Menghai boasts a superior reserve of Tea resources. The region encompasses expansive, fertile plains such as Mongzhai, Monghun, Menghai, and Monga, along with continuous mountain ranges. Each mountain is covered with trees, and every ravine has water, making it a verdant home. Tea mountains are scattered throughout, adding vibrant color to the Landscape.
Menghai County is rich in ancient tea tree resources, which include wild, cultivated types, and related species. Ancient tea trees can be found across all 11 towns in the county, mostly at altitudes between 1,300 and 2,060 meters, in areas with excellent natural ecological conditions. They are distributed in places like Laobanzhang and Laomane in the Bulang Mountain Township, He Kai in Monghun Town, Manxi in Daluo Town, Hesong, Manmai, and Zhanglang in Xiding Township, Pasha and Pazen in Gelande Township, and Nanuoshan, as well as Huazhuliangzi, Banglong, and Sanmai in Mengsong Township. These ancient tea gardens are concentrated and contiguous, with trees over 2 meters tall, strong growth vigor, gray-white trunks, and most have mistletoe and birdlime.
Eco-friendly tea garden (photographed by Qiu Kaibei)
The tea resources of Menghai not only include wild and cultivated ancient tea trees but also high-quality tea gardens cultivated after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
The wild-type ancient tea tree clusters in Menghai are mainly found in the mountains of Bada, Nanuoshan, Mengsong, Bulang, Pasha, He Kai, and Daluo, with many of them over a thousand years old. The wild-type ancient tea tree clusters in Bada Mountain are primarily located in the primeval Forest of Dahan Mountain in Hesong, which is filled with towering ancient trees, vines, and diverse species. In October 1961, Zhang Shangaogao and Liu Xianrong from the Provincial Tea Research Institute discovered a cluster of large wild tea trees during their investigation of wild tea tree resources in the primeval forest of Dahan Mountain in Bada. The tallest of these trees was 34 meters high (shortened by 7 meters, now 27 meters), with a trunk diameter of 1.21 meters and a canopy diameter of around 10 meters. After scientific analysis, research, and verification by domestic and foreign experts, this large tea tree was determined to be over 1,700 years old, earning it the title of “King of Wild Tea Trees.” The large tea tree clusters in Bada Mountain belong to the wild-type Dali tea species.
Bada Ten-Thousand-Mu Tea Garden Base (photographed by Menghai Tea Factory)
The cultivated ancient tea trees in Menghai are primarily of the Pu'er tea variety, with abundant reserves and widespread distribution, mainly in Nanuoshan, Bulang Mountain, Bada Mountain, Nanqiao Tea Mountain, and Mengsong Tea Mountain, among other places. Among these, the area of cultivated ancient tea gardens in Nanuoshan exceeds 15,000 mu. In December 1951, Zhou Pengju from the Provincial Tea Research Institute discovered a large tea tree in the deep forests of Xinzhai Village on the slopes of Nanuoshan. After expert verification, it was determined to be over 800 years old, a rare “King Tree” of cultivated type both domestically and internationally, and is listed as a Grade II protected plant.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the high-quality tea gardens cultivated in Menghai are of the Pu'er tea variety and are distributed across all 11 towns in the county, but are mainly concentrated in the Monghun area, Menghai area, Monga area, Mongman area, Mengwang area, and Daluo area.
The 800-Year-Old King Tree in Nanuoshan (photographed by He Xinwen)