Banuo Village and Tea Mountain in Shuangjiang County, Lincang

Chinese Name: 坝糯藤条茶
English Name: Banuo Tea Mountain in Shuangjiang County, Lincang
ADD:双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县勐库镇坝糯村

Lincang Banuo Village and Tea Mountain in Shuangjiang County travel guide introduces the main attractions, entrance tickets booking, The best time to visit, How to Get there, the highlights, facts, history, photos, weather, accommodation, visiting routes, travel tips, tour maps of Banuo Village and Tea Mountain in Lincang.

Banuo(坝糯) is the largest village in the Eastern Half Mountain (Dongbanshan/东半山) of Mengku Town. There are more than 300 families, 85% of which are Han, and the rest are Lahu, with an altitude of more than 1900 meters.
Banuo is well-known throughout Lincang City, whose fame comes from the rattan tea(藤条茶) produced by Banuo. The rattan tea garden has the best preservation, the largest area and the most beautiful shape, which is amazing. There are dozens or hundreds of vines on a tree, the longest of which can reach 3 to 4 meters, and the vines from several tea trees are intertwined and woven into a row of rattan nets.
Banuo’s rattan tea(坝糯藤条茶), when fresh, has round and strong buds, light green and dense plush. After drying, the buds are white and bright with a slight golden yellow. It is made into tea cakes with clear lines and shiny buds on the cake surface, which makes people fond of it.
The pruning and cultivation of tea branches into canes should be a technique brought by the Han people. This method of self-cultivation can not be found in Xiaohusai Lahu ethnic village(小户赛拉祜族寨), Gongnong Bulang ethnic village(公弄布朗族寨) and Bingdao Dai ethnic village(冰岛傣族寨) in Mengku.

There are large areas of rattan tea plantations in the villages with the majority of Han people in the eastern half mountains. Before 1949, there were more than 2000 acres rattan tea plantations in Banuo, but now there are 1500 mu left behind. The area is also the first in Shuangjiang area.

Ba Nuo Village

Ba Nuo Village is located in Mengku Town, Shuangjiang Lahu, Wa, Blang, and Dai Autonomous County. It lies to the east of Mengku Town, 18 kilometers from the town government, and the roads leading to the town are unpaved, making transportation inconvenient. It is 37 kilometers from the county seat and borders Linxiang to the east, Najiao Village Committee to the south, Mangna Village Committee to the west, and Liangzi Village Committee to the north. The village comprises nine villager groups, with 293 households and a rural population of 1,201, all of whom are engaged in agriculture. There are 623 laborers, with 511 involved in primary industry. The total area is 7.23 square kilometers, with an altitude of 1,840 meters. The average annual temperature is 19°C, and the annual rainfall is 1,750 millimeters, making it suitable for growing crops such as grains and tea.

Ba Nuo Pu-erh Tea

Ba Nuo Mountain in Mengku is renowned for its ancient tree tea. The large-leaf tea variety from Mengku Town is among the first national-level quality varieties, said to have been introduced from Xishuangbanna and then mutated in Mengku about 300 years ago. Mengku Ancient Tea Mountain is divided into eastern and western hills by the boundary of Ice Island, with each area producing tea of unique characteristics. Historically, this region has been known for its famous Yunnan teas, with two main origins: one is a cultivated mutation of the local wild tea variety, and the other is the mutation of tea brought from Xishuangbanna over three hundred years ago, leading to the present-day Mengku large-leaf variety. Consequently, the taste and aroma profile of the cultivated wild tea in Mengku is similar to that of the Yiwu tea region, but due to geographical and climatic differences, the tea’s brew tends to be stronger. Ba Nuo Dazhai is a representative of Mengku’s eastern hill tea, alongside Ice Island’s ancient tree tea, which together represent the distinct teas from the eastern and western hills. Ba Nuo Dazhai is notable for having the largest number of existing ancient tea trees.

The characteristics of Ba Nuo Pu-erh tea include a brew that exudes masculine energy, with high aroma, vigorous flavor, and a rich, full-bodied taste. It is sweet, with a thick texture, strong tea essence, and a lasting aftertaste that rivals Yiwu Zhengshan.

