Bada: Zhanglang, Manmai, and the Wild Tea King Tree

The weight the name Bada carries in the tea world comes from a single tree. In 1961, researchers found a wild-type tea tree more than 30 meters tall in the primeval forest here, prompting the world to rethink the origins of the tea plant. Besides that tree, Bada has the well-preserved Blang village of Zhanglang and a large area of ancient gardens growing together with the forest.

Where Is Bada Mountain?

Bada (巴達) is in the west of Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan, facing Myanmar across a river. Bada used to be a township of its own (Bada Blang and Hani Ethnic Township); in 2005 it merged with Xiding Hani Ethnic Township to form today's Xiding Hani and Blang Ethnic Township. So today's address says "Xiding Township," while the tea world still calls this tea mountain "Bada."

Xiding Township covers about 299 square kilometers, with a 54.5-kilometer national border, and is home to the Hani, Blang, and other peoples. The mountains are high and the valleys deep; locals say "three li apart, a different sky; one mountain, three seasons." The Bada tea mountain ranges from about 1,580 to 2,000 meters, and its ancient gardens mostly grow together with primeval forest.

A common figure in the tea world is that the Bada area has about 3,451 mu of cultivated ancient gardens; in addition, a 2004 survey by the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences confirmed more than 6,000 mu of wild ancient tea tree communities in the primeval forest of Daheishan.

What Kind of Tree Was the Bada Wild Tea King?

In October 1961, a tall wild-type tea tree was discovered in the primeval forest of Bada's Daheishan. It stood near what is now the Hesong villager group of the Manwa village committee in Xiding Township, so it's also called the "Hesong Tea King Tree."

Its records are roughly:

• Height: Initially measured at 32.12 meters, one of the tallest tea trees known at the time. Later its crown was broken off by wind, leaving a height of about 14.7 meters.
• Trunk: About 1 meter in diameter at the base.
• Age: Experts estimated about 1,700 years; another account says "nearly 1,800 years."
• Type: Wild. It grew in primeval forest without human cultivation, and botanically it's not quite the same as the cultivated Yunnan large-leaf tea we drink every day.

On September 27, 2012, the tree, extremely old and hollow at the roots, fell in a strong wind, and experts surveying the site confirmed it had died naturally. While alive, it was always an important physical piece of evidence that the mountains of the southwest are the tea plant's place of origin.

To learn about the difference between wild and cultivated tea trees, see Wild Tea and Other Species of the Camellia Genus; for the stories of tea king trees around Yunnan, see Yunnan's Famous Tea King Trees. Wild-type tea trees generally aren't used to make everyday pu'er; "Bada ancient tree" on the market refers to cultivated ancient gardens.

What Makes Zhanglang Ancient Village Special?

Zhanglang (章朗) is the most famous village on the Bada tea mountain. It belongs to the Zhanglang village committee of Xiding Township, which comprises three villager groups, Zhanglang Old Village, Zhanglang Middle Village, and Zhanglang New Village, with 263 households and 1,153 people, an entirely Blang village. In August 2013, Zhanglang was added to the second batch of China's Traditional Villages list, and in 2019 it was selected as one of the first batch of National Forest Villages.

Zhanglang stands out in several ways:

• A thousand-year-old village: Local tradition says Zhanglang is more than a thousand years old, and its Buddhist temple is said to be over 1,300 years old, with palm-leaf scriptures kept inside. These dates are local legend without definite documentation to check against, but the village's ancient atmosphere is real.
• Blang culture: Traditional ganlan-style (stilted) bamboo and timber houses, Blang dress and songs, and Theravada Buddhist faith are all well preserved.
• Ancient gardens: Zhanglang's ancient tea trees are mostly in the forest around the village, and gardens planted by Blang ancestors are still being picked today.

Zhanglang sits at about 1,650 meters, with a mild, misty climate. For more on the Blang and tea, continue with Blang Tea Culture.

Manmai and Other Villages

Manmai (also written Manmaidui in the tea world) is another important area of Bada. Administratively it's the Manmaidui village committee of Xiding Township, comprising two villager groups, Manmai and Manle, home to Hani and Blang people, with about 4,975 mu of tea gardens; tea is one of the villagers' main sources of income.

In addition, Manpale under the Manpi village committee and Hesong under the Manwa village committee often appear in origin labels for Bada tea. Around Bulang Xiding within Xiding Township, there are about 1,215 mu of ancient gardens with trees 100–200 years old, at about 1,400 meters.

The Style of Bada Tea

Within Menghai, Bada tea is the type with personality:

• Bitterness and astringency: Fairly noticeable, but the huigan comes quickly.
• Aroma: A strong, long-lasting aroma in the empty cup, often described as plum or honey.
• Taste: A strong liquor with obvious wild-mountain character.
• Zhanglang: Zhanglang tea is often described as delicate with strength, and some taste an orchid-like fragrance.

Bada's ancient gardens grow mixed with forest, getting less sun, so the leaves grow slowly; tea drinkers believe this is one reason its aroma lasts. On understory gardens, see Understory Tea Gardens.

How to Brew Bada Tea

Bada tea is fairly bitter and astringent, so brew it much like Bulang Mountain tea: 6–7 grams in a 110 ml gaiwan, quick pours of 5–10 seconds for the first few infusions, and after the last infusion remember to smell the empty cup; Bada's cup-bottom aroma is usually very clear.

FAQ

Q: Where is Bada Mountain?
A: In western Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan, right on the Myanmar border. It was formerly Bada Township, merged into Xiding Township in 2005, and now belongs to Xiding Hani and Blang Ethnic Township.

Q: Is the Bada wild tea king tree still standing?
A: No. This wild-type tea tree, found in 1961, originally 32.12 meters tall and estimated at about 1,700 years old, was blown down by a strong wind on September 27, 2012, and confirmed to have died naturally.

Q: What makes Zhanglang ancient village special?
A: Zhanglang is an entirely Blang village with three villager groups, Old, Middle, and New. Listed as a Chinese Traditional Village in 2013, it preserves its Buddhist temple, palm-leaf scriptures, traditional Blang life, and ancient gardens.

Q: What does Bada tea taste like?
A: Fairly bitter and astringent but with a quick huigan, a strong liquor, and a powerful, lasting cup-bottom aroma often described as plum or honey.

Q: Is Bada ancient-tree tea wild tea?
A: Bada ancient-tree tea on the market mostly comes from cultivated ancient gardens; the tea king tree found in 1961 was a wild type, and wild tea trees generally aren't used as raw material for everyday pu'er.