Dingjiazhai Tea Plantation in Mengla County, Xishuangbanna

Chinese Name: 易武丁家寨茶区
English Name: Dingjiazhai Tea Plantation in Mengla County, XishuangBanna
ADD:西双版纳勐腊县易武乡曼腊村委会丁家寨

Dingjiazhai in Yiwuzhen

Dingjiazhai, located in Manla Village Committee of Mengla County in Xishuangbanna, is a mountainous area. It is 15 kilometers away from the village committee and 30 kilometers from the town. The land area is 0.29 square kilometers, with an elevation of 1396 meters, an average annual temperature of 17°C, and an annual precipitation of 1700 millimeters, making it suitable for planting food crops and other agricultural products. There are 355.50 acres of arable land, with a per capita arable land area of 3.45 acres, and 80 acres of forest land. The village has one villager group, with 25 farming households and a rural population of 108, of which 109 are engaged in agriculture.

Yiwuzhen Dingjiazhai Pu’er Tea Area

Dingjiazhai consists of a Han village and a Yao village, both belonging to the classic small production area of Yiwuzhen tea. The Han Dingjiazhai is located in the northern part of Yiwuzhen, 14 kilometers from Manla Village Committee and 29 kilometers from the Yiwuzhen government. Dingjiazhai (Han) is currently one of the largest artificially cultivated ancient tea tree areas found among the six ancient tea mountains. At an elevation of 1,370 meters, with an average annual temperature of 17°C and annual precipitation of 1,700 millimeters, the tea gardens currently harvested include a mill and a Chinese toon forest.

Dingjiazhai is a village inhabited by the Yao people, similar to Guafeng Village. There is a mountain road that winds from Mahai Village to Dingjiazhai, and the same road leads to Guafeng Village. It takes about an hour to reach Dingjiazhai by motorcycle on the rugged mountain road. Due to its inconvenient transportation, Dingjiazhai is not well known. Most visitors to Yiwuzhen visit the tea mountains in Mahai and Luoshuidong, which are easier to access and have more visible tea fields. The difficult roads mean that deeper tea gardens are often overlooked. This situation relates to perception; Yiwuzhen has inherently inconvenient transportation, and apart from its fame for tea, there is little else to attract attention.

Traveling from Jinghong to Yiwuzhen involves several hours of winding mountain roads, which can be daunting for urban dwellers who are already intimidated by the journey. Local people, out of consideration for city visitors, tend to only take them to the more easily accessible tea mountains, allowing them to see the ancient tea trees without fully exploring the area. To venture into deeper locations, visitors need to express a desire for it, and only then will they be taken there. This is also why Mahai and Luoshuidong are so well-known; the mountain roads from Yiwuzhen Street to Mahai and Luoshuidong are relatively flat, easier to navigate, and not too far away.

The accommodation conditions in Yiwuzhen are indeed poor; there isn’t even a decent hotel, making it difficult for city dwellers who are used to better living conditions. After staying for a night or even just half a night, some guests demand to leave, and others, upon seeing the accommodation environment, choose to return to Jinghong for the night. Additionally, urban dwellers are often busy, with tight schedules, coming and going in a hurry. Time is also a factor; to explore in-depth, ample time is required.

Although Dingjiazhai is only about 20 to 30 mountain road kilometers from Mahai and Luoshuidong, it is evidently much less developed, with still dilapidated houses and a simple folk culture. Our exploration of the tea mountains not only revealed the essence of tea but also provided a tangible experience of the relationship between transportation and economy. Convenient transportation leads to economic development, and the evolution of the economy brings changes to transportation—a perception that cannot be gained through books alone.

The name Dingjiazhai is known because of its tea. Several years ago, teas marketed under the Dingjiazhai label began appearing in the market. However, it seems that not only buyers are unclear about the concept of Dingjiazhai tea, but even sellers are often confused. Dingjiazhai tea refers to the tea produced in the tea fields surrounding the Dingjiazhai village. In previous years, its price was higher than that of Mahai and Luoshuidong, with better tea quality. It is hoped that the people of Dingjiazhai will gradually improve their living and transportation conditions through the tea economy.

Characteristics of Dingjiazhai Pu’er Tea

Dingjiazhai Pu’er tea has a uniform, stout appearance with an oily surface and noticeable buds. After brewing, it emits a high and pure aroma, with the unique Yiwuzhen mountain flavor being very prominent. The taste is mellow and smooth, with a quick sweet aftertaste. The mountain characteristics of Dingjiazhai are still quite evident, with a honey-yellow and transparent soup color, and it has almost no off-flavors. The aftertaste lingers nicely in the mouth, with a sweetness that lasts for a long time, and the tea leaves are relatively robust.