Xigui tea is the representative variety of ancient tree Pu’er Tea tea, the finished dry tea is very durable, the taste of tea soup and tea fragrance also have their own characteristics, so it is loved by many tea friends. Where is the origin of Xigui tea?
Geographical Location of Xigui Tea
Xigui Pu’er Tea is produced in Manglu Mountain, Xigui Village, Bangdong Township, Linxiang District, Lincang City, Yunnan Province. Manglu Mountain is a part of Lincang Daxue Mountain extending eastward near Lancang River. It is backed by Xigui Mountain and extends eastward to Lancang River. At the foot of the mountain is Guixi Ferry (formerly Gali Ancient Ferry).
The ancient Xiguicha tea gardens are located in Manglu Mountain,Xigui Village, Bangdong Township, Linxiang District, Lincang City, Yunnan Province, China.Covering an area of approximately 4 square kilometers, they are situated at an altitude of around 750 meters, with an average annual temperature of 21°C and an annual precipitation of 1200 millimeters. Most of the ancient tea gardens are distributed on the mid-slopes of Manglu Mountain, interspersed within forests. The average age of the ancient tea trees is over 200 years, and the base circumference of the larger ones ranges from 60 to 110 centimeters. There is no industrial pollution in the local area, and no chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used on the tea trees.
The Humanistic History of Xigui Tea
History records that about 2200 years ago, the earliest human Pu people in Lincang began to grow tea. From the textual research of “Laobangdong Neolithic Site” and “Xigui Neolithic Site”, it is generally believed that one of them is the earliest human Pu people in Lincang.
Lincang is the original habitat of large-leaf tea in the world, and there were a large number of wild tea before the domestication and cultivation of large-leaf tea.
Ancient tea trees grow in dense forests in Bangdong, Lincang Daxue Mountain. While domesticating and cultivating wild tea in Linxiang District, local merchants from Bangdong and Matai areas introduced tea varieties from Jinggu and Simao for cultivation during the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty.
Production Environment of Xiguicha
Manglu Mountain is described as “with Lincang Daxue Mountain above and the Lancang River below,” boasting a superior natural environment with sufficient rainfall and favorable temperature and humidity conditions, which are ideal for tea tree growth.
Manglu Mountain features beautiful scenery and charming natural landscapes. The soil here is the typical lateritic red soil along the Lancang River, and the forest vegetation belongs to the subtropical monsoon forest. Common plants in the forest include toona ciliata, cinnamomum camphora, ficus altissima, dalbergia odorifera, canarium album, and wild mango trees.
Tea trees can enjoy adequate rest, which is beneficial for the accumulation of nutrients. As a result, the Pu’er tea produced in Xigui is rich in beneficial substances and of relatively higher quality compared to that from other nearby villages.
Characteristics of Xiguicha Tea Trees
First, the oldest tree is 250 years old, and the normal one is 200 years old. Second, there is no pruning, only spring and autumn. Third, it grows naturally. Some trees are three or four meters high, some five or six meters high, and several tea trees have only a dead stump left in their trunk, but a new tree fork with a thick hoe handle has grown from the bottom. The base of the big tea tree is about 80 to 90 centimeters. The tea garden belongs to the traditional picking and natural growth. The branches are twisted upward. After a hundred years of artificial and unintentional work, the shape is rugged and strange, like Wolong, like birds spreading their wings, which is easy to climb and pick.It is also ornamental and is a typical artificially cultivated ancient tea garden.
Xigui tea belongs to Bangdong large-leaf tea, because the local custom is to pick only spring tea and autumn tea every year, so the tea trees are better protected, and the quality of tea is much better than other villages.
Characteristic of Xigui Tea
- 1、Tea Soup: Clear and transparent, glittering and translucent, shiny and bright, the color of the soup is like golden amber.
- 2、Aroma: flower fragrance, fruit fragrance, honey fragrance, sweet fragrance, chestnut fragrance, etc. The fragrance is rich and lasting, and the bottom of the cup is fragrant.
- 3、Taste: mellow and fresh, sweet and fast, long flavor, sweet and mellow.
- 4、Tea Leaves (After Infusion): fresh and even, high brightness, good glossiness.