There are 6 integrated mountains in the beautiful Xishuangbanna Prefecture of Yunnan. Known as “the 6 Major Tea Mountains”, they are the place of origin of the pu’er Tea. In the ancient times, people called the mountains on the northern bank of the Lancang River 6 Major Tea Mountains, namely Youle, Gedeng, Yibang, Mangzhi, Manzhuan, and Mansa Mountains. Now, people regard another 6 mountains on the southern bank of the Lancang River as current 6 Major Tea Mountains. These mountains are Nannuo, Nanqiao, Mengsong, Jingmai, Bulang, and Bada. Now, the current 6 Major Tea Mountains are the main producers of the raw materials for making modern Pu’er Tea.
Yunnan is one of the birthplaces of tea. People began planting tea trees in Yunnan over 3000 years ago. By the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Pu’er Tea had been under large-scale planting and production. It was called Pu Tea at that time. In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the Pu’er Tea reaches its zenith and was chosen as a tribute tea and a national gift for foreign envoys. In recent years, the Pu’er tea is loved by people due to its high efficacy in health care and preserving. A new heyday has come for the Pu’er Tea.
The most fundamental feature of the Pu’er Tea is its endurance. Normally, fresh tea is better than the old one. However, the Pu’er Tea can be breathe in a nature environment and keep on fermentation in the air. The longer it is stored, the mellower it becomes. The Pu’er has a strong and long-lasting aroma, the one peculiar to Yunnan big-leaves Tea. Its taste is strong. It has sturdy buds and thick leaves covered with white hairs. After 5 or 6 rounds of brewing, its aroma still remains. The tea soup is orange and thick.
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