The Origin of Rattan Tea—Ba Nuo

Compared to the previously mentioned villages (Gua Feng Zhai and Lao Ban Zhang), Ba Nuo is less known. Today, let’s discuss Ba Nuo Rattan Tea. Ba Nuo tea belongs to the Mengku tea region, which is divided into eastern and western hills by Ice Island, with each region producing distinct teas. Ba Nuo Dazhai is a representative of Mengku’s eastern hill tea and also has the most ancient tea trees remaining.

Ba Nuo is quite famous in both Shuangjiang County and the entire Lincang area, primarily due to the reputation of its rattan tea, which is highly esteemed in both Shuangjiang and Lincang. Ba Nuo is the best-preserved rattan tea garden in Shuangjiang, with the largest area dedicated to rattan tea. The oldest and largest rattan tea trees in Shuangjiang are found in Ba Nuo. The history of tea cultivation in Ba Nuo is long-standing, and it is believed to be as old as Ice Island. The rattan tea trees, which are over a hundred years old, have dozens to hundreds of vines on a single tree, with the longest vines reaching three to four meters in length. The trees produce vines, and the vines intertwine.

The shape of Ba Nuo’s rattan tea is unique, with fresh buds appearing round and plump, covered in dense, light green fuzz. Once dried, the buds shine bright white with a hint of gold. When made into cake tea, the tea leaves have clear stripes, and the surface of the cake glistens with fuzz, making it visually appealing. Once brewed, the tea exudes a strong masculine essence with high aroma, vigorous flavor, and a rich, full-bodied taste. It is sweet, with a strong and forceful tea essence, and a long-lasting aftertaste, making it an exceptional tea with excellent cost-performance ratio.

Rattan Tea

Many who encounter rattan tea for the first time might mistakenly think it is a type of tea variety; however, it is actually a method of cultivation. The tea farmers in Ba Nuo explain that maintaining the rattan means preventing the trees from growing too tall. Thus, the harvesting of rattan tea involves not only retaining the tops to foster growth but also expanding the tree crown to prevent excessive height, all while avoiding topping.

This harvesting method increases leaf thickness, accelerates crown expansion, and enhances light efficiency. The continuation of rattan tea cultivation can be attributed to the ancestral wisdom that “to make rattan tea, we don’t chop it low, as it produces better flavors; the tea is sweet and brews well.”

Rattan tea is the result of diligent management and long-term cultivation practices. In Chen Zongmao’s “Dictionary of Chinese Tea Industry,” this cultivation method is referred to as “retaining the top while managing the branches,” meaning all buds and new leaves on the side branches, except for the new shoots at the tips, are harvested. This method promotes vertical growth of the tea tree but results in few branches. Most new shoots are harvested when they are close to maturity, leading to fewer picking batches and sturdier new shoots.

In the past, all tea in Yunnan was cultivated using the rattan method, which is a scientifically sound approach, similar to the process of thinning fruit blossoms in apple trees. Every branch receives sunlight and air when the wind blows and the sun shines down.

When visiting ancient tea gardens that preserve this method of cultivation, one can see that the ancient tea trees are very vigorous, with tender green buds and leaves. It is also quite convenient for tea farmers to pick the leaves, moving from one branch to the next. Of course, this cultivation model requires more than just manual harvesting; it also involves soil turning and management.

In summary, the principle behind rattan tea cultivation lies in retaining leaves at the tops of the branches, pruning the sides, ensuring the tea tree maintains its vertical growth dominance, inhibiting flowering and fruiting, promoting nutritional growth, and stimulating budding.

This method is particularly suitable for Yunnan’s ancient tea trees, helping to delay their aging process, extend their maturation period, prevent premature decline, and increase yield.

Quality Characteristics of Pu-erh Tea

Experts summarize the characteristics of Ba Nuo Ancient Tea Mountain Pu-erh tea as follows: the tea brew is filled with masculine energy, featuring high aroma, vigorous flavor, and a rich, full-bodied taste. It is sweet, with a thick texture, strong and forceful tea essence, and a long-lasting aftertaste, particularly excelling in richness, fullness, and harmony among Yunnan’s large-leaf varieties.