The second part of this year’s journey took us to Yunnan—specifically to Fengqing County, the heart of Yunnan black (or as Chinese call it “red”) tea production. It is home to the world’s oldest tea tree, a specimen dating back 3,200 years. This is where Dian Hong tea originated, and where we visited a renowned factory specializing in black tea harvested from ancient trees. This article—a reflection on the trip—captures the people we met, their stories, the Dian Hong museum, and the experience of touching the bark of that ancient tree, all inspired by a desire to share what we witnessed.
Fengqing and the Ancient Tea Tree
Many lovers of Chinese Dian Hong black teas are familiar with the name “Fengqing”—known as the “birthplace of Dian Hong tea”, the “World Capital of Dian Hong” and the “Black Tea Capital of China.” Fengqing County (known as Shunning until 1954) is famous for more than just being the place where the first Yunnan black teas were produced. It is home to the oldest tea tree ever and is also associated with the Pu people—one of Yunnan Province’s earliest ethnic minorities to cultivate tea on a large scale, a practice they have maintained for centuries.
When we traveled to Fengqing, the tea company hosting us (Fengqing Chen Shenghong Tea Industry Co., Ltd.) included a visit to this 3,200-year-old tree in their three-day itinerary. Having heard so much about it, I was eager to see it with my own eyes, touch its bark, and simply sense the weight of those millennia. However, upon our arrival, we were disappointed to learn that the request the company had submitted to the police for our visit had been denied. Because the tree is located in a border zone, a permit is required to visit it—and as foreigners, we were not granted one. Needless to say, I was deeply upset. Yet, the company staff reassured us, explaining that a fence had been erected around the tree three years ago, making it impossible to approach or touch it now. They even showed me photos and videos of the tree so I would believe it actually existed.
For the record, it is located in Xiangzhuqing—part of Jinxiu Village in Xiaowan Township—on the banks of the Lancang River. At the museum, we were told that the tree stands 10.2 meters tall, with a crown width of 11.1 meters, a root diameter of 5.67 meters, and a trunk diameter of 1.59 meters. It would take four or five people to wrap their arms around it. The Jinxiu tea tree is a variety of the Dali tea tree, representing the local tea.
To make up—at least in part—for the fact that we couldn’t visit the “Mother of All Tea Trees,” the company staff drove us high up into the mountains to see one of their oldest trees, estimated to be around 1,000 years old. The drive was picturesque; we wound our way up the mountainside until we reached this silent tea giant. The staff told us that they produce their most expensive tea from the leaves of this ancient tree—a limited batch of just 200 packs (48g each), priced at 3,000 yuan per pack. Of course, what matters here is not just the leaf itself, but the production method.
While we were standing by the tree and taking photos with it in the background, Tian Shuyu, a company employee, began waving cheerfully at someone. “We’re very lucky,” she said, turning to me. “The owner of this tree is coming down to meet us. Generations of his ancestors have tended to it; it’s their family legacy. We’ve even signed an exclusive agreement with his family to purchase the raw material.” An elderly man dressed in simple clothes approached us, a smile on his sun-weathered face. He seemed a bit flustered by the sight of foreigners gathered around his tree, yet he agreed to have his picture taken with us. I would have loved to sit by the tree and share a cup of tea with him, but it was time to head to the factory for a black tea workshop.
Become an individual and find your place in the market
We are riding in a car with Chen Xiaoshun, a guest relations supervisor, heading down from the mountain where we visited an ancient tree to the tea workshop place. He shares his perspective on the tea situation in Yunnan
“For the average person, if tea tastes good and is affordable, they consider it high quality. However, China has industry standards, local standards, and corporate quality standards, with specific agencies overseeing company compliance. Inspections typically cover registered companies, yet the market is full of unregistered players—such as private farmers—who produce tea independently without adhering to any standards. This is precisely why there is a degree of chaos in the market; they sell tea very cheap, but the quality is questionable.
In companies, tea quality depends on the expertise of the processing specialist: they determine how long a specific batch needs to be fermented or dried and at what temperature. They also handle the blending—mixing the finished products. The quality of the tea leaves is monitored during this blending process. This is what creates a sort of corporate secret and gives the tea its unique character. There are tea variety names that are not patented and can be produced by anyone—such as the “58” or “Zhongguohong” varieties—though quality varies depending on the company or farmer. At the same time, in an effort to stand out, we create our own names for tea blends and patent them. Once that is done, no one else can produce tea under that name. We strive for uniqueness.”
