Pu-erh is the only class of Chinese tea where the name of the place on the wrapper works as the name of the cultivar. Lao Banzhang, Yiwu, Bingdao, Xigui are not tea plant cultivars and not processing methods, but geographical addresses to which the market has attached a stable flavor profile and a stable price. To read these addresses, one needs a map of levels: the same word can mean a prefecture the size of an oblast, a single mountain, and one village on its slope.
This registry is that map. It brings together three levels of gradation, explains what stands behind our tier notation and the market term 古树 (gǔshù), and shows which names form the recognized core of pu-erh geography.
Three Levels: 产区 · 名山 · 村寨
Pu-erh geography is built on a matryoshka principle, and confusion almost always arises from mixing levels.
- 产区 (chǎnqū) — a macro-region, an administrative prefecture. There are four, and this is the largest scale: “tea from Lincang” says about origin roughly as much as “wine from Burgundy”.
- 名山 (míngshān) — a “named mountain”, a mountain range or group of gardens within a 产区. Here a recognizable style already appears: Yiwu is soft, Bulang is powerful.
- 村寨 (cūnzhài) — a village or a specific plot on a slope. This is the market’s ultimate level of detail, and it is what determines price: the difference between two villages on one mountain can be tenfold.
A name from one level regularly migrates to another. 景迈 is both a mountain from the “new six” list and the village 景迈山 in the 名寨 registry. 巴达 is both a mountain and the village 章朗 on it. 南糯 exists in three qualities at once: a massif, a mountain, and a named village. This is not an error in the registry but a property of local toponymy; one simply needs to clarify the scale each time.
江内 and 江外 — the Main Watershed
The Lancang River (澜沧江, Láncāngjiāng), the upper course of the Mekong, flows through the pu-erh zone. The river divides Xishuangbanna in two, and this division is older than any modern ranking.
- 江内 (jiāngnèi, “inside the river”) — the eastern bank: Mengla County and the adjacent part of Jinghong. Here stand the 古六大茶山 (gǔ liù dà chá shān), the “six ancient tea mountains”, which became famous as early as the Qing dynasty as suppliers of imperial tribute.
- 江外 (jiāngwài, “outside the river”) — the western bank, Menghai County. Here stand five of the 新六大茶山 (xīn liù dà chá shān), the “six new tea mountains”, whose fame is largely a phenomenon of the 20th and 21st centuries; the sixth of them, Jingmai, lies outside Xishuangbanna in Lancang County of the Pu-erh Prefecture.
The division is convenient because it almost coincides with the flavor boundary. The east (Yiwu and its neighbors) yields softness, sweetness of the liquor, and a long aftertaste. The west (Bulang, Menghai) yields strength, bitterness, and a powerful returning sweetness. “Almost” here is not a hedge for caution’s sake: exceptions are real, and Nannuo on the western bank is noticeably softer than its neighbors.
Four 产区
| 中文 | Russian name | Tier | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 西双版纳 | Xishuangbanna | S | The historical core of pu-erh: 古六山 and 新六山, Banzhang and Yiwu. Includes Menghai, Mengla, and Jinghong |
| 临沧 | Lincang | S | 天下茶仓, the tea granary of the Celestial Empire: the largest supplier of raw material; the Mengku gene bank; Bingdao and Xigui |
| 普洱 (思茅) | Pu-erh (Simao) | A | Former Simao; birthplace of Jingmai and Kunlushan |
| 保山 | Baoshan | B | Further north than the rest; more Dianhong and Yunnan green tea, little pressed tea |
The 普洱 prefecture and the drink 普洱茶 are different things. The city was renamed Pu-erh in 2007, and its name says nothing about where a given tea was grown: pu-erh from Lincang remains pu-erh, and green tea from the Pu-erh Prefecture does not become pu-erh.
