HISTORY OF Pu-erh TEA

In ancient times of China, Pu-erh Prefecture (now Pu-erh County) included Xishuangbanna, Simao & Lincang areas of Yunnan, where many famous tea mountains were located. Pu-erh was an important town in southern Yunnan & also the largest market for tea trade. Tea produced in these ares was therefore called "Pu-erh Tea"

According to historical records of China, the ethnic Pu people in Yunnan began to grow tea & served it as tribute to the emperors as early as in the Chinese Shang & Zhou Dynasties. In the West & East Han Dynasties, tea was grown in river valleys & by the moutains trails of Yizhou. In the Three Kingdom Period, the Nanzhong tea-seed was widely popularized. In the Tang Dynasty, tea produced in Xishuangbanna was marketed to Dali area & became the favorite drink of the noblemen of the Nanzhao Kingdom. In the Song Dynasty, Pu-erh County became a famous market for trading tea & horses. In the Yuan Dynasty, tea had become the most important commodity in the transaction undertaken by people of all ethnic groups. In the former part of the Qing Dynasty, reputation of the Pu-erh tea reached its climax.
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In accordance to historical documents on Xishuangbanna, Dai people living there planted tea trees some 1,700 years ago. A tea tree planted 800 years ago is still growing on Mountain Nannuo in Menghai county of Xishuangbanna. In 1961, a large wild tea tree was was discovered in the primeval forest on Mountain Dahei of Menghai county. The tea tree is 32.1m high with a diameter of 1.03m, & its age is over 1,700 years old. Exuberant & verdant, it still can yield quality tea leaves.

Most of the tea-growing areas here are located at elevations of 2000m or so. The annual mean temperature ranges from 12C to 23C, effective annual cummulative temperature is between 4,500C & 7000C & annual rainfall is 1,000 to 1,900mm. The monsoon season is concentrated in May through October, during which the rainfall constitues about 85% of that of the whole year. The monsoon coincides with the hottest month, & there is very high value of effective rainfall. In the dry season, which starts in November & ends in April, there are sufficient sunny days. There is adequate sunshine, & the tea trees have a long growth period. Under normal conditions, the tealeaf-plucking period may last for 8 - 9 months. The tea-growing areas are generally covered with red, yellow or brick red soils with the pH value ranging between 4 - 6. Comparing with other major tea producing countries, the climate of sourthern Yunnan is more suitable for growing tea trees.