Yunnan Wuliangshan mountain clouds produce good tea

YuanJia131

Mount Wuliang, anciently known as Mount Mengle, derives its name from "its towering height that seems to reach the clouds, making it inaccessible, and its vast expanse that defies measurement." It is located in the western part of Jingdong County, Puer City, Yunnan Province. Extending from Nianjian County in the northwest, it stretches southwestward to Zhenyuan, Jinggu, and other areas, reaching the Lancang River to the west and the Chuanhe River to the east. Within Jingdong County, its area spans 2,581 square kilometers.

Most people first became acquainted with Mount Wuliang through Jin Yong's martial arts novel *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*, where the mountain is depicted as picturesque, scenic, and rich in natural resources.

The true Wuliangshan is a collective of numerous mountains rich in mystery. With its unique three-dimensional climate, it preserves an exceptionally diverse array of flora and fauna, making it a national-level nature reserve that harbors countless lesser-known natural wonders.

Wuliang Mountain features towering peaks, deep valleys, and dense vegetation, providing an ideal ecological environment for the growth of large-leaf tea trees. Often shrouded in mist and clouds, its tea leaves boast exceptional quality. Since ancient times, it has been renowned as a historic tea-producing region in the upper reaches of the Lancang River, serving as a vital source of premium Pu'er tea. Legend has it that tea cultivation in Wuliang Mountain began during the Three Kingdoms period, with tea seeds and cultivation techniques passed down by Zhuge Liang during his southern campaign. Even during the Nanzhao Kingdom era in the Tang Dynasty, Wuliang Tea Mountain remained a key tea-growing area for the Yi people. According to oral traditions among the local Yi community, they have inhabited Wuliang Mountain for 57 generations.

For thousands of years, the Yi people have protected, utilized, replanted, and improved the tea trees in the Wuliangshan region, continuously advancing tea production. By the Qing Dynasty, the tea gardens in Wuliangshan spanned over 100,000 mu, yielding more than 3,000 tons of dried raw tea annually. Beyond local processing, the tea was transported to Menghai, Yiwu, and other areas to be transformed into various types of Pu'er compressed tea, which were then sold both domestically and internationally.  

During the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, social instability, poor sales, heavy taxation, and other factors led to the gradual decline of the six major tea mountains in the Jiangbei region. Meanwhile, the tea-producing areas in the Lancang River basin, particularly the Wuliangshan region, became the central hub for Pu'er tea production. Among these, the Pu'er Wuliangshan tea mountains gained increasing prominence. The tea harvested here was processed into various compressed tea products and exported to Tibet via Myanmar and India, or sold to South Asia through Myanmar and Thailand.

The ancient tea mountains of Wuliang Mountain have preserved many precious ancient tea tree resources. In the early 1950s, large tea trees with diameters over 30 centimeters and heights of 3-5 meters were commonly found throughout Wuliang Mountain. In December 1951, staff from the Provincial Tea Research Institute, guided by local hunters, braved thorny terrain and ventured deep into the mountain ravines, where they discovered an ancient tea tree standing 5.5 meters tall with a base diameter of 1.38 meters. Though aged, this tree remained lush and leafy, earning the revered title of "Tea Tree King." News of the Tea Tree King's discovery quickly spread across the country, but due to the treacherous journey at the time, few dared to visit it. Through multidisciplinary comprehensive research, it was conservatively estimated that the Tea Tree King was over 800 years old, classifying it as a cultivated "ancient tea tree king." It stands as a living testament to the earliest tea cultivation and utilization by the Chinese people, making significant contributions to humanity. The Tea Tree King's fame swiftly spread nationwide. By the mid-1980s, with the construction of a road leading to the ancient tea mountains where the Tea Tree King was located, the number of experts, scholars, and tourists visiting Wuliang Mountain to investigate, explore, and admire the Tea Tree King continued to grow, further enhancing its majestic reputation. Over generations of tea production practices, the tea farmers of Wuliang Mountain's ancient tea mountains have developed effective methods for protecting and sustainably utilizing ancient tea tree resources, ensuring the vibrant vitality of extensive ancient tea gardens.

Currently, the surrounding towns and townships—Anping, Wenlong, Linjie, Manwan, and Jinping—are the primary tea-producing areas in Jingdong County.

The tea characteristics of Wuliangshan: The leaves are slightly elongated, with a bright yellowish-green liquor. The bitterness is pronounced but the astringency is milder, though it lingers longer. The aftertaste is pleasant, accompanied by a refreshing sensation. The liquor is moderately full-bodied, and the infused leaves are uniformly yellowish-green, exuding a wild, mountainous charm.

Tip:

Jinping Town, the seat of Jingdong County, is located at an altitude of 1,171.3 meters. The road distance to Kunming, the provincial capital, is 477 kilometers, and to Simao City, the administrative center, is 279 kilometers.

The Wuliangshan National Nature Reserve is located at the junction of Jingdong Yi Autonomous County in Simao City and Nanjian Yi Autonomous County in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, belonging to a wildlife-type nature reserve. On Wuliangshan, there are the Zhenwen Tower, Linjie Mosque, and Baodian Mosque, with the ruins of an ancient Taoist temple remaining atop the mountain. Numerous waterfalls, such as the Gongping Waterfall and the Turtle Dam, are scattered among the mountain ridges. At the base of the Yangshan Waterfall, a massive natural rock slab lies tilted, allowing the flowing water to pass beneath it, forming a "natural bridge" that serves as a crossing between the deep ravines on either side. Additionally, the Wan Shui River Reservoir and many other scenic tourist attractions offer breathtaking

xiaocai

The environment is really great!