The Pu'er City Tea Region: From Simao to Lancang
"Pu'er tea" takes its name from Pu'er, but today's Pu'er City, the Qing dynasty's Pu'er Prefecture, and the "Simao" tea drinkers talk about are often confused. In fact, they're names for the same land in different eras. This mountainous region in southern Yunnan has World Heritage Jingmai Mountain, the transitional-type ancient tree of Bangwai, the wild tea trees of Qianjiazhai, and storied tea mountains like Kunlushan and Yangta.
Where Is Simao?
Simao (思茅) was originally a place name, and also the name of former administrative divisions:
- 1729 (seventh year of Yongzheng): Pu'er Prefecture was established, with its seat in today's Ning'er; the same year, a General Tea Office was set up in Simao to manage the tea trade; in 1735 the Simao Subprefecture was established under Pu'er Prefecture;
- 1913: Pu'er Prefecture was abolished and replaced by Ning'er County, Simao County, and others;
- From the 1950s: The area was long called Simao Special District and Simao Prefecture, and in 2003 it became prefecture-level Simao City;
- 2007: Simao City was renamed Pu'er City (approved by the State Council on January 21, officially renamed April 8); the urban Cuiyun District was renamed Simao District, and the former Pu'er County went back to being Ning'er County.
So "Simao" today mostly means Simao District, where Pu'er City's government sits; when older tea people talk about the "Simao tea region," they often mean all of Pu'er City. The first International Pu'er Tea Symposium in 1993 was held in Simao. For the history of Qing Pu'er Prefecture and tribute tea, read The History of Pu'er Tea.
Which Counties in Pu'er City Grow Tea?
Pu'er City has one district and nine counties, and nearly all of them grow tea. The Lancang River runs north to south through the whole territory, which borders Myanmar to the southwest and Laos and Vietnam to the south:
| County/district | Representative mountains or features |
|---|---|
| Simao District | Seat of the city government, a hub for tea trading and processing, with remains of the Tea Horse Road |
| Ning'er County | Seat of Qing Pu'er Prefecture; Kunlushan ancient garden |
| Mojiang County | Home of the Hani; a tea area crossed by the Tropic of Cancer |
| Jingdong County | Between the Ailao and Wuliang mountains, rich in ancient tea trees |
| Jinggu County | Home of Yangta Dabai tea; Kuzhushan ancient garden |
| Zhenyuan County | Qianjiazhai wild ancient tea tree community |
| Jiangcheng County | Where China, Laos, and Vietnam meet |
| Menglian County | A border county home to the Dai, Lahu, and Va |
| Lancang County | Jingmai Mountain old tea forests, Bangwai transitional-type ancient tree |
| Ximeng County | A Va autonomous county near Myanmar |
What Are Pu'er City's Famous Mountains?
- Jingmai Mountain (Lancang): The "Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er," inscribed as World Heritage in September 2023, with understory cultivation and a pronounced orchid aroma. See Jingmai Mountain: A Thousand-Year Tea Garden Under the Forest.
- Bangwai (Lancang): The famous transitional-type ancient tea tree, made public in 1991 and featured on the 1997 "Tea" special stamps. See Wild, Transitional, and Cultivated Types.
- Kunlushan (Ning'er): Called the "imperial ancient tea garden," with large-, medium-, and small-leaf trees growing together. See Kunlushan.
- Qianjiazhai (Zhenyuan): A wild ancient tea tree community in the Ailao Mountains. See Zhenyuan's Qianjiazhai.
- Yangta and Kuzhushan (Jinggu): The native home of Dabai tea and the ancient garden of Xiaojinggu. See Jinggu: Yangta Dabai Tea and Kuzhushan.
- Wuliangshan (Jingdong): A tea area between the Ailao and Wuliang mountains. See Jingdong and Wuliangshan.
- Jiangcheng and Mojiang: Border and Hani tea mountains. See Jiangcheng, Mojiang, and Lancang.
Pu'er City Tea Compared with Banna
The two areas are neighbors, and both grow mainly Yunnan large-leaf tea, but the common impressions in the tea world differ somewhat:
- Xishuangbanna: Best known for its two great systems, Menghai and Yiwu; Menghai tea is strong and commanding, Yiwu tea soft, sweet, and delicate. With many famous mountains and big blending factories, it's highly recognizable on the market;
- Pu'er City: A larger, more scattered tea area with a wider range of styles, from Jingmai's orchid fragrance and clean sweetness to Kunlushan's fine smoothness to the downy aroma of Jinggu Dabai, hard to sum up in a word. Ancient tea resources are rich, and wild, transitional, and cultivated types can all be found.
Overall, many of Pu'er City's mountains are more affordable than Banna's famous mountains, with good aroma and relatively low bitterness and astringency, which makes them great for people just starting on raw pu'er. Regional style descriptions are in Menghai Style, Yiwu Style, Lincang Style; an overall comparison of the three main regions is in Pu'er's Three Main Producing Regions.
The Name Pu'er
Ming dynasty documents already mention "pu cha," meaning tea from the Pu'er area. After the Qing established Pu'er Prefecture, tea from the surrounding mountains was gathered in Pu'er to be traded and shipped on, and the name "Pu'er tea" traveled everywhere with the caravans. Today's national standard sets pu'er's geographical indication area across 11 prefectures and cities in Yunnan, of which Pu'er City is just one; Xishuangbanna and Lincang are major producing areas as well. The name and standard are explained in Pu'er's National Standard and Geographical Indication.
FAQ
Q: Are Simao and Pu'er the same place?
A: Yes. In 2007 Simao City was renamed Pu'er City, and the former Cuiyun District became Simao District; "Simao" today mostly means Simao District, where Pu'er City's government sits.
Q: Which counties in Pu'er City grow tea?
A: Simao District plus nine counties, Ning'er, Mojiang, Jingdong, Jinggu, Zhenyuan, Jiangcheng, Menglian, Lancang, and Ximeng; all one district and nine counties grow tea.
Q: What is Pu'er City's most famous tea mountain?
A: Jingmai Mountain in Lancang is the most famous, inscribed as World Heritage in 2023; others include Bangwai in Lancang, Kunlushan in Ning'er, Qianjiazhai in Zhenyuan, Yangta and Kuzhushan in Jinggu, and Wuliangshan in Jingdong.
Q: Does pu'er have to come from Pu'er City?
A: Not necessarily. Pu'er's geographical indication area covers 11 prefectures and cities in Yunnan, with Xishuangbanna and Lincang also major producing areas; the name "Pu'er" comes from the Qing dynasty's Pu'er Prefecture.