Nannuo Tea Mountain in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna

One Day Nannuo Mountain Tea Culture Tour in XishuangBanna

Nannuo Tea Mountain

Nannuo Mountain is famous in China and abroad as the home of the “King of Tea Tree,” a human cultivated 800+ year old tree. Fine tea tree varieties and superior natural conditions produce outstanding Nannuo Mountain tea products. Nannuo Mountain Peacock tea is a 400 gram fresh Pu-er cake. It possesses a green, glossy luster and has leaves and buds that are plump, strong, and tender. The strips of tea unfold with prominent fine hair. When brewed, the tea liquor is a bright golden yellow with a strong, but mellow and refreshing flavor. It has a sharp kougan (feeling in the mouth) and stimulates salivation. The tea has strong and distinctive aroma. 

Here, travelers can feel the emotion of King of Tea Tree, enjoy the favorable flavor of tea plantation, step into the Hani Villages and experience the local custom and taste the natural inviting potherbs and wild fruits.

Why is Nannuo Tea Mountain so special?

Nannuo Mountain is famous in China and abroad as the home of the “King of Tea Tree,” a human cultivated 800+ year old tree. Fine tea tree varieties and superior natural conditions produce outstanding Nannuo Mountain tea products. Puer Tea is mainly made of tea of Nannuo Mountain. Nannuo Tea Mountain become famous with the selling of Puer Tea at home and abroad. 

Menghai tea factory has released this Peacock series of single-estate tea mountains since 2001.  They represent some of Menghai Tea Factory’s most sought after teas and are produced in very limited quantities.

Ethnic Villages in Nannuo Mountain
Villages in Nannuo Mountain consist of Banpo Laozhai Village(半坡老寨), Duoyizhai Village(南糯山多依寨村), Guniang Village(姑娘寨), Yakou Xinzhai Village(丫口新寨), Laozhai Village(老寨), Shitouzhai Village(石头寨),Zhulincun Village(竹林村寨) ,Xiangyang Village(向阳寨) and Shuihe Village(水河寨).

Where is Nannuo Tea Mountain?

It is located in the eastern portion of Menghai County of Yunnan Province’s Xishuangbanna Prefecture. It has an average elevation of 1400 meters above sea level. The entire mountain is covered in shaded forests of green bamboo and other trees. Ecological conditions are excellent. Nannuo Mountain tea trees are large-leaf arbor-type. 

How to Get to Nannuo Tea Mountain?

Nannuo Tea is located in Gelanghe Township of Menghai County, so travelers need to get to Menghai at first and change bus or drive to Nannuo Tea Mountain.

Long-Distance Bus is an important way getting to Menghai County, which could be accessible from Kunming, Jinghong, etc.  Here we list some of the bus information for your reference.

Route

Departure Station

Arrival Station

Departure Time

Kunming-Menghai

Kunming South Passenger Station(南部客运站)

Menghai Passenger Station(勐海客运站)

11:00, 17:30; 20:00

Kunming-Menghai

Kunming High-speed Rail South Passenger Center(昆明高铁南客运中心)

Menghai Passenger Station(勐海客运站)

11:30, 16:00, 20:30, 21:30, 22:00, 22:40

Kunming-Menghai

Kunming North Passenger Station(北部客运站)

Menghai Passenger Station(勐海客运站)

21:00

Jinghong-Menghai

Jinghong Passenger Station(景洪客运站)

Menghai Passenger Station(勐海客运站)

07:00, 07:20, 08:10, 08:50, 09:10, 09:30, 10:00, 13:40

Nannuo Tea Mountain in Menghai County, XishuangBanna

History of Nannuo Tea Mountain

Nannuo means “bamboo paste” in the Dai language. During ancient times, Nannuo Mountain was primarily inhabited by ethnic Hani people.When they had too many bamboo shoots to eat, they made the leftovers into a paste. This paste was presented to the village chieftains every year. The mountain was subsequently named Nannuo Mountain.

Long times ago, it was not convenient to transfer in Nannuo Mountain because of the dense forest. The horse was the only tool to send the tea out the mountain. Due to the high-quality of tea of Nannuo Mountain, a lot of horse caravans came into villages and took the tea to Simao, Menghai, Mengla, even the countries of south Asian. Nannuo Tea Mountain is the best production place for Puer Tea. Nannuo Tea Mountain becomes more and more popular.

 

Other Information about Nannuo Mountain

Xishuangbanna Nannuo Tea Planting Area

Nannuo Tea Mountain is located in Gelanghe Township of Menghai County and is mainly inhabited by ethnic Hani people. It lies 22km from Jinghong and 20km from Menghai. During the 1920’s, the Republic of China government established Yunnan’s earliest tea industry testing ground at Nannuo Mountain. The Nannuo Mountain area contains vast tea growing areas and possesses a long history of growing tea. Its history of tea cultivation can be traced back to the Tang dynasty (618-920AD). It is also the oldest test-bed of industrialization in Xishuangbanna. Today there are still more than 10,000mu of remaining Nannuo Mountain old tea gardens. Combined with the past several decades of development in tea cultivation, this has made Nannuo an important source of raw tea material for the Menghai area.

One Day Nannuo Mountain Tea Culture Tour in XishuangBanna

Climate of Nannuo Tea Mountain

Nannuo Mountain has a mild climate with a yearly average temperature of 18.7°C. Lying at elevations between 800 to 1500m, it serves to divide the climates of Menghai and Jinghong. Temperatures range from 3°C to 33.5°C. It is said to possess: “winters without brutal cold, and summers without extreme heat. There are many foggy days, but ample amounts of warm sun. Rainfall is plentiful.” Average relative humidity is 78%.There are an average 100 to 150 foggy days per year, which makes Nannuo a fine example of the saying “High, foggy mountains produce famous tea.”

Aini People

Gelanghe is a Hani Ethnic Township, which has a meaning of happiness and good fortune. Aini people, a tribe of Hani minority, have lived here for long time. They have no written system, so they carry on the ethnic history, legend and folk songs from mouth to mouth.

Recommended Tours

1 Day XishuangBanna Nannuo Tea Mountain and Aini Ethnic Village Hiking Tour

3 Days XishuangBanna Tea Culture Tour to Yiwu and Nannuo Tea Mountains

6 Days XishuangBanna Tea Mountain Hiking Tour to Bada, Zhanglang, Xiding and Nannuo Tea Mountain

Nearby Attraction

Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion

Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion (Chinese name: 景真八角亭), an famous ancient Buddhism architecture in China, is one of the most important cultural relics in Xishuangbanna. Located in the Jingzhen Village, this pavilion is called Octagonal Pavilion which means a place to hold the holy religious ceremony.

Best Time to Visit Nannuo Mountain

Belonging to tropical rainforest climate, Xishuangbanna’s dry season is from November to April the next year and rainy season is from May to October. With annual average temperature of 21c, it has long summer and no winter. With cool and pleasant four seasons, the best time for traveling Xishuangbanna is from October to April the next year. 

Useful Travel Tips

It is better to prepare some mosquito products and sun block in case of insects and sunlight.
●It is better to take T-shirt, short and slippers becauce it is too hot in Xishuangbanna.
●Respect the local customs of Aini people and other minorities. 
●Take care of yourself when climbing the Nannuo Mountain.