The He Kai ancient Tea mountain is located in the Menghai County, Menghun Town, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, with an overall altitude ranging from 1,400 to 1,700 meters. The most distinctive feature of He Kai is that “the tea grows among the trees, and the villages are nestled within the tea gardens.” It is the largest contiguous area of ancient tea gardens in Xishuangbanna Prefecture, covering over 16,000 mu (approximately 1,067 hectares) with more than 2.3 million individual ancient tea trees. There are many villages under the jurisdiction of the He Kai Village Committee, including Manmai, Manlongxin and Manlong old village, Mantuan, Guanggang, and others. Among these, Manmai is at the highest elevation in the He Kai ancient tea garden and is considered to have the best quality and be the most representative village. The He Kai ancient tree tea is characterized by its sweet, rich, and full-bodied flavor upon entry into the mouth, strong tea essence, and powerful wild mountain notes. Overall, the taste of He Kai ancient tree tea is more balanced—it is not as bitter as Laoman'e nor as dominant as Lao Banzhang, making it highly acceptable and cost-effective.
He Kai literally means “the place where the sun is first seen,” and the mountains here stretch continuously. He Kai enjoys ample sunshine, and the ancient tea gardens form a continuous forested landscape. The main ancient tea gardens are distributed in villages such as Manlong old village, Bangpeng old village, Manmai, Mantuan, and Guangbie. Among them, Manmai is at the highest elevation in the He Kai ancient tea garden and is considered to have the best quality and be the most representative village. The He Kai ancient tree tea is characterized by its sweet, rich, and full-bodied flavor upon entry into the mouth, strong tea essence, and powerful wild mountain notes. Overall, the taste of He Kai ancient tree tea is more balanced—it is not as bitter as Laoman'e nor as dominant as Lao Banzhang, making it highly acceptable and cost-effective.
Before Banzhang became famous, the tea mountain people mostly referred to was He Kai. The He Kai ancient tea mountain—where “the tea grows among the trees, and the villages are nestled within the tea gardens”—is located in southeastern Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. The He Kai ancient tea Forest covers an area of about 16,000 mu (approximately 1,067 hectares), making it the largest contiguous and best-preserved ancient tea forest in the world in terms of ecology and tradition.
Quality Characteristics of He Kai Ancient Tree Tea
Dry Tea: The dry leaves of He Kai Pu'er tea are black and glossy, tightly bound, slightly long, with a rich floral fragrance, high and pure aroma, a slight orchid scent, and prominent Silver downy tips.
Infused Tea: The liquor of He Kai Pu'er tea is golden and bright, with a thick, full-bodied, and smooth taste upon entry, slightly bitter and astringent. The astringency is more pronounced than the bitterness, but the bitterness quickly transforms into sweetness, while the astringency lingers a little longer. After swallowing, a lingering bitterness remains at the base of the tongue and throat, which then dissipates, giving way to a strong and lasting return of sweetness and salivation. The tea has a strong mountainous character and a fragrant cup, which is distinct and relatively persistent. The tea soup is thick and the taste is rich.