古六大茶山 — Six Ancient Mountains
All six lie in Xishuangbanna: five in Mengla County, one in Jinghong.
| 中文 | Russian name | Tier | Signature | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 易武 (慢撒) | Yiwu (Mansa) | S | 汤柔水甜 — soft liquor, sweet water | The largest of the six; the core is Mahei, Guafengzhai, Bohetang, Wangong |
| 倚邦 | Yibang | A | 细腻香甜 — fine, aromatic-sweet | The historical capital of the six mountains; 小叶种, small-leaf forms, grow here |
| 蛮砖 | Manzhuan | A | 质厚香滑 — dense, aromatic-smooth | 味最胜, “surpasses the rest in taste”: the formula of Ruan Fu |
| 革登 | Gedeng | B | 清甜 — clean-sweet | In the Bulang language, “a high place” |
| 莽枝 | Mangzhi | B | 柔甜 — soft-sweet | Between Yibang and Gedeng |
| 攸乐 (基诺) | Youle (Jino) | B | 香扬苦回甘 — high aroma, bitterness with returning sweetness | The only one of the six in Jinghong |
新六大茶山 — Six New Mountains
| 中文 | Russian name | Parent | Tier | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 布朗 | Bulang | Xishuangbanna · Menghai | S | 霸气苦回甘 — commanding bitterness with a long return. Includes Lao Banzhang, Lao Man’e, Banpen |
| 南糯 | Nannuo | Xishuangbanna · Menghai | A | 柔花蜜香 — soft floral-honey. A historical garden, 半坡老寨 |
| 勐宋 | Mengsong | Xishuangbanna · Menghai | A | 香甜厚 — aromatic, sweet, dense. Includes Naka; also has a 苦茶, bitter line |
| 景迈 | Jingmai | Pu-erh · Lancang | A | 兰花香 — orchid aroma. A UNESCO World Heritage Site |
| 巴达 | Bada | Xishuangbanna · Menghai | B | 山野厚 — mountain-forest density. The wild “king of tea trees” stood here |
| 南峤 (勐遮) | Nanqiao | Xishuangbanna · Menghai | B | 平和 — even, without pronounced corners. The plain zone of Mengzhe |
名山 Beyond the Two Sixes
The two sixes are the canonical history. Lincang and Pu-erh have given their own names, and in market weight they are not inferior.
| 中文 | Russian name | 产区 | Tier | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 勐库 (东西半山) | Mengku (eastern and western half-slopes) | Lincang · Shuangjiang | S | The western half-slope: the Bingdao line, Dahusai, Xiaohusai, Dongguo, Da Xueshan; the eastern: Bannuo and its 藤条茶 |
| 邦东 | Bangdong | Lincang · Linxiang | S | 昔归冰糖甜 — the “rock-candy” sweetness of Xigui; also Naha (那罕) and Manggang (曼岗), the 藤条茶 tradition |
| 困鹿山 | Kunlushan | Pu-erh · Ning’er | S | 贡茶细腻 — the finesse of imperial tribute; a semi-cultivated old tree community |
What the Tiers Mean
The tiers S+ · S · A · B are our editorial scale, not a state standard and not an industry certification. GB/T contains no such gradation, and no body assigns it. The scale compresses three observable things: the stability of reputation, the scarcity of raw material, and the order of price on the market.
- S+ — absolute scarcity and a price benchmark. Volumes are measured in tens of kilograms per year; there are more fakes than originals.
- S — the peak of fame at real, albeit small, volumes.
- A — widely known, authoritative names; the tea is available, the price is high but not prohibitive.
- B — other named terroirs: the name is fixed and significant, but there is no mass frenzy around it.
The tier speaks about the position of the name on the market, not about the quality of a particular cake. Tier B raw material, picked carefully and dried properly, will easily outperform a carelessly made S. The reverse is also true, and far more often.
Tree Type and Shaping Method
The registry notes which trees the raw material comes from. This is a separate axis that does not coincide with the geographical one.
- 古树 (gǔshù) — old trees; for most named villages this is the main or only type.
- 大树 (dàshù) — large trees, the next step down in age.
- 野生 (yěshēng) — wild-growing: Da Xueshan, Qianjiazhai, part of Bada.
