There are six integrated mountains in the beautiful Xishuangbanna Prefecture of Yunnan. Known as "the Six Major Tea Mountains", they are the place of origin of the Pu'er Tea. In the ancient times, people called the mountains on the northern bank of the Lancang River Six Major Tea Mountains, namely Youle, Gedeng, Yibang, Mangzhi, Manzhuan, and Mansa mountains. Now, people regard another six mountains on the southern bank of the Lancang River as current Six Major Tea Mountains. These mountains are Nannuo, Nanqiao, Mengsong, Jingmai, Bulang, and Bada. Now, the current Six Major Tea Mountains are the main for making modem Pu'er Tea.
Yunnan is one of the birthplaces of tea. People began planting tea trees in Yunnan over 3,000 years ago. By the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), the Pu'er Tea had been under large-scale planting and production. It was called Pu Tea at that time. In the Qing Dynasty (1644 -1911),the Pu'er Tea reached its zenith and was chosen as a tribute tea and a national gift for foreign envoys. In recent years, the Pu'er Tea is loved by people due to its high efficacy in health care and preserving. A new heyday has come for the Pu'er Tea.
The most fundamental feature of the Pu'er Tea is its endurance. Normally, fresh tea is better than the old one. However, the Pu'er Tea can breathe in a natural environment and keep on fermentation in the air. The longer it is stored, the mellower it becomes. The Pu'er Tea has a strong and long-lasting aroma, the one peculiar to Yunnan big-leaved tea. Its taste is strong. It has sturdy buds and thick leaves covered with white hairs. After five or six rounds of brewing, its aroma still remains. The tea soup is orange and thick.