As stated in the "Great Preface to the Book of Songs": "Emotion stirs within and finds expression in words,… unknowingly, hands dance and feet tap." Those born in Yunnan are said to "open their mouths to sing and move their bodies to dance." "The land shapes its people"—Yunnan’s soil and water not only nurture its people but also produce exceptional tea. This article discusses the Old Wushan Ancient Tea Mountain, home to a unique variety of ancient tea trees locals call "dancing" tea trees. These trees have branches as slender as willow strands, swaying with the wind like fairies dancing amidst the clouds and mist. Known locally as "Braid Tea," "Vine Tea," or "Willow Tea" due to their braid-like appearance, vine-like branches, and willow-like elegance, they are fashionably referred to in the industry as "Vine Tea."

Vine Tea is a distinctive variety found in the Dashun Mountain and Old Wushan areas of Zhenyuan. It is a variant formed by specific historical management practices, intermediate between large-leaf and small-leaf types, requiring centuries-old trees to develop this "delicate beauty." Local tea culture scholar Li Kun notes that older "Vine Tea" trees have longer, more curved, and finer branches, making their "dance" particularly captivating. Tea made from these ancient vine trees is silvery in appearance, mellow and smooth on the palate, with a high aroma, deeply cherished by tea enthusiasts. In recent years, as Pu’er ancient tree tea has gained market popularity, Old Wushan’s "Vine Tea" has been increasingly sought after for its superior quality.

Old Wushan has produced tea since ancient times and has long been a key area for Pu'er tea production. Research indicates that tea cultivation here dates back to the Tang Dynasty, spanning over a thousand years. Rich in tea tree resources, with an area second only to Jingmai Mountain, it hosts wild, domesticated, and cultivated types, serving as a living specimen community of tea trees from different eras. It is the tea mountain with the largest distribution of ancient tea tree communities in Zhenyuan’s five major ancient tea mountains and boasts the world’s largest Vine Tea area, earning it the title "a living museum of ancient tea trees" in the industry.

According to a 2006 survey, Old Wushan Ancient Tea Mountain has 8,616 acres of wild tea communities and 2,870 acres of century-old ancient tea gardens. The tea gardens are patchily distributed, mostly hidden within the Wuliang Mountains and mixed with primary forests, some located near villages and intercropped with grains. Generally well-managed with strong tree vigor and excellent quality, they primarily produce sun-dried green tea. The main distribution areas include Wenli, Luoja, and Nabu villages in Anban Town, Zhenyuan County, and parts of Zhentai Township. This area is perpetually shrouded in clouds, with elevations ranging from 2,057 to 2,240 meters, vegetation consisting of montane evergreen broad-leaved forests, an average annual temperature of 14.1–15.2°C, annual precipitation of 1,390–1,502 mm, and red and yellow-brown soils. A representative plant is the Wenli Big Tea Tree (ZY2006-019) in Wenli Village, Anban Town, which has exceptionally large leaves and is classified as Pu'er tea.

Among them, three very ancient tea trees were discovered on Old Wushan, the tallest, largest, and oldest cultivated ancient tea trees found in Zhenyuan County to date. One located at the highest peak of Old Wushan, beside a field in Heshangsi Village, is said to be over a thousand years old—the largest existing ancient tea tree in the area. It stands 9 meters tall with a canopy span of about 7.6 meters, yielding approximately 15 kg of dry tea annually, generating nearly 20,000 yuan in income in 2014. Locals refer to it as the "Tea God Tree." Every year on the 16th day of the fourth lunar month, villagers from Anban Town and nearby areas like Zhentai and Jinggu come to worship the tree, praying for favorable weather and bountiful harvests.

Pu'er tea made from Old Wushan raw material is characterized by robust strips, bold buds, a bright yellow liquor, pronounced bitterness, quick sweetness, full-bodied texture, high and rich aroma, yellow leaf base, and a strong wild character. As the era of prioritizing yield in Pu'er tea fades, today’s focus on "healthy Pu'er" quality positions Old Wushan’s ancient tea resources and culture as the next regional brand following Jingmai Mountain. Stay tuned for the next installment: "A Tour of Pu'er’s 26 Ancient Tea Mountains: The Tianba Ancient Tea Mountain." (Author: Ai Wenhua)

Author Bio: Ai Wenhua, male, born on June 6, 1990, a native of Zhaotong, Yunnan. Poet, Pu'er tea columnist, and editor-in-chief of Shuocha.com. His works have appeared in publications such as "Poetry Journal," "Stars," "Dianchi," and "Years," among others. Personal WeChat: YQaiwenhua.