Baiyingshan: Yunxian's Treasure House of Tea Varieties

Most tea mountains are about "which village"; Baiyingshan (白鶯山) is about "which variety." On the same mountain, farmers will tell you this tree is Benshan, that one is Ergazi, and the next one over is Heitiaozi, as if introducing their children. That's why this mountain is called a "natural museum of tea plant evolution."

Where Is Baiyingshan?

Baiyingshan is in Manwan Town, Yunxian County, Lincang City, Yunnan, on the west bank of the Lancang River, with its ancient gardens spread across the middle slopes of Dabing Mountain. As for the mountain's name ("white bird mountain"), the local explanation is that mist hangs over the mountain year-round and flocks of white birds often gather here.

The mountain's height is generally given as over 2,000 meters, and some sources say 2,880 meters; the ancient gardens themselves are scattered around villages on the slopes, lower than the summit.

Baiyingshan's ancient gardens are very large; common figures are:

• More than 2 million ancient tea trees in total, over 10,000 of them more than 100 years old;
• By one account, more than 160,000 tall tea trees over 400 years old;
• By one account, a total ancient garden area of 56,004 mu, of which 12,400 mu are tagged for protection, with a core protected area of 810 mu.

On May 13, 2021, a "Natural Museum of Tea Plant Evolution" was formally designated on Baiyingshan, jointly promoted by the Lincang Municipal People's Government, the China Tea Marketing Association, the Hangzhou Tea Research Institute of the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, and the Yunnan Tea Circulation Association.

Why Are There So Many Tea Varieties?

What makes Baiyingshan special is that wild, transitional, and cultivated tea trees all grow on one mountain, and are still crossbreeding with one another. The usual account is 12 varieties (types), commonly listed as:

Benshan tea, Ergazi tea, Heitiaozi tea, Baiyazi tea, Baiyakou tea, Hongyakou tea, Heqing tea, Liuye (willow-leaf) tea, Tengzi (vine) tea, Doumie tea, Tufang tea, and Mengku large-leaf tea.

Tree forms range from tall trees and small trees to shrubs, and leaf sizes from extra-large and large to medium and small. The common explanation in the tea world for this diversity is:

1. Native tea trees: The mountain already had wild "Benshan tea" ("this mountain's tea");
2. Introduced varieties: Over several centuries, cultivated varieties such as Mengku large-leaf were brought in one after another;
3. Natural crossbreeding: Tea trees mostly reproduce by seed, and with old and new varieties growing together, centuries of cross-pollination produced many intermediate types.

This coexistence of wild, transitional, and cultivated types makes Baiyingshan a great place to observe the domestication of Yunnan tea trees. For how the three types are distinguished, read Wild, Transitional, and Cultivated Types; the differences among large, medium, and small leaves are in Large-, Medium-, and Small-Leaf Varieties.

What Are Benshan, Ergazi, and Heitiaozi?

These three are the Baiyingshan varieties mentioned most often, all local names:

• Benshan tea: Meaning "tea that originally grew on this mountain," it's widely considered in the tea world to be a local tea leaning toward the wild type, often grouped with Camellia taliensis (Dali tea). Its liquor is thick and smooth, with plenty of wild-mountain character and very low bitterness and astringency.
• Ergazi tea: By one account, a type intermediate between Benshan and Baiyazi tea, a transitional type produced by natural crossbreeding. The tea world often says it has a pronounced orchid aroma, a lasting huigan and salivation, and a slight bitterness and astringency; it's Baiyingshan's most famous variety.
• Heitiaozi tea: Commonly said to be named for the darker color of its dry leaves (heitiao, "black strips"). Its orchid aroma and huigan are also pronounced, and its market reputation sits roughly between Ergazi and Benshan.

Baiyingshan's two most famous great tea trees happen to be these two varieties: the "Ergazi Tea King" is said to be about 2,800 years old, 10.5 meters tall, with a base girth of 3.85 meters; the "Heitiaozi Tea King" is said to be about 2,700 years old. Other sources say Baiyingshan's oldest tree is over 2,400 years old. Tree ages are mostly estimates and figures vary by source; see “Thousand-Year Trees” and “Ten-Thousand-Year Wild Tea”: Can You Trust the Numbers?.

The Style of Baiyingshan Tea

With so many varieties, Baiyingshan tea naturally doesn't have just one flavor. Baiyingshan tea on the market is often a mix of several varieties picked together, though single-variety and even single-tree teas exist too. The common overall description is:

• Dry leaf: Dark green and glossy;
• Liquor color: Bright orange-yellow;
• Aroma: Pronounced floral and fruity notes, with the orchid aroma of Ergazi and Heitiaozi especially prominent;
• Taste: Clean and smooth on entry, light bitterness, low astringency, with salivation and huigan coming quickly.

If you find Baiyingshan tea labeled by variety, brew a cup each of Benshan and Ergazi side by side: one thick and wild, the other high and lifting in aroma; the differences of a single mountain are right there in the cups. For what single-tree and pure-material mean, read Pure Material, Blends, Mountain Tea, and Single Trees.

Home of Buddhist Tea

Baiyingshan is also called a "holy land of Buddhist tea." Local records say that as early as the Nanzhao period, there were sizable temples on the mountain such as Dahe Temple, tea and temples have long been closely linked here, and there's a local custom of tea competitions on the 16th day of the 3rd lunar month.

FAQ

Q: Where is Baiyingshan?
A: In Manwan Town, Yunxian County, Lincang City, Yunnan, on the west bank of the Lancang River, with ancient gardens spread across the middle slopes of Dabing Mountain.

Q: How many tea varieties does Baiyingshan have?
A: The usual account is 12 varieties (types), including Benshan, Ergazi, Heitiaozi, Baiyazi, Heqing, willow-leaf, vine tea, and Mengku large-leaf.

Q: What is Ergazi tea?
A: A local Baiyingshan tea variety, by one account intermediate between Benshan and Baiyazi, with a pronounced orchid aroma and lasting huigan and salivation; it's Baiyingshan's most famous variety.

Q: Is Baiyingshan tea good? What does it taste like?
A: It's commonly described as having pronounced floral and fruity notes, a clean, smooth entry, low bitterness and astringency, and quick salivation and huigan; styles differ greatly between varieties too.