first season, second chapter
Yiwu 易武
Variations of flowers, honey, and wilderness
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We descend the gentle slopes of Nannuo and we cross the Mekong river, eastwards: it is the end of the rainy season and the roads are bumpier than ever, yet the valleys that surround us are breathtaking. We reach a strip of land that shares the boundary with Laos: its main town is the ancient Yiwu, and here we see the golden sunset on its surrounding peaks.
Yiwu 易武 is a sequence of basins and peaks, steep hills and villages built in gentle hollows of terrain. The roads that connect them are rich in ancient and modern stones, that date back at least to Qing dynasty tea trade. The history of pu'er tea here has tangible traces, beyond the legends wild tribes bequeathed generation after generation; here there are Imperial seals and letters, old signs and stones. It is both the history and the contemporary step of modern pu'er tea.
Yiwu is part of Mengla county, that includes the neighbouring mountain Manzhuan 蛮专: together with Yiwu (old name: Mansa) they represent two of the ancient six mountains at the east of Mekong river, tributary to the Emperor since Qing dynasty.
Yiwu is where modern pu'er started its journey to the world, and thus it is the center of our story.
Early history
During Tang Dynasty (618–907) Yiwu was already called 利润城, profit city, because it was rich in tea, salt and silver thanks to its fertile soil, good climate, and its location in the early steps of the Tea Horse Road. However, regarding our beloved leaves there is an interesting sentence by Fan Chuo 范绰 that during Tang dynasty wrote in "Yunnan Chronicles” 《云南志》: “茶出银生城周围山中，散而采，无法可制。” "Tea comes out of the mountains around Yinsheng City, and it is scattered and harvested, but there is no way to make it.” He referred to the old jurisdiction of Yiwu, called Yinsheng (that means silver city): on one side he witnessed its ancient richness of tea, and on the other side he told how difficult and not organised the area was. In fact, the land was mainly wild and impervious, and the tea plantations were far from being homogeneous and organised.
We know that a production district needs to consider many different aspects: a suitable land with perfect climate, skilled professionals and reliable workforce, roads and means of transportation, merchants and buyers. More historical transformations were needed for Yiwu area to become the first tributary of Imperial tea.
modern history
The first change happened during Yuan dynasty (1279–1368), when Yunnan chieftains built unprecedented ties with Central plains in China (called the fertile plains, around the Yellow River, Henan, Anhui, Shanxi, Shandong, Hebei). This historical event allowed a flow of farming techniques that was going to change the whole organisation of the area.
During Ming dynasty the transformation continued, until the peak of pu’er tea that was reached in Qing dynasty. The quality of the environment in Yiwu produced fragrances that enchanted the Imperial family, and pu’er tea became the main tributary to the Imperial court.
Every year Beijing commissioned 66.666 Jin of tea from Yiwu, that is more than four times the entire amount purchased from other areas.
In 1963, when the tea storage of the Forbidden City was unveiled, over two tons of outer tea were found, mostly coming from Yiwu.
Ancient tea houses
In the early Qing dynasty, a massive wave of Han migrants arrived to Yiwu from other areas of China (sources talk about 100.000 people). They built temples and schools, but above all they brought tea processing techniques and opened prestigious tea houses which gradually shaped their flavor. Many of these houses are still visible in the historic center, although with different degrees of conservation and ownership.
This photo shows Cheshunhao tea house: legend has it that its founder, Cheshunlai, was supposed to take part in the imperial exam; due to the long journey, however, he was unable to make it to the exam and simply sent his complimentary tea. Apparently the gift was very welcome, because he received the rare imperial 瑞工天朝 "Ruigong Tianchao" plaque - unique in the tea world - with his tea given to members of the royal family and foreign envoys. In its heyday this teahouse sold up to 50 tons of tea; it finally ceased its activity in the troubled years of the late 1930s, and it is now a private home in the city center of Yiwu.
Layers of culture
Historically Yiwu was represented by its geography: a borderland enclosed in mountainous valleys, covered by the rainforest and inhabited by few small tribes that often migrated from one area to the other.
According to local tales, the cultural civilization of Yuannese agriculture began 3000 years ago when Pu people from the northern plains started cultivating tea trees and producing what would eventually be known as pu'er tea. Tea was primarily grown by the Hani, Yi, Lahu, Bulang, Wa and Deang ethnic groups.
A new wave of agricultural techniques from the central plains began to emerge during the Yuan dynasty. Large-scale Han migrations from the central lands and the east coast began during Qing dynasty, bringing with them new specialized professionals, a considerable workforce, and previously unheard-of market knowledge.
The area
Yiwu is part of Mengla 勐腊 county, that in Dai language means "a place rich in tea".
Its succession of valleys and mountains at varying altitudes, remarkable diversity of micro-climates and environments, and up to 88% forest coverage rate, make Mengla a region with the densest plant growth and the richest plant species at the same latitude in the world. It is known as the "Kingdom of Animals and Plants" and the "Species Gene Bank".
The highest altitude in the area is Heishuiliangzi in Guafengzhai, which is 2.023 meters high, making it the second highest peak in Xishuangbanna Prefecture after Huazhuliangzi; the lowest altitude is Huiwa Village, which is 604 meters high. The average altitude is 1,400 meters.
The annual precipitation of 1,800-2,100 millimeters makes it a suitable area for planting tea, rice, corn and other crops.
