Guafengzhai: Chaping, Chawangshu, Bohetang, and Baishahe

Among Yiwu's villages, Guafengzhai (刮風寨) has the most memorable name and the most stories. It's hidden in deep mountains on the China–Laos border, didn't get a road until the early 2000s, and its ancient gardens are scattered through state-owned forest, mostly never pruned down. The Chaping, Chawangshu, and Baishahe tea drinkers talk about today are all Guafengzhai tea plots, and the even more famous Bohetang is often discussed alongside the Guafengzhai area.

Where Is Guafengzhai?

Guafengzhai belongs to the Mahei village committee of Yiwu Town, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna. It's in the northeast of Yiwu Town, about 32 kilometers from the town and only about 2 kilometers from the Laos border. It's another 20-some kilometers of mountain road beyond Mahei, and in the days before the road, villagers had to walk most of a day to reach Yiwu town.

The village itself is at about 1,200 meters and is divided into three villager groups. Population figures vary: local sources record about 120 households and nearly 700 people, while some in the tea world say 200 households and over 800 people; either way, it's one of the more populous villages in Yiwu. The real ancient tea plots aren't beside the village but in the higher, deeper state-owned forest around it.

As for the village's name (which means "wind-swept village"), the local Yao elders say their ancestors first lived on a ridge on the China–Laos border where strong winds blew year-round, and the name stuck.

Do the Yao Pick Guafengzhai's Tea?

Yes. Guafengzhai is entirely Yao, of the Landian (indigo) Yao branch. According to the village elders' oral history, their ancestors came into Yunnan from Hunan by way of Guangxi more than 100 years ago, starting with just eight households, and moved several times before settling where they are now.

The Yao traditionally lived by hunting and farming. The village was poor in the early years, and no one bought its tea. Around 2001, villagers noticed that tea from nearby Mahei was starting to fetch good prices, and only then did they start to see the ancient trees in the mountains as a serious livelihood, learning to pick and pan-fire tea. Tea plots are allocated by household size, and each family has its own trees. At the peak of the spring harvest, the village also hires pickers from outside, but the owners of the gardens and the people who make the tea are still Guafengzhai's Yao families.

What Are Chaping, Chawangshu, and Baishahe?

These are all names of tea plots in Guafengzhai's state-owned forest, some distance apart from one another:

• Chawangshu (茶王樹, "Tea King Tree"): Named for a particularly large tea tree that once stood in the forest, it's Guafengzhai's deepest and hardest-to-reach plot. One account puts its ancient gardens at 1,400–1,700 meters; in the early years it took 7–8 hours on foot, and even now it takes several hours by motorbike plus walking. The tea world describes its tea as a blend of honey and floral-fruity notes, with the thickest liquor and the most wild-mountain character.
• Chaping (茶坪): About 15 kilometers from the village, it's Guafengzhai's earliest harvested and earliest famous plot, entirely ancient trees with no later-planted young ones. The liquor is noticeably bitter but only lightly astringent, with a quick huigan.
• Baishahe (白沙河): About 15 kilometers west of the village, with relatively easier roads; its style is balanced, not extreme in any direction.
• There are also smaller named plots such as Lengshuihe (smooth liquor, elegant floral-honey aroma), Sanjiacun (also called Jiabian, on the sweet side), and Heishuiliangzi.

The tea world often sums up the differences in one line: Chawangshu thick, Chaping fragrant, Lengshuihe smooth, Sanjiacun sweet, Baishahe sweet-finishing. According to the tea world, ancient-tree tea from Guafengzhai's state-owned forest amounts to only about 2 tonnes a year, mainly from Chawangshu, Chaping, and Baishahe.

Bohetang: Why Is It So Expensive?

There are two accounts of Bohetang's (薄荷塘) location. The market often lumps it together with Guafengzhai, but several tea people who have visited in person record that it's actually within the old Mansa tea mountain area, around the Manla village committee, northeast of Wangong, with picking managed by nearby Yao families. What's certain is that it lies deep in primeval forest near the border in northern Yiwu, with ancient gardens at about 1,400–1,650 meters.

As for the name ("mint pond"), legend has it that Yao people discovered these tea trees while going into the mountains to plant black cardamom, and a patch of wild mint happened to be growing beside them. Before 2008 it attracted little interest; within a few years after that it became famous, one of Yiwu's most sought-after small areas.

Bohetang's high price comes down to roughly these reasons:

1. Few trees: There are only 40-some tagged "first-class" ancient trees, commonly said to be 49; even second-class ancient trees number fewer than 1,000.
2. Small output: First-flush spring tea from the first-class trees totals under 100 kilograms a year; including second-class trees, spring and autumn together come to about 800 kilograms by one account.
3. Ecology and tree form: The trees grow in state-owned forest and are mostly tall-trunked ancient trees 5–8 meters high; picking means climbing, and the tea is often processed tree by tree.
4. Difficult access: Getting in and out depends on motorbikes and walking, and transporting fresh leaves is laborious.
5. Concentrated management: The plot is managed jointly by a handful of families, who agree on prices in advance each year.

The tea world describes Bohetang as having a thick, silky texture, soft and delicate sweetness, a faint cooling sensation on the tongue and palate, and no lack of strength in the finish. And because it's so famous and so scarce, far more tea is sold under the Bohetang name than is actually produced, so be especially careful when buying; see Common Traps: Fake Mountains, Fake Vintages, Fake Brands, and Exaggerated Claims. How prices form is covered in What Determines the Price of Pu'er.

The Style of Guafengzhai Tea

Compared with the sweet softness of Mahei and Luoshuidong, Guafengzhai is the stronger branch of Yiwu:

• Dry leaf: Tightly twisted, dark and glossy.
• Liquor color: Pale gold and clear.
• Taste: A thick, full liquor with a little bitterness that clears very quickly, followed by a long huigan and salivation.
• Aroma: Honey with floral-fruity notes; the "wild-mountain" character typical of deep-forest tea is obvious, often with a cooling sensation in the throat.

Its softness is still Yiwu softness, just with an added layer of structure. People who like Lao Banzhang's power but also want Yiwu's finesse often find their balance in Guafengzhai; Lao Banzhang's style is covered in Menghai and Lao Banzhang: The Intensity of Bulang Mountain.

Why Guafengzhai's Ancient Trees Are So Well Preserved

In the 1970s–1980s, many gardens near Yiwu's villages were topped and pruned down, or switched to grain crops. Guafengzhai's ancient trees are scattered through about 50 square kilometers of primeval forest; the forest was deep, the roads long, and tea was worth little at the time, so few people went in, and the trees were preserved as they were. This forest land is state-owned, which is why the tea world calls this kind of tea "state-forest ancient tree."

FAQ

Where is Guafengzhai? In the northeast of Yiwu Town, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, under the Mahei village committee, about 32 kilometers from town and about 2 kilometers from the Laos border.

What ethnic group lives in Guafengzhai? The whole village is Yao, of the Landian Yao branch. The ancient gardens are picked and processed by the village's Yao families.

Which is better, Chaping or Chawangshu? Each has its fans: Chawangshu has the thickest liquor and the most wild-mountain character, while Chaping has a higher aroma and a quicker huigan. Brew them side by side and see whether you prefer thickness or aroma.

Is Bohetang part of Guafengzhai? The market often classifies it that way, but most on-site records place it within the old Mansa tea mountain area, around the Manla village committee, managed by nearby Yao families. You'll hear both accounts often.

Is Guafengzhai tea suitable for beginners? Yes, though it has a bit more bitterness and strength than Mahei. Pour off the first few infusions a little quicker, and experience the bitterness turning to sweetness first.