travel · 5 May 2026
A Week in Yunnan's Tea Villages: Xishuangbanna and Pu-er Country
Yunnan's Xishuangbanna prefecture is the origin of pu-er tea and home to ancient tea gardens that have been producing for centuries. This guide covers how to spend a week exploring the tea culture, villages, and forests.
Xishuangbanna (西双版纳) sits at China's southern tip bordering Laos and Myanmar, home to 13+ ethnic groups and the centre of pu-er tea production. Visit in the dry season (November–April); spring (February–April) coincides with tea picking. Jinghong (景洪) is the Mekong-side capital and transport base.
Key tea village areas: Menghai County (oldest factories, Menghai Tea Factory since 1940); Nannuo Mountain (Akha villages, tea trees reportedly 800+ years old); Bulang Mountain (Bulang ethnic minority, older trees, rougher roads, more genuine experience).
Activities: tea tasting sessions with village families (buy tea as appropriate reciprocation, ¥200–2,000 per 357g cake by tree age); Dai Water Splashing Festival in mid-April; Tropical Botanical Garden near Menglun; Mekong boat trips between villages.
Getting there: Kunming to Jinghong by air (1 hr) or bus (8–10 hr). Hire a local driver for mountain village trips.
Tags
yunnan, tea, pu-er, xishuangbanna, travel, nature