- 过渡型 (guòdùxíng) — “transitional type”, an intermediate form between wild and cultivated tree; the famous example is Bangwai.
- 半栽培 (bàn zāipéi) — semi-cultivated communities, as in Kunlushan: neither a garden nor a forest.
Separately, 藤条茶 (téngtiáo chá) stands apart: not a tree type but a method of crown shaping. Shoots are left long and flexible, like a “vine”, with excess leaves removed. The tradition is maintained in Bannuo and Bangdong, and it noticeably changes the taste.
The relationship between age categories is discussed separately; see gushu, dashu, wild and taidi.
名寨 Registry — Named Villages
The order is by 产区 and mountain, not by tier; count the rows from the tables themselves.
Xishuangbanna · Menghai (江外)
| 中文 | Russian name | Mountain | Tier | Tree | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 老班章 | Lao Banzhang | Bulang | S+ | 古树 | 茶气最足, 霸气 — maximal energy; heavy bitterness and astringency that turn into long sweetness; honey aroma |
| 老曼峨 | Lao Man’e | Bulang | S | 古树 | 苦茶 — the benchmark of bitterness that breaks into strong 回甘; also has a sweet 甜茶 line |
| 班盆 | Banpen | Bulang | A | 古树 | Close to Lao Banzhang, softer; a common accessible alternative |
| 新班章 | Xin Banzhang | Bulang | A | 古树 | Strong, slightly softer than Lao Banzhang; a Hani village nearby |
| 贺开 | Hekai | Hekai | A | 古树 | 厚甜 — dense-sweet, even, soft bitterness; continuous old gardens |
| 那卡 | Naka | Mengsong | S | 古树 | 香甜厚 — aromatic, sweet, dense, balanced; a Lahu village, the 竹筒茶 tradition |
| 帕沙 | Pasha | Nannuo | A | 古树 | 柔甜花香 — soft-sweet with a floral note |
| 南糯山 | Nannuoshan | Nannuo | A | 古树 | 柔, 花蜜香 — soft floral-honey; 半坡老寨 and 多依寨 |
| 大勐宋 (苦茶) | Da Mengsong | Mengsong | B | 古树 | 苦劲 — bitter strength; cool highlands |
| 巴达 (章朗) | Bada (Zhanglang) | Bada | B | 古树 · 野生 | 山野气, 厚 — mountain-forest character |
Xishuangbanna · Mengla and Jinghong (江内)
| 中文 | Russian name | Mountain | Tier | Tree | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 麻黑 | Mahei | Yiwu | S | 古树 | 汤柔水甜, 韵长 — the benchmark of classical Yiwu, the most extended 韵 |
| 薄荷塘 | Bohetang | Yiwu · state forest | S+ | 古树 | 清雅花蜜 plus minty coolness, 细腻 — extremely scarce, the price peak of Yiwu |
| 刮风寨 | Guafengzhai | Yiwu · state forest | S | 古树 | 野韵强 — strong wild resonance, floral-honey aroma; a Yao village |
| 茶王树 | Chawangshu | Yiwu · Guafengzhai | S+ | 古树 | High floral-fruity-honey aroma, dense liquor, strong energy |
| 弯弓 | Wangong | Yiwu (Mansa) | S | 古树 | 花蜜香, 细腻饱满 — floral-honey, fine and full; the historical core of Mansa |
| 落水洞 | Luoshuidong | Yiwu | A | 古树 | 甜柔, 蜜香 — sweet-soft, honeyed; its own legend of the “king of tea trees” |
| 铜箐河 | Tongqinghe | Yiwu · state forest | A | 古树 | Wild, cool, dense |
| 曼松 (贡茶) | Mansong (gong cha) | Yibang | S+ | 古树 | 甜润细腻 — sweet-juicy and fine, the bearing of imperial tribute; about 10 kg per year from old trees |
| 倚邦 | Yibang | Yibang | A | 古树 | 细腻 — fine, sweet-aromatic; small-leaf forms exist |
| 蛮砖 | Manzhuan | Manzhuan | A | 古树 | 质厚香滑 — dense and smooth, light bitterness with a strong return |
| 革登 | Gedeng | Gedeng | B | 古树 · 小树 | 清甜 — clean-sweet; volumes are small |
| 莽枝 | Mangzhi | Mangzhi | B | 古树 · 小树 | 柔甜 — soft-sweet |
