Baihua Tan is part of the Tongqing River, a renowned Pu'er tea production area in Yiwu, located in the Yao Autonomous Township of Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. It is situated at the confluence of the Tongqing River, Bulong River, and Jinchang River, and its unique geographical location has created a favorable natural environment.
It is a tranquil place nestled in the forest by the water. Various wild flowers grow near the mountain stream, with baihua (wildflowers) being the most abundant, hence the name. Baihua Tan stands out from the Tongqing River as an emerging micro-production area, following Bingdao, Laobanzhang, and Cha Wang Tree as another classic micro-production area for tea.
The ancient tea trees in Baihua Tan can reach heights of over ten meters, with deep roots and broad crowns, and large leaves. Its tea leaves have a distinctive flavor, a heavy body, and a strong wild character, with great vigor and full tea energy. The raw tea is highly recognizable, with straight, hard strips, due to the high content of pectin in the leaves.
Those fortunate enough to taste the ancient tree tea from Baihua Tan often describe it with the word “wild.” Its flavor is substantial, with a full mountainous character, rich and mellow taste, and a fragrant aroma. The aftertaste is intricate and dense, with a sweet return that feels like a spring welling up under the tongue, a cool throat resonance, and a strong bodily sensation. It is a rare small-region ancient tree tea.
The tea from Baihua Tan has a unique taste, with a delicate floral fragrance in the dry leaves, and a very flavorful aroma when brewed. The tea soup is bright yellow, wonderfully sweet on the palate, and then the sweetness rolls into the throat, with a touch of oily bitterness on the tip of the tongue. The salivation and returning sweetness are elegant, lively, gentle, and graceful, swaying beautifully.
In general, the tea from Baihua Tan is elegantly sweet, fragrantly smooth, fresh and refreshing, with a balance between light bitterness and sweetness, a full-bodied and layered mouthfeel, and moderate bitterness. There was less rain on the tea mountains this year, leading to a 30% to 50% reduction in tea production, but the overall quality of the tea has improved, making it a good year for stockpiling tea.