Bu Lang Mountain
Location: Southwestern Menghai District
Villages: Lao Ban Zhang, Xin Ban Zhang, Lao Man Erh.
Altitude: 1200m - 1600m
Lying roughly 80km southwest from Menghai, Bu Lang Mountain is synonymous with Lao Ban Zhang, (one of the most sought-after Puerh teas), and has acquired a reputation of producing highly distinctive and full-bodied teas. It is an expansive tea growing zone with boasting an impressive array of ancient tea trees, current records indicate almost 80,000 are aged over 100 years old, and 10,000 aged 800 years and above.
With over 10 different tea-producing village areas located within the boundaries of Bu Lang, there's plenty of tea to be found outside Lao Ban Zhang. Lao Man Erh, another village located in the eastern part of Bu Lang, around 15km from Ban Zhang, is a picturesque and secluded settlement known to produce exceptional Puerh teas. It's also the oldest surviving Bu Lang village in China, with a history of more than 1300 years. The existence of cultivated ancient tea gardens in this far flung outpost of China's extreme Southwestern corner is clear evidence of the link between the nomadic Bu Lang tribe and ancient tea farming.
In recent years, in light of the tea phenomenon that is Ban Zhang, the villages have become marginally accessible and some locals conspicuously wealthy. Teas from Bulang Mountain, especially those of Ban Zhang and Lao Man Erh, represent some of Puerh's most complex and beguiling flavours.
Discover more about puer tea in our tea facts section Puerh Tea Facts
Explore the tea producing regions of Southern China and South East Asia which is the home of Puer tea and many tea traditions. Our Yunnan Tea Facts is an introductory guide to the colourful home of Puerh tea.