Fengqing Chen Shenghong Tea Co., Ltd., the company hosting us was founded in 2019 by Mr. Chen Shenghe, a tea expert with over 50 years of industry experience. It can be considered a brother of the Xishuangbanna-based company we visited last year. In addition to its tea production facility, the subsidiary boasts a massive complex designed for hosting guests and holding tastings and conferences, attracting partners and tea specialists alike. The entire complex spans 200 acres, and plans are in place to invest over 200 million yuan to develop a high-quality, intensive, and eco-friendly production facility designed in a “garden” style.
The company’s slogan is “We will reveal to you the taste of tea from ancient trees.” They strive to be thoroughly modern and professional, placing a strong emphasis on innovation, quality, environmental sustainability, and health. By using resources from one of the world’s oldest tea-growing regions and employing unique production methods developed by Mr. Chen Shenghe, the company creates a fascinating and diverse product range. All their black tea is produced from the leaves of trees that are over 100 years old. We really appreciated how this is reflected in the company logo, which resembles the growth rings of an ancient tree. It is a magnificent design—one that came at a high price, yet was well worth the investment.
The company makes contracts with farmers who own the trees, purchasing the tea leaf harvest to produce their own tea. The price depends on the age of the old trees and the quality of the raw material.
There is also a training facility where guests are taught how to produce red tea. We went through the process ourselves and received the tea we had made by hand the following day—a wonderful keepsake. Many in our group later admitted they hadn’t realized that the manual production of red tea was so labor-intensive and demanding.
The entire building complex made a strong impression on us with its scale, quality, and sense of solidity. It impresses you the moment you arrive. As we have noted, this is characteristic of companies that care about their image—making an impression with their sheer scale right from the start. And they succeeded in doing just that.
The story of Dian Hong
In the autumn of 1938, the China Tea Company—having relocated from Wuhan to Chongqing—sent tea technologists Mr. Zheng Hechun and Mr. Feng Shaoqiu to Yunnan to survey tea resources and production. In early November 1938, Mr. Feng Shaoqiu arrived at the Fengshan tea plantation in Shunning and remarked: “Western Yunnan… is characterized by vigorous tea tree growth, a long harvesting season… and an abundance of high-quality tea; it is a truly superb region for producing large-leaf varieties—particularly suitable for ‘red tea’ (known as black tea in European classification)—comparable to the large-leaf black teas of India and Sri Lanka. Utilizing this region for red tea production would unlock immense potential.”
n late 1938, under the leadership of Mr. Feng Shaoqiu, “Dian Hong” tea was created, despite the unstable international situation and the extremely difficult conditions in Fengqing. The creation of “Dian Hong” tea was the result of a search for resources during the War of Resistance Against Japan—aimed at exporting black tea and increasing foreign currency earnings—and also provided an opportunity to relocate tea technicians evacuated from tea-growing regions in southern China.
Initially, the tea was named “Yun Hong”—drawing an analogy with “Yi Hong” and “Qi Hong” and evoking the hues of a sunset. In 1940, it was renamed “Dian Hong,” taking its name from “Dian” (the abbreviation for Yunnan province) and the nearby Dianchi Lake, situated at the foot of the majestic Xishan Longmen Mountains.
In 1958, the Fengqing Tea Factory produced its first batch of top-grade “Dian Hong” tea. That same year, they also produced “Golden Bud” tea—a grade even higher than the premium “Dian Hong Gongfu.” It was sold on the London market for 500 pence per pound, setting a record for the highest tea price at that time. This tea was presented as a state gift to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, and other foreign dignitaries.
Since April 6, 1991, the Fengqing County committee and government have held an annual red tea festival. So, if you love red tea, try to attend. And be sure to taste red tea made from large tea trees!
I would like to express my gratitude to Tian Shuiyu and Chen Xiaoshun, as well as the museum staff, for the information provided during my trip. And also our intepretor Victor who assisted us a lot during this trip.