12Days Puer and Xishuangbanna Tea Culture Exploration

Arrive in Jinghong.

Starting from Jinghong, drive to Mount Nannuo, see ancient tea plantation aged over 800 years of Aini people, Aini, who have been engaged in tea-planting here for centuries, visit their village and taste roasted tea they prepared in unique way, through chat we may discover how much Aini people rely on tea. Move on to Menghai, pay visit to small tea workshop in the village to learn about how fresh tea leaves are processed. Further transfer into mountainous area to Bada, do some hiking across forest to worship the King of Wild Tea Tree aged over 1700 years. On late afternoon drive back to Menghai. Stay in Menghai.

In the morning drive in the north to Jingmai, see the ancient tea plantation aged over 800 years, plantation was cultivated by Pu, the ancestor of Bulang Nationality today, Pu was the earliest ethnic group who began to domesticate wild tea plant for drinking in Yunnan. In the area thousands of aged tea trees in wildness are still lush and producing buds, for long term plantation is under natural state without farmer’s taking care,  output is low, but very organic and with pretty high quality. In the afternoon long drive to Shangyun via Lancang. Stay in Shangyun, at simple local hotel or guesthouse.

Drive up mountain to Banwei, a small village lying on hillside with an elevation of around 1900 meters, we will see a tea tree aged over 1000 years here, different from the King of Wild Tea Tree and 800-year-old tea trees in ancient plantation, this is a breed between wild and domesticated, with obvious features of the both, it’s taken as a very important evidence improving that local ethnic groups tried to plant wild tea for drinking as early as 1000 years ago. In the afternoon transfer back to Lancang, en route if have more time, do some random stops for visiting ethnic villages. Stay in Lancang.

Move to Pu’er along mountainous road and across the upriver Mekong. After arrival in the afternoon, drive to see the ancient tea caravan way that still winds its way on ridges of mountains, of which the paving stones are still telling people the former prosperity of tea trade along this trail, pay visit to ethnic village around and family who used to run hostel specially for tea transporting caravans to discover some stories about tea trade in the past. Further to Ninger, a small town after which famous Pu’er Tea was named, it once was the tea distribution center of South Yunnan. Return Pu’er for stay.

Driving in the north to Mohe, see old Mohe Town, a former stop on the Ancient Tea Caravan Way, caravans transporting tea out of this region couldn’t move fast due to poor traffic conditions in the past, so there would be places for rest or stay around every 30 km, Mohe used to be such a spot, and some local people are descendants of former hostel owners, we will try chatting with aged people for stories about tea caravans. After that a long drive via Zhenyuan to Jiujia, a small town perched on top of mountains often enveloped by thick fog, this is the edge of Ailao Mount. Nature Reserve. Stay at simple local guesthouses.

Set out on early morning for Qianjia Zhai in the deep part of Ailao Mountain Nature reserve, with an elevation of over 2000 meters and covered with dense subtropical forest, road leading to the foot of mountain is small and narrow, we may take tractors or local truck for this transfer if needed, bumpy ride is followed by some hard hiking up steep mountain and across rivers and lush forest, we finally arrive at Qianjia Zhai to worship the oldest wild tea tree currently found in the world, which is reportedly aged over 2700 years. In the afternoon we do same hard trip back to Jiujia. Stay at local guesthouses.

After recovering from tiredness of long walk on previous day, take long drive from Jiujia back to Pu’er. Pu’er used to be named Simao, with population of over 2.3 million, area of over 44 thousand square km, it’s the biggest prefecture of province. Pu’er was an important stop on former Tea Caravan Way, as well one of the most significant producing areas of famous Pu’er tea.  Preferential climate endows Pu’er ideal conditions for planting tea, tea plantation in prefecture is over 30 thousand hectares and annual output hits 15 thousand tons. Stay in Pu’er.

Visit Tea Culture Park near Pu’er, see how tea is processed and taste Pu’er Tea. Pu’er Tea is actually a kind of green tea, the difference is it’s slightly fermented, naturally through store of certain term, normally 7-8 years, or artificially by certain technology, fermentation makes it taste milder and softer, so well accepted by most people. Later get on the way back to Jingong. Stop en route to enjoy view of vast tea plantation near Dadugan, another famous tea producing area. In addition drop in Wild Elephant Valley, take cable lift above jungle for forest view and some relaxation. Stay in Jinghong.

Go along the Mekong to Ganlanba, a major residential area of Dai People, see a lively daily market where local people sell or buy food and other native products. Drive to Yiwu, a small town once boomed due to tea trade in the history, see the old part of town and the stele erected in Qing Dynasty that recorded the trade situation at that time, pay visit to local families that are still producing Pu’er Tea the traditional way. Back to Menglun, visit the biggest tropical botanical garden of China, enjoy the nice view and quietness in garden. Stay at hotel in the garden.

Enjoy morning freshness in the botanical garden, have a relaxing walk in natural zone for a short experience, learn the great bio-diversity of rainforest, later leave botanical garden for Jinuo Mountain Area, visit Jinuo People, who uniquely belongs to this region, is the last ethnic nationality classified by Chinese Government in 1979. See the ancient tea plantations around Jinuo village, which used to be one of Six Great Tea Mountains reputed as the cradles of famous Pu’er Tea, try Wrap-charcoaled Tea and Salad Tea Jinuo people prepare in their traditional way. Back to Jinghong.

Departure from Jinghong