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Yunnan - the birthplace of tea and thousand-year-old trees

When we think of tea, we picture neat, low bushes on a plantation. But in the Chinese province of Yunnan tea looks completely different: tall, wild tea trees grow here, some hundreds, even over a thousand years old. Yunnan is probably the birthplace of tea - the place where this plant began its history thousands of years ago. It is here that the large-leaf variety grows, from which the famous pu-erh is made, and tea from old trees, called gushu, is one of the most prized in the world. It is a fascinating world of old growth, wild tea forests and deep terroir. Here is a guide to Yunnan: why it is the birthplace of tea, what the old gushu trees are and where their exceptional depth of flavour comes from.

The birthplace of tea

Yunnan, a province in south-western China, is considered the birthplace of tea. According to research, it is here that tea began its history, some 4,700 years ago. In the high mountains of the region grow groves of ancient tea trees, witnesses of this long history. This makes Yunnan an absolutely exceptional place - not an ordinary growing region, but the home from which tea spread across the whole world. The climate, soil and biodiversity of Yunnan created ideal conditions for the wild growth of the tea plant over millennia. This is why the region has an almost mythical status among tea lovers - it is here that it all began. Understanding that Yunnan is the probable place of the birth of tea is the starting point for the rest. It is the cradle, the root of the whole global culture of tea. We cover Chinese tea more in Chinese tea.

Wild, old trees

What sets Yunnan apart the most is its ancient tea trees. Unlike the low bushes on plantations, in the mountains of Yunnan tall trees grow, some 1,200 years old and more, flourishing naturally in pristine, temperate conditions. They are not seedlings in a row, but wild or half-wild trees, growing in forests for centuries. Importantly, these old trees are usually propagated naturally, from seed (sexual propagation), unlike the cloned plantation bushes - some reach 800, 1,000, even 3,200 years old. They are two different worlds: the neat plantation of low, young, cloned bushes and the wild forest of old, tall trees with deep roots. This difference is of enormous importance for the flavour. Understanding that Yunnan is famous for wild, old trees, and not ordinary bushes, is the key to its uniqueness. They are living monuments of the history of tea. It is the plant in its original, tree-like form.

Gushu - old tree

The most important concept tied to the old trees of Yunnan is gushu. Gushu (literally old tree) is pu-erh tea made from ancient tea trees, usually over two hundred years old, often growing in remote mountain areas. There are no rigid, official rules for the term gushu, but it usually means trees at least one hundred years old, and many of them are several hundred, even over a thousand years old. Gushu is a top-shelf tea, prized and expensive, because it comes from rare, old trees that cannot be grown quickly. It is the opposite of plantation tea from young bushes. Gushu leaves are picked from wild or half-wild trees, propagated naturally. Understanding that gushu is tea from old trees is the key to this category. It is the essence of Yunnan old growth in a cup. It is the tea of the highest renown among pu-erh connoisseurs. We cover pu-erh itself more in pu-erh sheng and shou.

The large-leaf variety

Tea from Yunnan also differs in the plant itself. What grows in Yunnan is the large-leaf variety - Camellia sinensis var. assamica, native to the south-western region of Yunnan. It is harvested by ethnic minorities, like the Dai and Aini peoples, tied to these forests for generations. It is a different variety from the small-leaf Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, dominant in most Chinese teas. The large-leaf variety has larger, stronger leaves, richer in flavour compounds, ideal for making pu-erh and dark teas capable of long maturation. This is why Yunnan is famous precisely for pu-erh - its native plant is made for it. The large-leaf variety is another element of the uniqueness of Yunnan, alongside the old trees and the status of the cradle. Understanding that Yunnan has its own, large-leaf variety of tea completes the picture of the region. It is a plant matched to its terroir. It is the biological foundation of Yunnan tea.

A table: Yunnan in brief

Let us gather the features of Yunnan in one place:

The table shows what makes Yunnan exceptional: the status of the cradle, the wild old trees, the gushu category, its own large-leaf variety and the famous pu-erh. It is a region like no other in the world of tea.

The famous tea mountains

Yunnan is not one monolith but a mosaic of famous tea mountains, each of which gives tea of its own character. The highest-quality gushu comes from particular areas: the Xishuangbanna region, the mountains around the cities of Lincang and Pu’er, and Brown Mountain. In Xishuangbanna the ancient trees grow in famous villages like Laobanzhang, Yiwu, Jingmai, Nannuo or Bingdao, and also in the Lincang areas. Each of these mountains has its own, recognisable terroir - a different flavour, character and renown, like appellations in the world of wine. Pu-erh connoisseurs learn to recognise teas by the mountain of origin, prizing some above others. This geography of tea mountains is a fascinating, deep topic. Understanding that Yunnan is divided into famous mountains of their own terroir shows its complexity. It is a region of almost winemaking precision of origin. It is a map of flavour written into the mountains. We cover dark teas more in Anhua and compressed tea.

Why old growth gives depth

Why all this fuss around old trees? Because they give a flavour that plantation tea does not have. In the speciality pu-erh market gushu material reaches higher prices, based on the belief that old trees give leaves of greater complexity, depth, a longer aftertaste and a distinctive terroir character. Where does this difference come from? Old trees have extensive root systems, reaching deep for water and minerals, and grow in a mature, forest environment of rich biodiversity. This translates into leaves richer in flavour compounds, giving a deeper, more complex brew. Fascinatingly, thanks to these inherent qualities gushu tea does not lose its flavour over time like other teas, but ages beautifully. This is why old growth is so prized. Understanding that the depth of gushu results from age, roots and forest terroir explains its high renown. It is the flavour of millennia in one sip. It is the gift of ancient trees.

How to sense it in the brew

Gushu tea from Yunnan can be recognised by its depth and complexity. The brew (especially sheng pu-erh from gushu) is often intense, many-layered, with a long, lingering aftertaste (called yun, that is resonance) and a characteristic energy. You sense deep, complex notes: forest, earthy, floral, fruity, honeyed, with a smooth, full texture and exceptional durability through successive infusions. Unlike the simpler, more one-dimensional plantation tea, gushu has depth and a terroir character. If a tea from Yunnan is remarkably complex, long in the aftertaste and comes from old trees, that is a good clue that it is gushu. It is worth brewing it by the gongfu method, in many short infusions, to fully reveal its layers. Compare gushu with plantation tea, to feel the difference of depth. Over time you will start to recognise the character of old growth. It is a higher level of appreciating tea.

The essentials in brief

Let us gather it up. Yunnan is the probable birthplace of tea, where this plant began its history some 4,700 years ago. The region is famous for wild, ancient tea trees - not low plantation bushes, but tall trees, some over a thousand years old, propagated naturally from seed. Tea from such trees is called gushu (old tree), usually over a hundred years old, and is prized and expensive. Yunnan has its own, large-leaf variety (var. assamica), ideal for the famous pu-erh. The best gushu comes from the famous tea mountains (Xishuangbanna, Lincang), each of its own terroir. Old trees give a deeper, more complex flavour thanks to extensive roots and a forest environment, and the tea ages beautifully over time. Now you know why Yunnan is the birthplace of tea and where the depth of its old growth comes from.

Note every tea in GustoNote - including whether it is gushu from Yunnan and the depth you sense. Over time you will start to recognise the complex character of tea from old trees.