Manzuan (Manzhuang), in Dai language, means “large village,” located in the south of Xiangming Township, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. It borders the Yiwu Tea area to the east. The main areas for ancient tree tea production on the Manzuan Tea Mountain are Manzuan and Manlin (Manlin). Manlin is the village with the most tea gardens on Manzuan Tea Mountain, while Manzhuang is the largest village and the one with the largest population. Manlin sits atop Manzuan Tea Mountain at an altitude of 1,700 meters, with beautiful scenery and clouds shrouding it throughout the year. Standing on the mountain top and looking far into the distance, all you see is a sea of clouds, as if you were in a fairyland.
The ecological environment of Manzuan Tea Mountain is excellent, with high altitude, low temperatures, abundant sunlight, large diurnal temperature differences, no severe cold in winter, and no scorching heat in summer. Most of the ancient tea trees grow in dense forests. The unique natural environment has shaped the quality of Manzuan tea leaves. The dry tea has dark, shiny, thick, and long strands, with floral and honey aromas interweaving, which are intense and lasting. The soup is full-bodied, thick, and smooth, with a strong wild aroma. The aroma lingers in the Cup for a long time, the return of sweetness is quick, the bitterness and astringency are mild, and the throat resonance is deep and lingering.
According to the “Yunnan General Gazetteer – Products,” “Pu'er tea is produced in the six tea mountains of Youle, Gedeng, Yibang, Mangzhi, Manzuan, and Mansa, with those from Yibang and Manzuan being of superior taste.” There are very few well-known tea brands on Manzuan Tea Mountain, but many famous old tea brands in Yiwu buy raw materials from Manzuan, so most of the tea produced here is transported to Yiwu for processing and then sold elsewhere. To this day, Manzuan still preserves an important stone stele that records the construction of the Guandi Temple in the sixth year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1741). This stele is the oldest one among those preserved in the six tea mountains, with the words “Manzuan is one of the six tea mountains” engraved on it. One can still see stone carvings and sculptures from the Qing Dynasty in Manzuan today, and from these scattered stone carvings, one can glimpse the past glory of Manzuan.