Ban Gong Ancient Tree Tea originates from the ancient tea garden in Dingjiazhai (Yao ethnic group) of Manla Village, Yiwu Town, Mengla County, Yunnan Province. It is located within the core area of the Yiwu tea mountain and includes micro-regions such as Ban Gong River and White Tea Garden, currently managed by the residents of Dingjiazhai (a Yao village).
The Ban Gong tea carries a unique primitive Forest aroma. With its immense tree age, it exhibits unparalleled smoothness and an incredibly refreshing taste, making it the pinnacle of Yiwu teas.
Historically, Ban Gong Da Zhai was home to over 400 households and was the largest village in the Mansa region. There were both Han and Hui villages here, with a mosque in the Hui village and a Guandi Temple in the Han village. The Guandi Temple of Ban Gong was once the most exquisite building in the six major tea mountains, but now only ruins remain.
The once prosperous Ban Gong Da Zhai gradually declined and is now uninhabited. The ancient tea gardens have suffered significant damage, with only a few ancient tea trees surviving in the primary forest at an altitude of 1,300 to 1,600 meters. Here, the average annual temperature is 17 degrees Celsius, and the annual rainfall is about 1,700 millimeters, characteristic of a tropical rainforest climate. The vegetation is lush, and the biodiversity is rich, preserving the ancient charm of the forest.
Picking tea leaves from the Ban Gong tea garden is extremely challenging, requiring overcoming various difficulties and risks to present its essence to tea enthusiasts.
The characteristics of the Ancient Tree Tea from Yi Wu Ban Gong are: the dry tea has thick and sturdy twigs, is loosely compacted, and has plump buds covered with fine hair; the tea soup is sweet and pleasant, with a high and pure sweetness that lingers on the palate and has a good texture; the color of the tea soup is clear and bright, with a soft and sweet aroma and a strong aftertaste. This tea, with its great tree age, possesses a unique mountain wildness and smoothness, making it the pinnacle of Yiwu teas.
When brewing, the first infusion yields a light yellow and bright tea soup with a strong honey fragrance, tasting sweet and smooth but slightly thin; the third infusion produces a light yellow and bright tea soup with a rich honey fragrance and a clear, fresh aroma, the aroma layers are distinct; the fifth infusion results in a golden and translucent tea soup with a honey fragrance accompanied by a sweet aroma, the taste is sweet and full-bodied, with a slight bitterness that instantly transforms and a slight astringency; the seventh infusion yields a light yellow and bright tea soup with a fresh aroma accompanied by a sweet aroma, the taste is sweet and full-bodied, the tea soup is heavy, and the sweetness is noticeable; the ninth infusion produces a light yellow and bright tea soup with a fresh aroma accompanied by a mountain wildness, tasting sweet, the tea soup is full and mellow.