Hekai: The Lahu People's Ten-Thousand-Mu Ancient Gardens

Walk into Hekai and your first impression is that the tea trees are right on people's doorsteps. Beside the Lahu wooden houses, next to the pigpens, along both sides of the paths, thick-trunked old tea trees are everywhere, joined into one big expanse. Hekai is only a few mountains away from Lao Banzhang, but its style is much gentler, and it's the gateway to Menghai ancient-tree tea for many people.

Where Is Hekai?

Hekai (賀開) belongs to the Hekai village committee of Menghun Town, Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan, about 40 kilometers from Menghai county town. The village committee is based at the source of the Nankai River; Nankai is also called Hekai, which is where the village gets its name.

Hekai borders two famous mountains, Lao Banzhang and Nannuo Mountain, and geographically could be called the meeting point of several of Menghai's famous mountains. The gardens sit at about 1,400–1,700 meters, though some sources put the upper limit at 1,800 meters. In 2020, Hekai Village was recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs as one of the 10th batch of national "One Village, One Product" demonstration villages and towns, with tea as its main industry.

Where Are Manlong Old Village, Manlong New Village, and Bangpen?

Hekai's ancient gardens are made up of several Lahu villages. The ones you'll hear about most are:

• Manlong Old Village: Hekai's core village; ancient tea trees grow mostly within the village and around the houses, often described as "a village among the tea, tea within the village."
• Manlong New Village: A village that branched off from the Old Village, close to it, with similarly contiguous gardens. Manlong Old and New villages have a dozen or so ancient trees believed to be very old.
• Bangpen Old Village (also written Banpen): On the side of Hekai near Bulang Mountain, only about 3 kilometers from Banzhang; tea drinkers often say Bangpen tea tastes the most like Bulang Mountain.
• Manmai and Mannan: Also part of Hekai's ancient gardens. (Bulang Mountain also has a Mannan; they're not the same place.)

Hekai's residents are mainly Lahu. The Lahu grow tea in many mountain areas of southern Yunnan, and bamboo-tube tea and roasted tea are ways of drinking familiar to them; further reading: Tea Customs of Yunnan's Ethnic Minorities.

How Big Are Hekai's Ancient Gardens?

What's most often used to introduce Hekai is its scale. Figures for the area vary considerably:

• Local introductions and many reports say "about 16,000 mu of contiguous ancient gardens," often calling it one of the largest contiguous ancient gardens in Menghai or even in the whole country.
• Some tea-world sources count only the areas where old trees are concentrated, giving about 7,000–9,000 mu.

The difference mainly comes down to how "ancient garden" is counted: whether younger trees and scattered tea plots around the villages are included. In a sentence, Hekai has at least several thousand mu of ancient gardens in one large connected expanse, and on that everyone agrees.

Hekai's tea trees are characterized by high density, great age, and contiguity. Most have main trunks 10–20 centimeters thick and stand over 2 meters tall, with a few over 3 meters. Tree ages range from 200-some years to very old, and estimates for the oldest vary; when you hear "over a thousand years," leave yourself some room for doubt. See How to Estimate the Age of a Tea Tree.

The Style of Hekai Tea

Hekai sits between Nannuo Mountain and Bulang Mountain, and its style falls right between the two:

• Aroma: High and lifting, with honey and floral notes.
• Taste: Smooth on entry, with lighter bitterness and astringency than Bulang Mountain and noticeable sweetness.
• Strength: It has Bulang Mountain's backbone without being domineering; tea drinkers describe it as "soft with strength inside."
• Huigan: Quick and lasting, with strong salivation.
• Liquor color: Young tea is golden and clear.

There are differences between villages too: Bangpen, close to Banzhang, has stronger bitterness and cha qi; Manlong tea is softer with a more obvious aroma. If you like Menghai's richness but want something easy to drink, Hekai is a great choice; for more strength, head toward Pasha or Banzhang.

Why Hekai Is Easier to Get Into

Compared with Lao Banzhang next door, Hekai is much more affordable. That's because Hekai's ancient gardens are large, output is relatively ample, and its fame isn't as concentrated as Banzhang's. For people who want to drink Menghai ancient-tree tea on a limited budget, Hekai is often the first choice. But large output also means "Hekai ancient tree" on the market varies widely in quality; you can judge by whether the infused leaves are thick and whether the bitterness clears quickly.

How to Brew Hekai

Hekai isn't very bitter or astringent, so a standard raw pu'er method works well: 7–8 grams in a 110 ml gaiwan, boiling water, pouring off the first 3 infusions after 8–10 seconds. Smell the lid after pouring; Hekai's honey note is usually very clear. In later infusions, lengthen the steep, and the sweetness carries on.

FAQ

Q: Where is Hekai?
A: In the Hekai village committee of Menghun Town, Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan, about 40 kilometers from Menghai county town, bordering Lao Banzhang and Nannuo Mountain.

Q: Where are Manlong Old Village, Manlong New Village, and Bangpen?
A: All are Lahu villages under the Hekai village committee. Manlong Old Village is the core, with Manlong New Village beside it; Bangpen is on the side near Bulang Mountain, about 3 kilometers from Banzhang.

Q: How big are Hekai's ancient gardens?
A: The common figure is about 16,000 mu of contiguous gardens, one of the largest contiguous ancient gardens; sources counting only the areas where old trees are concentrated give about 7,000–9,000 mu.

Q: What's the style of Hekai tea?
A: Soft with strength inside: a high aroma, noticeable sweetness, lighter bitterness and astringency than Bulang Mountain, and a quick, lasting huigan.

Q: How high is Hekai?
A: The ancient gardens lie at about 1,400–1,700 meters, though some sources go up to 1,800 meters.