Grand View of Pu-erh Tea Culture

Author: Huang Guishu / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-11-01
Features: Simao City is located in the southwestern part of Yunnan Province, spanning from 22°02′ to 24°50′ north latitude and 99°09′ to 102°19′ east longitude. The Tropic of Cancer passes through the county seat of Mojiang City, where a unique "Tropic of Cancer Monument Map" has been built on a high-rise overlooking the city. Simao City is bordered by Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture and Yuxi City to the east, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture to the south, and the Lancang River to the northwest, which forms the boundary with Lincang City. It is adjacent to Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture to the north and Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture to the northeast. To the southeast, it borders Vietnam and Laos, and to the southwest, it borders Myanmar, with a national border line of 468.29 kilometers. The city administers 10 counties and districts: Pu'er, Mojiang, Jindong, Zhenyuan, Jinggu, Jiangcheng, Lancang, Ximeng, Menglian, and Cuicun. The city government is located in Cuicun District of Simao City, which is in the southern part of Yunnan, 568 kilometers away from the provincial capital, Kunming. The total area of the district is 44,221.34 square kilometers, and the total population of the city (2000) was 2,260,000. There are 14 ethnic groups residing in the area, including Han, Hani, Yi, Lahu, Wa, Dai,, Hui, Bai, Yao, Zhuang, Miao, and Lisu. The population of ethnic minorities is 1,343,559, accounting for 60.72% of the total population. By 2004, the city had 630,000 mu of tea plantations, producing 20,000 tons of tea annually with a total output value of nearly 300 million yuan.
Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture is located in the southwestern part of Yunnan Province, situated between 21°10′ to 22°40′ north latitude and 99°55′ to 101°50′ east longitude. To the east, it borders Jiangcheng County and Cuicun District of Simao City, while to the northwest, it borders Lancang County of Simao City. To the southeast and southwest, it borders Laos and Myanmar, with a national border line of 966.3 kilometers. The prefecture administers three counties: Jinghong City, Menghai County, and Mengla County. The prefectural seat is Jinghong, which is 730 kilometers away from the provincial capital, Kunming. The total area of the prefecture is 19,112.5 square kilometers, and the population (2000) was 993,000. There are 14 ethnic groups in the prefecture, including Dai, Han, Hani, Lahu,, Yi, Jino, Yao, Wa, Hui, Bai, Jingpo, and Zhuang. The population of ethnic minorities (2000) was 993,000, accounting for 74.69% of the total population. In 1999, the prefecture had 290,000 mu of tea plantations, producing 220,000 dan of tea annually with a total output value of 125 million yuan.
The territory of Simao City is characterized by continuous mountain ranges. The Ailao Mountains, Wuliang Mountains, and the southern remnant of the Nujiang Mountains (Daheshan and Ximeng Mountains) run from north to south across the entire region. The Ailao Mountains and Wuliang Mountains are branches of the Yunling Mountains, which enter the city from Jindong and flow southward in parallel. These mountains generally have an elevation of 2,000 to 3,000 meters above sea level. The Ailao Mountains block cold air from the east, contributing to the mild climate and abundant heat of Simao City. Daheshan and Ximeng Mountains are located in Lancang and Ximeng counties, respectively, as the southern extensions of the Nujiang Mountains and the Lincang southern foothills. These three mountain ranges stand in opposition to each other, running parallel and gradually spreading southward with decreasing distance and gentler undulations. The river systems consist of over 100 tributaries of the Honghe, Lancang, and Nujiang rivers, distributed among the high mountains and ridges. Notable rivers include the Lixianjiang, Lancang River, and Naka River. The climate is predominantly a subtropical mountain humid monsoon climate. The average annual temperature ranges from 15.3°C to 20.2°C. The tea-growing areas in the 10 counties and districts of Simao City have five types of tea-friendly soil: brick soil, red soil, red-yellow soil, yellow-brown soil, and acidic purple soil, totaling 59,400,000 mu. Wild tea is distributed in yellow-red and yellow-brown soil mountainous areas at altitudes of 1,830 to 2,530 meters, while cultivated tea trees are found in tea-friendly soil at altitudes of 600 to 2,500 meters.
The mountains of Xishuangbanna belong to the tails of the Nujiang and Wuliang Mountains, separated by the Lancang River. They run across the entire prefecture, sloping from north to south and gradually spreading out toward the southeastern wings in a broom-like distribution. To the west of the Lancang River are the new volcanic formations, Niantianling, Mengsong Mountain, Nanuo Mountain, Pacha Mountain, Longdong Mountain, Bafa Mountain, Baliang Mountain, and Nandong Mountain, which are the southern extensions of the Nujiang Mountains. To the east of the Lancang River are the Jino Mountains, Yingpan Mountain, Kongming Mountain, Baima Mountain, Jufeng Mountain, Maocao Mountain, and Yiniudong Mountain, which are the southern extensions of the Wuliang Mountains. The main river is the Lancang River, which originates from the Qinghai Plateau, flows into Yunnan, passes through Simao City and Xishuangbanna, and then exits the country as the Mekong River.
Xishuangbanna has a hot and rainy climate with distinct dry and wet seasons, but no clear seasons. The annual temperature difference is small, while the daily temperature difference is large, exhibiting characteristics of both continental and marine climates. The average annual temperature ranges from 18°C to 22°C. The tea-growing soil is predominantly red-yellow soil, with acidic soil distributed widely. The main tea-growing areas are in mountainous regions such as Nanuo Mountain, Bada, Xiding, and in Menghai, and in hilly areas such as Jino Mountain, Dadugang in Jinghong, and Yibang Mountain and Yiwu Mountain in Mengla.