Baoshan: Changning, Tengchong, and the Gaoligong Mountains

When it comes to pu'er regions, people think first of Xishuangbanna, Pu'er, and Lincang. Head northwest from Lincang, cross the Lancang River, and you reach Baoshan (保山). Baoshan is in western Yunnan, facing Myanmar across the Gaoligong Mountains to the west, and has long been a gateway to Myanmar and India. It grows pu'er too, just with a lower profile.

Does Baoshan Grow Pu'er?

Yes. Baoshan City is one of the 11 prefectures and cities in pu'er's geographical indication protected area, and all five of its counties and districts are included:

So sun-dried tea and pu'er grown in Baoshan and made there using the specified processing meet the national standard's definition of pu'er. The full picture of the protected area is in The Geographical Indication Protected Area: 11 Prefectures, 75 Counties.

Changning: Baoshan's Most Important Tea County

Changning County (昌寧) is in eastern Baoshan City. The Lancang River cuts diagonally through the county, and to the east it faces Fengqing in Lincang across the river. The county covers about 3,768 square kilometers, with a 2020 population of about 319,900.

Changning's tea is best known as black tea, and "Changning black tea" is a Chinese geographical indication product; it also has large amounts of sun-dried tea and ancient tea tree resources, making it a source of raw material for pu'er. Changning and Fengqing face each other across the river and have similar tea varieties and climate; Fengqing is introduced in Fengqing: The Jinxiu Tea Ancestor and Xiangzhuqing.

What Sets Changning Tea Apart

The tea world's common impressions of Changning sun-dried tea:

• Aroma: Floral and honey notes, on the high side;
• Taste: A full texture, moderate bitterness and astringency, and a clear huigan;
• Overall: Between the sweet smoothness of Lincang tea and the intensity of Banna tea.

Changning's ancient gardens are mostly spread across the mountains of the county's townships over a wide altitude range, with tea from the Lancang valley up to mountains over two thousand meters, so styles vary greatly. When buying Changning tea, likewise ask about the township, tree age, and season.

Is There Tea in Tengchong and the Gaoligong Mountains?

Yes. The Gaoligong Mountains are a great north–south range, running from the southern edge of the Tibetan Plateau in the north to northern Dehong in the south, about 500 kilometers long, and forming the watershed between the Nu (Salween) and Irrawaddy rivers. Tengchong (騰沖) is at the western foot of the Gaoligong Mountains, with 97 volcanic bodies within its territory, famous for volcanoes and hot springs; it changed from a county to a county-level city in 2015.

There's tea in the mountains on both sides of the Gaoligong:

• The Tengchong area: The western slopes of the Gaoligong have abundant rainfall and high forest cover, with cultivated gardens as well as large tea trees growing in the forest.
• Wild tea resources: Southwestern Yunnan to northern Myanmar is the range of wild tea such as Camellia taliensis (Dali tea), and the "wild tea" and "big-tree tea" of the Gaoligong area often belong to this group, tasting different from ordinary large-leaf tea. Further reading: Wild Tea: The "Teas" That Aren't C. sinensis.
• The Tea Horse Road: Several stone-paved stretches of the Tea Horse Road survive on the Gaoligong Mountains, the ancient route across the mountains from Baoshan to Tengchong and Myanmar.

Tengchong tea gives an impression of a clean aroma and a soft liquor, but its output and reputation don't match Changning's.

How Is Baoshan Tea Priced?

Overall, Baoshan tea is more affordable than the famous mountains of Xishuangbanna and Lincang. That's not because of lower quality, but because of:

1. Fame: Market fame for "mountains" is concentrated on places like Lao Banzhang, Bingdao, and Yiwu, and Baoshan is rarely hyped;
2. Branding: Baoshan tea is more often made into black tea or used as blending material, and single-mountain pu'er products are few;
3. Output: The gardens are sizable, so supply is relatively stable.

Even for ancient-tree material, Baoshan tea can often be bought at a more down-to-earth price. How prices form is covered in What Determines the Price of Pu'er.

How to Drink Baoshan Tea

For Changning ancient-tree sun-dried tea, use a 110 ml gaiwan, 6–7 grams, and water at 95–100°C, pouring off the first few infusions after 8–10 seconds. For aromatic teas, smell the lid while it's hot, and in later infusions lengthen the steep to see how long the sweetness holds.

FAQ

Q: Does Baoshan grow pu'er?
A: Yes. Baoshan City's five counties and districts, Longyang, Shidian, Tengchong, Longling, and Changning, are all within pu'er's geographical indication protected area.

Q: What sets Changning tea apart?
A: Changning is famous for Changning black tea and is also a source of pu'er raw material; its sun-dried tea is often described as having a high aroma, a full texture, and moderate bitterness and astringency.

Q: Is there tea in Tengchong and the Gaoligong Mountains?
A: Yes. Tengchong is at the western foot of the Gaoligong Mountains, with cultivated gardens and large tea trees in the forest, and the area also has wild tea resources such as Camellia taliensis.

Q: Is Baoshan tea expensive?
A: Overall it's more affordable than the famous mountains of Banna and Lincang, mainly because it's less famous and rarely hyped, not because the quality is lower.