| 攸乐 (基诺) | Youle (Jino) | Youle | B | 古树 | 香扬 — high aroma, pronounced bitterness with a return. The only one in this table located not in Mengla but in Jinghong |
Lincang
| 中文 | Russian name | Mountain | Tier | Tree | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 冰岛老寨 | Bingdao (old village) | Mengku, western half-slope | S+ | 古树 | Almost no bitterness and astringency, high aroma, rock-candy sweetness, coolness in the throat: the “king of Lincang” |
| 冰岛五寨 (南迫 · 地界 · 坝歪 · 糯伍) | Five Bingdao villages | Mengku | S | 古树 | The same rock-candy line, softer than the old village. In parentheses are the four satellites; the fifth of the 五寨 is 冰岛老寨 itself, in the row above |
| 大雪山 | Da Xueshan | Mengku | A | 野生 | Strong mountain-forest character, density; a wild old community at 2200–2750 m |
| 小户赛 | Xiaohusai | Mengku, western half-slope | A | 古树 | 花香甜厚 — floral, sweet, dense; large old gardens |
| 坝糯 | Bannuo | Mengku, eastern half-slope | A | 古树 (藤条) | 劲扬, 高香 — sharp, high-aroma, firm; the benchmark of the eastern half-slope |
| 懂过 | Dongguo | Mengku, western half-slope | B | 古树 | 厚甜 — dense-sweet |
| 昔归 | Xigui | Bangdong | S | 古树 (藤条) | Rock-candy sweetness, orchid, clear energy: the “Banzhang of Lincang”; spring is much stronger than autumn |
| 那罕 | Naha | Bangdong | A | 古树 | 甜润, 花香 — sweet-juicy, floral |
| 忙肺 | Mangfei | Mangfei | A | 古树 · 大树 | 甜醇, 厚 — sweet-mellow, dense |
Bingdao, Xigui, Da Xueshan, and Mangfei together are called 临沧四小龙, the “four little dragons of Lincang”.
Pu-erh (Simao)
| 中文 | Russian name | Mountain | Tier | Tree | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 困鹿山 | Kunlushan | Kunlushan | S | 古树 (半栽培) | 细腻甜润 — fine and sweet-juicy, the bearing of imperial tribute; about 1939 mu of semi-cultivated old trees |
| 景迈山 | Jingmaishan | Jingmai | A | 古树 | 兰花香 — pronounced orchid, astringency that turns into sweetness, a mountain 韵; a UNESCO World Heritage Site |
| 邦崴 | Bangwai | Bangwai | B | 过渡型 古树 | Dense, mountain-forest; the famous transitional-type tree about a thousand years old |
| 千家寨 | Qianjiazhai | Ailaoshan | B | 野生 | 野韵 — wild resonance; the wild “king of tea trees” about 2700 years old |
How to Read This Registry — and What It Does Not Promise
The registry answers the question “what is the name written on the wrapper”. It does not answer four other questions, and these should not be confused.
The name on the wrapper does not prove origin. Lao Banzhang is the most counterfeited address in Chinese tea: the village’s annual volume is incommensurable with the volume of tea sold under its name. The registry describes what the terroir is known for, not confirms that a purchased cake is from there.
The profile is a signature, not a tasting note. Formulas like 汤柔水甜 or 霸气 are compressed market characteristics used by buyers. A specific batch depends on the year, harvest season, altitude, weather, and the hands of the master more than on a row in the table.
The tier does not equal quality. It equals the position of the name on the market. This was said above, but it bears repeating: this is where mistakes happen most often.
The list is not closed. Named villages appear and lose weight; 冰岛五寨 entered circulation recently, and some old names almost never appear for sale. The registry records the current state, not an eternal canon.