Mangzhi: Yanglin, Hongtupo, and Niuguntang

Mangzhi (莽枝) has the most twisting story of the Six Ancient Tea Mountains: in the Qing dynasty it had a lively tea market where merchants from other provinces settled to trade; later it went through unrest and abandonment, and its gardens disappeared into the forest for a time, only slowly recovering in the 1980s. When tea drinkers talk about Mangzhi today, what they mention most are two tea villages, Yanglin and Hongtupo, and the old street of Niuguntang.

Where Is Mangzhi Mountain?

Mangzhi is in Xiangming Yi Ethnic Township, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan, next to Gedeng; today both tea mountains lie within Anle Village, Xiangming Township. Starting from downtown Jinghong and heading northeast past Jinuo Mountain, it's about a 1.5-hour drive to the Anle Village area.

The Mangzhi ancient tea mountain covers a sizable area, about 15–16 kilometers wide and over 30 kilometers long, but its surviving ancient gardens total about 970 mu, mainly around old villages such as Yanglin, Hongtupo, Manya, Jiangxiwan, and Longduo. Ancient trees grow mixed with newly planted tea and forest trees, the classic look of an "old tea mountain."

Mangzhi's History

Mangzhi has grown tea for a very long time; the common account in the tea world is that there were already sizable gardens in the Yuan dynasty. The Qing was Mangzhi's most prosperous period:

• Kangxi reign: Niuguntang, in the Mangzhi mountains, was already an important tea trading hub for the northern part of the Six Tea Mountains.
• Mid-Qing: Merchants from other provinces came into the tea mountains one after another, bringing capital and methods of tea-making and trading, and Mangzhi's tea industry flourished with them.
• Late Xianfeng reign: Unrest broke out on the tea mountains, Mangzhi was badly hit, its population scattered, and even neighboring Gedeng was caught up in it.
• Late 1940s: The gardens were largely abandoned.
• 1980s: The gardens slowly came back to life, and old trees were picked and cared for again.

This rise and fall is a microcosm of the fate of the Six Ancient Tea Mountains as a whole. The full context is in The Rise and Fall of the Six Tea Mountains.

Niuguntang: "First Came Niuguntang, Then Pu'er Prefecture"

Niuguntang (牛滾塘) is in Anle Village and was one of the four major tea trading places in the Xiangming area. A local saying goes: "First came Niuguntang, then Pu'er Prefecture." It means tea trading here was already lively before Pu'er Prefecture was established in the seventh year of Yongzheng (1729).

On Qing-era Niuguntang's street lived merchants from Jiangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi, and other provinces, who left behind temple inscriptions and tea trees over a hundred years old. These remains are considered the most precious surviving evidence of the culture of provincial merchant guilds among the Six Ancient Tea Mountains. Today's Niuguntang is more of a historical site than a major tea village; tea drinkers looking for Mangzhi tea more often seek out Yanglin and Hongtupo. For more on caravans and tea transport, read The Tea Horse Road.

The Tea of Yanglin and Hongtupo

Yanglin (秧林): As the name suggests ("seedling forest"), this was where the tea mountain raised seedlings in the old days, transplanting them from here to elsewhere. Yanglin's ancient trees grow in rainforest, living alongside large trees and preserving a primitive, ecological way of cultivation. Yanglin is now the representative source of Mangzhi ancient-tree tea, and much of the "Mangzhi ancient tree" on the market comes from Yanglin.

Hongtupo (紅土坡): Named for the local red soil, it's Mangzhi's other main tea village. Hongtupo's gardens also have ancient trees mixed with forest trees, and its flavor broadly fits Mangzhi's shared profile: bitterness and astringency that clear quickly, and a strong huigan. Within the same village, tree location, picking time, and each farmer's methods make a difference in taste, so rather than the village name, it's each batch's own performance that deserves attention.

Neither village's ancient gardens are large, and output is limited, so when choosing, check whether it names the village or just says "Mangzhi," which may mean blended material.

The Style of Mangzhi Tea

Mangzhi tea gives the impression of "bitter first, then sweet, and fast":

• Liquor color: Young tea is a deep orange-yellow, on the strong side among the Six Ancient Mountains.
• Taste: Some bitterness and astringency on entry, but it clears quickly.
• Huigan: An intense huigan and quick salivation, the thing Mangzhi is most often praised for.
• Aroma: Fresh and delicate, with a touch of floral.

Compared with Yibang, also in Xiangming, Mangzhi has less of the delicate floral-honey aroma and more strength; compared with Yiwu, Mangzhi's bitterness, astringency, and huigan are all more pronounced. For an overall map of regional styles, read Regional Flavor Profiles.

To brew, use 6 grams in a 110 ml gaiwan with boiling water, pouring off the first 3 infusions quickly after 8–10 seconds so the bitterness and astringency don't build up, and the huigan will come through clearly.

FAQ

Is Mangzhi tea bitter? There's a little bitterness and astringency on entry, but it clears fast, with an intense huigan and quick salivation, which is Mangzhi's hallmark. Pour off a bit faster and the bitterness won't be noticeable.

What does "First came Niuguntang, then Pu'er Prefecture" mean? It's a local saying meaning tea trading at Niuguntang was already lively before Pu'er Prefecture was established in 1729.

Are Mangzhi and Gedeng the same place? They're not the same tea mountain, but they're neighbors, and today both lie within Anle Village, Xiangming Township. Gedeng is introduced in Gedeng: The Tea King Tree and Xinfazhai.

How many ancient gardens does Mangzhi have? About 970 mu of surviving ancient gardens, mainly in villages such as Yanglin, Hongtupo, Manya, Jiangxiwan, and Longduo.