Dabingshan Nature Reserve in Yunxian County, Lincang
Overview of the Nature Reserve
Dabingshan Nature Reserve (大丙山自然保护区) is located in Yunxian County (云县), Lincang (临沧). It encompasses areas around Maolan Town (茂兰镇) including Shaojie Village (哨街村), Wenping Village (温平村), Zhuanshuihe Village (转水河村), Bingling Village (丙令村), Jiu Village (旧村), and Manwan Town (漫湾镇), specifically in villages like Baiying Mountain (白莺山村) and Heitao Forest (黑桃林村). The reserve covers approximately 10,000 acres of land across ten village committees, including state-owned forests, collective forests, and land contracted by villagers.
This area is rich in ancient tea tree resources, with over 1,500 acres of wild ancient tea trees and more than 3,310 acres of cultivated ancient tea trees. Notably, the cultivated ancient tea tree groves in Baiying Mountain and the wild ancient tea trees in Shaojie Village are particularly striking.
Unique Tea Varieties
The ancient tree tea (古树茶) from Dabingshan is renowned for its unique honey aroma, robust tea essence, and a balanced flavor profile that combines bitterness and sweetness. The tea soup is fragrant, bright yellow, and can withstand multiple infusions. The leaves are thick, soft, and have a deep green color, with rich nutrients due to the favorable natural conditions. This tea is traditionally hand-pressed, resulting in a rich and mellow taste.
Yunxian not only boasts abundant ancient tea tree resources but also promotes the tea industry through specialized ecological practices, tax growth, and management of tea gardens. For instance, the management efforts in Manwan Town reflect the local commitment to the tea industry and a pursuit of quality.
Ancient Tea Tree Regions
In the regions of Manwan and Maolan, there is a significant concentration of ancient tea trees. Within the Dabingshan Reserve, the area of wild ancient tea trees reaches about 1,500 acres, encompassing Baiying Mountain, Heitao Forest, and Xincun, among others. This region features cultivated ancient tea trees on state-owned, collective, and contracted lands, with a total of tens of thousands of trees. The ancient tea tree groves in Baiying Mountain and Shaojie Village alone cover approximately 3,310 acres. The Baiying Mountain ancient tea tree grove, located at an altitude of 2,217 meters, hosts trees ranging in height from 5.9 meters to 9.7 meters, with over 160 trees exceeding 400 years in age, covering around 810 acres.
One of the most representative ancient tea trees is located in the Baiying Mountain Village’s Xiong Family Group, owned by Luo Zhengqiang. This tree stands at 10.5 meters tall, with a canopy spread of 9×9.6 meters and a root circumference of 3.7 meters, reportedly over 400 years old. In the Shigada Village Group of the Shaojie Village Committee, the wild ancient tea tree grove spans 500 acres and contains 168 ancient tea trees, with the largest measuring a root circumference of 1.60 meters and a height of 9 meters, displaying characteristics of a large terrace-type ancient tea tree.
In addition to these two main areas, there are approximately 1,960 acres of ancient tea trees distributed across eight other regions, collectively representing a rich resource of tea trees in this land. These ancient tea tree groves not only witness the passage of history but also serve as an important heritage of tea culture in Yunnan.
Rhododendron Blooming Season
Dabingshan is also famous for its blooming rhododendrons (杜鹃花). Every year before the Spring Festival, the mountains are adorned with these flowers, available in red, white, and pink varieties. They create a vibrant atmosphere on the slopes and in the virgin forests, bringing joy to outdoor enthusiasts and climbers.
Baiying Mountain Tea Garden
Baiying Mountain (白莺山), located in the Lincang Tea Region on the banks of the Lancang River (澜沧江) in Manwan Town, stands at about 2,800 meters. It is often shrouded in clouds and mist, making it a true high-altitude tea garden. The area receives ample sunlight, has abundant water resources, and experiences significant temperature variations between day and night, all ideal for tea tree cultivation.
The ancient tea tree resources in Baiying Mountain are rich, often referred to as a “gene bank” of ancient tea trees. The tea gardens are vast, featuring diverse ancient tea tree varieties, making it a natural museum of ancient tea trees. Notable varieties include Benshan tea (本山茶), Ergazi tea (二嘎子茶), Heitiaozhi tea (黑条子茶), Baiyazi tea (白芽子茶), and Mengku tea (勐库茶), among over ten distinct types.
Cultural Significance
Baiying Mountain is also known as the “Holy Land of Buddhist Tea” (佛茶圣地). A monument inscribed by renowned calligrapher Shen Peng (沈鹏) signifies this status. Historically, Baiying Mountain was home to the large Dahuasi Temple (大河寺), where Buddhist monks gathered for centuries, fostering the earliest Buddhist tea culture in Yunnan.
How to Get There
To reach Dabingshan Nature Reserve, travelers can fly into Lincang Airport (临沧机场) and then take a taxi or arrange for a local driver to Maolan Town. The reserve is about a 1.5-hour drive from the airport. Alternatively, buses connect Lincang with Yunxian County, from where you can take a taxi to the reserve.
Travel Tips
- Best Time to Visit: The blooming season for rhododendrons is around the Spring Festival (January-February), while the tea picking season is typically from March to May.
- What to Bring: Comfortable hiking shoes, a camera for photography, and plenty of water. Don’t forget to bring your own snacks or a lunch, as food options in the reserve may be limited.
- Local Customs: Respect the local culture and traditions, especially in the villages surrounding the reserve. Engaging with local tea farmers can provide deeper insights into the ancient tea tree culture.
- Safety: Be cautious while hiking, especially in areas with steep terrain, and keep track of the weather conditions as they can change rapidly in mountainous regions.
