10 Days Puer and Xishuangbanna Tea Culture Tour

Yunnan is the hometown of Pu’er Tea and Dianhong Black Tea. Travel along the ancient Tea Horse Road, and explore these tea plantations and local tea factories in Dali, Lincang, Puer and Xishuangbanna. Chinese tea acts as beverage, pastime, culture icon, and undoubtedly a way of enjoyment for thousands of years. They are spread to the other parts of the world through trading routes of Silk Road and Ancient Tea & Horse Road. Experience Chinese tea culture by exploring mist-covered tea mountains and plantations, in the meantime pay a visit to magnificent palaces and historical landmarks. Yunnan tea culture tours help you to do a deep understanding of Chinese tea and have the chance to taste various famous tea in Yunnan.

Situated in the northwest of Yunnan Province, Puer has an important location in China’s southwestern boundary, neighboring Laos, Vietnam and Burma and sharing a 486 kilometers (302 miles) boundary line with these three countries. Kunming is about 550 kilometers (342 miles).

There are many ethnic minorities living here, such as Lahu, Hani, Wa and Yi. Varied customs make it a colorful city. Eating habits, ceremonies, costumes and folk legends can all be a strong attraction for people who are visiting. In addition, the city is the hometown of the well known Puer Tea, and the local people have diversified ways of handling tea, such as bamboo tube tea, cold tea dish, earth-pot tea and baked tea; all of which you should try.

Upon entering the scenic area, the terraced green ribbon-like route extents and brings you to the picturesque tea garden. Walking along the zigzag road to the top point of the garden – Tea Enquiry Tower, a three layered building with classical decorations, where you can have a good bird’s eye view of the tea paradise.

Then transfer to Jinuoshan Mountain and visit Jinuo People, who uniquely belongs to this region, is the last ethnic nationality classified by Chinese Government in 1979. See the ancient tea plantations around Jinuo village, which used to be one of Six Great Tea Mountains reputed as the cradles of famous Pu’er Tea.

The Puer Tea Processing Workshop is located in the tea-covered mountain suffused with faint scent of tea trees. During the end of February and end of November, go there to experience the local tea growers picking the tea leaves while singing folk songs. You can also pick tea leaves and participate in its making process. After that, don’t miss the Tea Ancestor Hall, where the sculptures of the tea sage Lu Yu are worshipped which are the ancient Puren (one of the southern tribes before Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC)) and Ba Yanleng who was the primitive discoverer of tea cultivation.

Drive to Jinghong. On the way, visit tea mountain and tea factory at Dadugang. The Dadugang factory was filled with massive processing equipment, primarily for green though they make 107 different varieties, which had a very industrial feeling to it. 

On the southwestern border along Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar, Yunnan Province is not what you think of when you think of China. Culture and food blend seamlessly into the nations of Southeast Asia. The Hani and Lahu people, two of the 20-plus ethnic minorities that have called the mountains home for thousands of years, could pass for Burmese or Tibetan. Much of the architecture looks Thai. The food wouldn’t be out of place in Hanoi.

In the evening, visit Gaozhuang Night Market. It’s very nice to spend an evening at this night market with the temple in the background. There are many nice acessoires and also different food. The market is located directly behind the temple close to the river where you can see the temple and the market. The whole area resembles the atmosphere of South-East Asian towns and reproduce “Nine Towers and Twelve villages” from ancient Jinghong.

Come here if you are tired of the fast pace of modern life. Visit the exhibition garden and the wind of the green sea will blow away all your worries. The local hospitable minority groups have already prepared the best Puer tea for you. Have a cup of green tea, and you will be refreshed immediately by its clear fragrance!