Classic Pu-erh

Author: Shi Kunmu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features: Pu-erh tea is one of China's ten famous teas, named after its major trading and original production area, Pu'er. It was known as Pu tea during the Yuan Dynasty and was officially named Pu-erh tea in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, Pu-erh was called Buri, belonging to the Yinheng Military Commandery. The silver tea produced at that time was the precursor of Pu-erh tea. The original method involved directly sun-drying fresh leaves, which later evolved into processes like () and (). After sun-drying, the tea leaves became raw sun-dried tea (), which serves as the raw material for compressed and refined processing. The Qing Dynasty was the peak period for Pu-erh tea. The Pu'er Prefecture Gazetteer records: "The six major tea mountains under Pu-erh span eight hundred li in circumference, with over 100,000 tea workers entering the mountains." This reflects the prosperity of the time. Court nobles and refined scholars were deeply fond of drinking Pu-erh tea, with the custom of drinking Longjing tea in summer and Pu-erh tea in winter. At that time, Simao and Xishuangbanna were the main production areas for Pu-erh tea, while Pu-erh and Simao became its processing and trading centers. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, six major horse trails radiated outward from Pu-erh, distributing Pu-erh tea to the interior of China, Tibet, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, and beyond. It was then transported to Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia, and even Europe. To this day, tea has become a bridge between Chinese culture and other Western civilizations.