Zhenyuan's Qianjiazhai: The Wild Tea King Tree
When it comes to "the oldest tea tree," one name comes up often: Qianjiazhai (千家寨). It's not in Xishuangbanna or Lincang, but deep in the Ailao Mountains of Zhenyuan County, Pu'er City, in primeval forest with no trace of human cultivation.
Where Is Qianjiazhai?
Qianjiazhai is in Heping Village, Jiujia Town, Zhenyuan Yi, Hani and Lahu Autonomous County, Pu'er City, Yunnan, within the Ailao Mountains National Nature Reserve. The location recorded in the local cultural relics register is "Dashifang group, Heping Village, Jiujia Town," at roughly 24.3° N, 101.26° E, and it takes a stretch of mountain road from the Zhenyuan county town to get there.
So, is Qianjiazhai in the Ailao Mountains? Yes. It's in the primeval forest on the Zhenyuan County side of the central Ailao Mountains. The Ailao Mountains are a major range in central Yunnan about 450 kilometers long, introduced in Jingdong and Wuliangshan.
Where the Name Comes From
The name Qianjiazhai is older than the tea king trees. In the mountains is a Qing dynasty "Qianjiazhai site," a Zhenyuan County protected cultural relic. Local lore says that in the Qing dynasty a Yi rebel force camped here, numbering more than a thousand households, hence the name ("thousand-household village"). This is local legend, and details vary, so take it lightly.
Qianjiazhai's Wild Ancient Tea King Trees
Zhenyuan County has registered "Qianjiazhai wild ancient tea king trees No. 1 and No. 2" as county-level protected cultural relics. A tree being protected as a cultural relic is unusual in the tea world.
The figures most often cited for the tea king trees are:
- Height: Tree No. 1 is about 25 meters;
- Altitude: Growing in forest at about 2,400-some meters;
- Age: Estimated at about 2,700 years, with tree No. 2 at about 2,500 years.
These figures mostly come from local surveys and media reports, and the ages especially are estimates. The age of a large wild tree is hard to determine precisely, and different estimation methods give very different results, so when you see "several thousand years," it's best read as "very ancient." For how tree age is judged, read How to Estimate the Age of a Tea Tree and “Thousand-Year Trees” and “Ten-Thousand-Year Wild Tea”: Can You Trust the Numbers?.
What Are Wild-Type Tea Trees?
Qianjiazhai's tea king trees are of the "wild type": they grow in primeval forest without human cultivation or selection, are tall in form, and retain more primitive features in their flowers, fruit, and leaves. This differs from the "cultivated type" ancient trees of Jingmai Mountain or Bingdao, planted by ancestors and tended for generations.
Botanically, many of Yunnan's wild great tea trees are classified as Camellia taliensis (Dali tea), a close relative of the Yunnan large-leaf variety (var. assamica) most commonly used for pu'er, but not the same species. Researchers disagree on how Qianjiazhai's tea king trees should be classified. For the differences among the three types of tea tree, read Wild, Transitional, and Cultivated Types and Wild Tea: The "Teas" That Aren't C. sinensis.
Can You Drink Qianjiazhai's Wild Tea?
There are two separate things here:
- The tea king trees themselves: Tea king trees protected as cultural relics are for protection and research, not for picking leaves to press into cakes. If someone on the market says their tea comes from "the Qianjiazhai tea king tree," it's worth asking a follow-up question.
- Wild tea from the Qianjiazhai area: Some people around the reserve pick leaves from wild tea trees to make tea, sold as Qianjiazhai wild tea. Its composition and taste differ from cultivated large-leaf tea; it's often described as low in bitterness and astringency, pale in liquor, and carrying a distinctive wild-mountain character.
Wild tea varies in species and picking methods, and the tea world disagrees on whether it counts as the "Yunnan large-leaf variety" referred to in the national standard. If you want to try something new, choose products with clear labeling and a traceable source, buy a small amount to try first, and go from there if it suits you.
Other Tea Heritage in Zhenyuan
Besides Qianjiazhai, Zhenyuan has several other tea-related cultural relics: the Hetou ancient tea tree (Ming dynasty) in Zhentai Town is a county-level protected cultural relic, and the Ailao Mountains Tea Horse Road in Heping Town and the Tea Horse Road remains in Enle Town are included in the "Tea Horse Road" Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level. Zhenyuan is a county within pu'er's geographical indication protected area, with tea gardens mostly in the mountains between the Ailao and Wuliang ranges.
Compared with Other Tea King Trees
| Famous tree | Location | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Qianjiazhai tea king tree | Jiujia Town, Zhenyuan County, Pu'er City | Wild |
| Bangwai ancient tea tree | Lancang County, Pu'er City | Transitional |
| Nannuo Mountain tea king tree | Menghai County, Xishuangbanna | Cultivated (now dead) |
More famous trees are in Tea King Trees and Famous Trees.
FAQ
Q: Where is Qianjiazhai?
A: In Heping Village, Jiujia Town, Zhenyuan County, Pu'er City, within the Ailao Mountains National Nature Reserve.
Q: How old is the Qianjiazhai tea king tree?
A: The common figure is about 2,700 years, with tree No. 2 at about 2,500 years; these are estimates, not precisely measured ages.
Q: Is Qianjiazhai in the Ailao Mountains?
A: Yes, in the primeval forest on the Zhenyuan County side of the central Ailao Mountains.
Q: Can you drink Qianjiazhai's wild tea?
A: The tea king trees themselves are protected and not picked; wild tea from the surrounding area is made and sold by some, and tastes different from cultivated tea. Choose products with a clear source and try a small amount first.