There are 13 ethnic groups living in the town, including Han, Dai, Yi, Yao and Miao. The town governs 6 village committees (Yiwu, Namotian, Mahei, Manla, Manai and Luode), 68 natural villages and 73 villager groups. At the end of 2021, there were 5,408 households with 20,895 residents. The tea planting area was more than 100,000 acres, and a large number of cultivated ancient tea trees were distributed in the dense forests of the town.
Tasting notes
“汤清纯、味厚配、回甘久、沁心脾，乃茗中之瑞品也。”
"The soup is pure, the taste is rich, the aftertaste [huigan] is sweet and long lasting, and it refreshes the heart and spleen. It is an auspicious product among teas."
Thus spoke the Emperor Daoguang (1782-1850）
Yiwu Tea has been described in a variety of ways, and numerous poems have attempted to capture its essence; however, each sentence discusses harmony and, more generally, a close affinity with Chinese culture intended as a balance between a gentle, elegant, and restrained exteriority and a gentle, yet harder, and lively interiority.
In the ancient"Guoyu" it is written:
“声一无听，色一无文，味一无
果，物一无讲。”
"No [single] sound can be heard, no [single] color can be written, and no [single] taste can be heard. As a result, there is no explanation for anything".
The general meaning is that an isolated flavor, like a single song, color, or object, cannot provide individuals with great sensory satisfaction. We require the whole to experience the harmony of the moment.
Yiwu tea usually has no obvious astringency or bitterness, making it suitable to drink even when young. However, its more vibrant and intense spirit develops over time.
The flavour areas
Mr. Zheng Shaohong created a clever map of Yiwu that distinguishes three areas of flavour: a flowery fragrant essence in the north, a honey-sweet area surrounding the town of Yiwu, and a wilder fragrance in the east.
The flowery-fragrant belt is characterised by smaller villages and low yields, with the tea trees surrounded by an excellent environment and very rich forests; the high-end market praises it for its rarity, determining high quotations. The honey-sweet area fully represents the typical Yiwu flavour: the infusion is darker, richer, and sweet like honey; it provides the majority of the region's produce.
The area that gives off the most fragrant notes reminiscent of local wilderness developed around Tongqing river: it is a remote place where tea trees are scattered along the river, flourishing in a well-maintained plant symbiotic ecosystem beneath dense woods on thick layers of humus and organic deposits. Uninhibitedness is one of the nicest adjectives I've heard for this scent, and we would adhere to it when sipping tea and pursuing Yiwu's harmony.
Flavors vary within each area based on a variety of elements, such as the trees and the microenvironment; generally speaking, the pattern is valid and you may see an overlap of flavors at the boundary between two or three separate areas.
Note: under the "spoiler" tab, we disclose whose belt each tea belongs to!
The teas
2021 Spring, Bohetang 薄荷塘 - Pazhahe Village 帕扎河, big trees
2023 Spring, Tianmenshan 天门山 - Maba village 马叭, big trees
2023 Spring, Gaoshan 高山, ecological trees
2021 Spring, Yiwu 易武, ecological trees
2021 Spring, Guafengzhai 刮风寨, big trees
2023 Spring, Tongqinghe 铜箐河 - Zhongshan village 中山寨, ancient trees
2023 Spring, Manzhuan 蛮专, ecological trees
2023 Spring, Walong 瓦竜, ancient trees
Bohetang: right at the core of the floral area
Tianmenshan: in the north of the floral area
Gaoshan: at the highest entrance of the floral area, close to the honey zone
Yiwu: the pure Yiwu-wei, the Yiwu taste of the honey area
Guanfengzhai: in the north-east wilderness
Tongqinghe: the real core of the wild area
Manzhuan: one of the ancient six mountain, western neighbour of Yiwu*
Walong: a highly praised village that belongs to Manzhuan
*we talked about the three main areas of Yiwu: where would you place Manzhuan? With which characteristics? Let us know!
Trees
An ecological tea plantation is a former intensive plantation that recovered in 5-8 years toward a forest environment; a forest plantation is a semi-wild tea garden where tea trees grow freely in the under-forest; an ancient tree is an older tea tree that is 200-500 years old (officially 100 years old) and grows in the under-forest.
How to brew
We suggest to brew these sheng pu'er teas using a gaiwan or Yixing teapot, with a ratio of 1 gram of tea leaves every 20 ml of water.
Use quick infusions with boiling water starting from 10-15 seconds, increasing the duration with each subsequent brew.
You can brew each tea 10-12 times.
Please keep in mind that gongfu brewing is entirely subjective, and the specific parameters should be tailored to your vessels and personal preferences.
A mesmerising travel
We encourage each and every one of you to sample the teas at your own pace, and create your own flavour maps for this wonderful area, that shaped the history of our cherished pu'er tea.
The online webinar with our Vivian that took place on February 18th 2024 gave us the chance to talk about our story within the mountain, the reasons beyond the choice of these teas, and additional tales that go along with these leaves.
We look forward to hearing from you in our community: click on the button below to access, watch the recording and share your journey with many other fellow tea drinkers.
Further leaves
Pu'er Tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic
An essential reading for anyone who enjoys pu'er tea, especially those who are interested in Yiwu. Written in an academic and literary style, this book is rich in content, reliable data and influential people who have contributed to the modernization of pu'er both in Yiwu and beyond.
2020 Bohetang Shengpu 薄荷塘 - Yiwu Terroir
An earlier version of a highly acclaimed tea, featured in the selection of this chapter: it comes from the core of the floral area, and it has already developed the full harmony of Yiwu.