdong Administrative Village, Lincang, which is a mountainous area. Xi Gui ancient tea gardens are mostly distributed on the mid-level mountains, mixed within the forest. The age of the ancient tea trees is about 200 years, with the larger trees having a base circumference of 60-110 cm. Xi Gui tea belongs to the Bangdong large-leaf varietal. Because of the local custom of only picking spring tea and autumn tea each year, the tea trees are well protected, and the tea quality is much better than that of other villages.

The tea's unique aroma makes Pu-erh lovers reluctant to put it down. Its advantage is that it produces continuous saliva production after brewing. Xi Gui tea is rich in substance, has a high and sharp aroma, strong tea energy, a heavy taste, a strong sweet aftertaste and saliva production, and a持久 fragrance in the mouth and nose, with a soft and sweet taste and a clear rock sugar韵 (Yun).

Characteristics: Rich in substance and very resistant to brewing. The tea soup has a high concentration, a heavy taste, a high and sharp aroma, strong tea energy yet a smooth soup texture, a细腻水路 (water path), accompanied by a strong and intense sweet aftertaste and saliva production, with a持久 oral fragrance.

Ma Hei

Ma Hei is one of the famous tea mountains in Yi Wu. Ma Hei tea is also the most charming tea among Yi Wu Pu-erh teas. The reason Pu-erh tea has its current reputation is largely due to Ma Hei tea, which is unique尤其是在生茶领域 (especially in the raw tea领域).

The灵气 of Yi Wu tea lies in its revival during later aging,通俗的说就是通俗的说就是 "the more it ages, the stronger the tea energy becomes." The entire tea base韵指标 is rising. Currently, tea friends perceive Yi Wu tea as gentle, but this is superficial because current research shows that明前春茶 (pre-Qingming spring tea) is not gentle; the softness is because the tea material is from late spring, or summer tea, or mixed tea. After后期陈化, it remains light, which might be the current portrayal of Yi Wu tea because everyone wants to make cheap Yi Wu tea, so no classic Ma Hei tea has been produced in recent years.

Characteristics: The tea energy and fragrance of Ma Hei are not as high and soaring as Gua Feng Zhai's. It is mellow and full, with a yellow亮汤色, and the beauty of softness, so it ranks second among Yi Wu teas. Yi Wu tea is known for its fragrant aroma and soft taste, while Ma Hei tea is particularly known for its阴柔 (feminine softness), making it a top-grade tea among Jiang Nei teas. The soup is glutinous, soft, clear, and elegant, with a floral and fruity aroma. The early spring aroma is excellent, with a long-lasting杯香, oil-shiny and translucent汤色, a broad and full口感, soft yet strong, dense,细腻, with profound韵致, a high, balanced, upright, and heavy fragrance, and elastic, thick tea leaves.

Lao Man E

Lao Man E village can be said to be the largest and oldest布朗族 (Bulang ethnic) village in the entire Bulang Mountain. Lao Man E's tea is very bitter. Locals refer to the tea from Lao Man E and even the entire Bulang Mountain tea area propagated from Lao Man E as苦茶 (bitter tea). There is also some甜茶 (sweet tea) corresponding to the bitter tea, which is said to be not bitter and is usually kept by the villagers for their own consumption.

Due to its extreme bitterness, Lao Man E's bitter tea acts as a味精 (MSG) in processing Pu-erh tea: many tea factories and merchants often use Lao Man E tea for blending when producing and processing Pu-erh tea cakes to enhance and enrich the taste and flavor of the tea cake.

Characteristics: The strips are fat, thick, tight, and显毫 (showing buds). The liquor is clear and bright. The taste is strong and substantial, with a lingering aroma after multiple brews. It is耐冲泡 (resistant to brewing). Upon entry, the bitterness is heavier, but it dissipates quickly, and the sweet aftertaste is excellent. The tea's unique taste is uniquely long-lasting and refreshing.

Gua Feng Zhai

Gua Feng Zhai ancient tree tea possesses (energy, aroma, taste,韵), basically representing the high standard of good Pu-erh tea. Some tea friends say that strong tea energy refers to bitterness, which is unacceptable and also one-sided. Energy should be reflected more internally, meaning feeling slightly warm throughout the body after drinking the tea, although not everyone feels this. It cannot be measured by scientific data.

The above refers to the "external energy" of tea energy. What is more迷人 about Gua Feng Zhai is its "internal energy." Internal energy is not appreciated by the mouth and nose but perceived by the body. This is最容易感受 (easiest to feel) for those who practice Qigong, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, monks, and those who avoid荤腥 (meat and strong flavors). Pu-erh tea归于肺经脾经 (belongs to the lung and spleen meridians). When tasting, the丹田 (Dantian) and limbs微微生热发汗 (slightly generate heat and sweat), even having a feeling similar to gaining energy during Qigong practice. To some extent, the truly迷人 aspect of Pu-erh tea lies in its internal energy. However, due to everyone's different physical conditions, the degree of feeling varies. But a deeper discussion of internal energy似乎似乎 can be better explained by traditional Chinese medicine theory.

Characteristics: Natural and rich honey aroma within the sweet and mellow taste. Hidden within the smooth and细腻 texture is a powerful yet restrained tea energy. The bitterness and astringency are含蓄 (subtle), and the throat sensation is long and lingering. It is particularly known for the beauty of its later changes. When first tasting the new tea, sweetness comes first, the throat sensation is deep, the aroma is sufficient. In later changes, the soup becomes thicker and more substantial, the taste fuller, the bitter base and astringency fade away, and the韵 of aged aroma gradually emerges.

Wan Gong

Wan Gong has only been gradually recognized in recent years. Its long period of silence allowed these tea trees to escape the most疯狂抢采 (crazy rush for picking), preserving that distant ancient韵. Wan Gong big village was once the core area of the ancient Mansha tea area. According to local elders, before the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty, Mansha mountain had密集 villages (dense villages) with a population of over ten thousand. Wan Gong big village and Mansha old street were once the two most prosperous villages in the Yi Wu tea mountain. Just from the ruins of the Guan Di Temple in Wan Gong big village, one can imagine the prosperity of that time. Later, Wan Gong big village gradually declined and faded out of the sight of tea people.

Characteristics: The liquor is golden and璀璨 (bright),柔和 (soft). The taste is粘稠饱满 (viscous and full), with a unique charming primitive forest aroma. The sweet aftertaste and saliva production are good and continue persistently. The throat sensation is long and lingering. It has strong sustainability and stability.

Kun Lu Shan

Kun Lu Shan is a branch of the Wuliang Mountain, with an altitude between 1410 meters and 2271 meters. The central section extends十几里 (over ten miles) north-south and several miles east-west. The mountains have overlapping peaks and emerald green trees, with ancient trees reaching the sky. The highest peak is 2271 meters above sea level. The ancient tea tree community of Kun Lu Shan spans Fengyang and Babian townships, with a total area of 10,122 acres. It is a primitive forest formed by a semi-cultivated tea tree community mixed with broad-leaved forests.

Characteristics: The aroma is rich and stable. The bitterness and astringency are easy to transform. The taste is sweet, mellow, fresh, and爽口 (refreshing). The tea soup is rich in content, stable in nature, has a strong aftereffect, obvious saliva production at the throat base, and sufficient韵.