Tea King Trees and Famous Trees: Nannuo, Bada, Qianjiazhai, Xiangzhuqing

Nearly every tea mountain in Yunnan has a "tea king": the thickest, tallest, or oldest tree, or the one villagers revere as the tea ancestor. Some have fallen; others are guarded by fences and signs. These trees' stories are a microcosm of the history of tea trees in Yunnan.

Yunnan's Famous Tea King Trees

Nannuo Mountain Tea King Tree (Menghai, cultivated)

A great cultivated tea tree discovered around Banpo Old Village on Nannuo Mountain in 1951, estimated at over 800 years old. It was an important example proving the long history of tea cultivation in Yunnan and is often called the "cultivated tea king." The tree died in the mid-1990s, in 1994 by one account and 1995 by another. Nannuo Mountain later had another great tree called the tea king, still an important landmark of the Hani villages; see Nannuo Mountain.

Bada Wild Tea King Tree (Menghai, wild)

Located in the primeval forest of Daheishan near Hesong Village, Bada Township, Menghai, it was recorded by surveyors in 1961 and estimated at over 1,700 years old. Originally over 30 meters tall, it lost its upper half to wind in 1967, leaving about 14.7 meters. Its main trunk later became hollow and could no longer support the crown, and in September 2012 it fell and broke into several pieces. The Bada tea mountain is introduced in Bada: Zhanglang, Manmai, and the Wild Tea King Tree.

Qianjiazhai Wild Great Tea Tree (Zhenyuan, wild)

Located in Zhenyuan County, Pu'er City, within the Ailao Mountains National Nature Reserve, it was discovered in 1991. About 25.6 meters tall and generally estimated at about 2,700 years old, it's a Camellia taliensis. Around 2001 it was certified by the Great World Guinness Records (the Chinese records registry), and it's often called one of the largest and oldest wild tea trees in the world. Around it are large wild tea tree communities; see Zhenyuan's Qianjiazhai: The Wild Tea King Tree.

Xiangzhuqing's Jinxiu Tea Ancestor (Fengqing, cultivated)

Located at Xiangzhuqing, Jinxiu Village, Xiaowan Town, Fengqing County, Lincang City, at about 2,245 meters. Measurements vary a little by source; common records give a height of just over 10 meters and a base girth of about 5.8 meters. The Fengqing County People's Government has posted a sign giving its age as over 3,200 years, and in 2013 the county people's congress passed a dedicated protection decision. It's considered one of the thickest and oldest cultivated tea trees known, and is often called the "tea grandmother." Its age is still debated among scholars; further reading: Fengqing: The Jinxiu Tea Ancestor and Xiangzhuqing.

Bangwai Transitional-Type Ancient Tea Tree (Lancang)

Made public in 1991, at about 1,900 meters and about 11.8 meters tall, estimated at over a thousand years old, it appeared on the first stamp of the 1997 "Tea" special stamp set; it's introduced in Wild, Transitional, and Cultivated Types.

Can You Buy Tea from a Tea King Tree?

Mostly not, or only in tiny amounts. Wild trees like Qianjiazhai and Bada are in reserves or already dead; Xiangzhuqing's Jinxiu Tea Ancestor is under dedicated protection with tight restrictions on picking, and its tea occasionally appears at auction or in limited releases. Where a village "tea king tree" is still picked, output is often only a few kilograms of dry tea, usually reserved locally. Tea sold in quantity labeled "tea king tree" is more likely tea from "the garden where the tea king tree is" or "the same village," so ask before buying.

Why Do Tea King Trees Die?

In the records compiled by the tea world, the causes of death of famous trees fall into roughly these categories:

• Natural aging: Hollow trunks and declining roots; the Bada tea king fell after becoming hollow.
• Overpicking: Once famous, trees are picked too often and their vigor weakens.
• Human disturbance: Visitors trampling roots and climbing, and nearby road-building, house-building, and trunk-cutting.
• Improper fertilizer and chemicals: Heavy use of chemical fertilizers or agrochemicals around old trees.
• Pests, diseases, and natural disasters: Termites, borers, landslides, and fire.

How Are Tea King Trees Protected?

The Yunnan Province Regulations on the Protection of Ancient Tea Trees, in effect since March 1, 2023, give a legal basis for the survey, registration, and protection of ancient tea trees. Under the accompanying survey and registration code, registered ancient tea trees are tagged, numbered, and given QR codes, and ancient gardens are marked with steles stating their boundaries and the person responsible for their care. Common protective measures include fences to stop trampling, limits on how much and how often trees are picked, bans on trunk-cutting and on applying chemicals under the trees, and regular patrols for pests and diseases.

For tea drinkers, the most direct way to respect old trees is not to chase the "tea king" label and to choose tea that's moderately picked with a clear source. Methods for estimating the age of ancient tea trees are in How to Estimate a Tea Tree's Age.

FAQ

What are Yunnan's famous tea king trees? The Nannuo Mountain cultivated tea king tree (now dead), the Bada wild tea king tree (fell in 2012), the Qianjiazhai wild great tea tree, Xiangzhuqing's Jinxiu Tea Ancestor, and the Bangwai transitional-type ancient tea tree.

Can you buy tea from a tea king tree? Very rarely. Most famous trees are protected or dead, and products labeled "tea king" mostly mean tea from the same garden or village.

How old is the oldest tea tree? Xiangzhuqing's Jinxiu Tea Ancestor is signposted at over 3,200 years and the Qianjiazhai wild great tea tree is estimated at about 2,700 years; both are estimates.

Why do tea king trees die? Common causes are hollowing and aging of the trunk, overpicking, trampling by visitors, improper use of fertilizer and chemicals, and pests and diseases.