The 26 Mts of Yunnan

1. Xishuangbanna Yiwu tea growing area

The Yiwu tea growing area is located in the Yiwu Township of Mengla County. The greater Yiwu region encompasses the four townships of Mansa, Mahei, Yitian and Manluo. In ancient times, local ethnic Bulang people were the primary growers of tea. By the end of the Qing dynasty, large numbers of Han merchants arrived in Yiwu and began growing tea. They founded businesses to engage in the tea trade, establishing a collection point among the six famous tea mountains. In practice the Yiwu tea district also includes Mansa Tea Mountain. Today the Yiwu tea growing areas are approximately 15,000mu (1mu = 1/6acre) in size and produce approximately 600 tons of tea per year. They lie between 820 and 2000 meters in elevation and have a very marked topography. Yearly rainfall is between 1,000 and 1,800mm. There are between 1,600 and 2,000 hours of sunshine per year and a relative humidity of 80%. The weather is warm and humid all year around with no frost.

2. Xishuangbanna Nannuo tea growing area

Nannuo Tea Mountain is located in Bulanghe Township of Menghai County and is mainly inhabited by ethnic Hani people. It lies 22km from Jinghong and 20km from Menghai. During the 1920’s, the Republic of China government established Yunnan’s earliest tea industry testing ground at Nannuo Mountain. The Nannuo Mountain area contains vast tea growing areas and possesses a long history of growing tea. Its history of tea cultivation can be traced back to the Tang dynasty (618-920AD). It is also the oldest test-bed of industrialization in Xishuangbanna. Today there are still more than 10,000mu of remaining Nannuo Mountain old tea gardens. Combined with the past several decades of development in tea cultivation, this has made Nannuo an important source of raw tea material for the Menghai area. Nannuo Mountain has a mild climate with a yearly average temperature of 18.7°C. Lying at elevations between 800 to 1500m, it serves to divide the climates of Menghai and Jinghong. Temperatures range from 3°C to 33.5°C. It is said to possess: “winters without brutal cold, and summers without extreme heat. There are many foggy days, but ample amounts of warm sun. Rainfall is plentiful.” Average relative humidity is 78%.There are an average 100 to 150 foggy days per year, which makes Nannuo a fine example of the saying “High, foggy mountains produce famous tea.”

3. Xishuangbanna Youle (Jinuo) tea growing area

Youle Tea Mountain, also known as Jinuo Mountain, derives its name from being the primary residence of the Jinuo people. Today it is classified as a township of Jinghong city and includes the three towns of Manci, Shizui, and Sitong. To the northeast, it borders the tea mountain of Gedeng, while to its southwest is Xiaomengyang. It is the head of the ancient six famous tea mountains and has a long tea growing history as the center of this large mountain tea growing area. Today the Youle tea growing area is around 4,500mu and produces around 200 tons of tea yearly. The tea growing areas are between 570 and 1,650 meters in elevation. It is part of the northern tropics, with a yearly rainfall of 1,000 to 1,800mm. There are between 1,600 and 2,000 hours of sunshine per year and a relative humidity of 85%. The weather is warm and humid all year around with no frost.

4. Xishuangbanna Yibang Tea Mountain

Yibang Tea Mountain lies in Xiangming Township of Mengla County. In the Dai language, Yibang is known as “Mola.” It is one of the six famous tea mountains. It encompasses six villages, and the terrain is dominated by mountains. This area is home to numerous ethnic minority people. Yibang’s Mansong village tea was once offered as imperial tribute tea, since Mansong village tea was considered the best in Yibang. Yibang tea trees are mostly old trees. The mountain contains a relatively large number of tea varieties. Large leaf, medium leaf and small leaf varieties are all distributed throughout the area. Among them, small leaf varieties are of higher quality than the area’s big leaf varieties. In recent years, small scale new tea plantations have begun to appear. The elevation of the Yibang area is between 850 and 1900 meters, and it contains extremely visible topography. Yearly rainfall is between 1,000 and 1,800mm. There are between 1,600 and 2,000 hours of sunshine per year and a relative humidity of 75%. The weather is warm and humid all year around with no frost.

5. Xishuangbanna Manzhuan Tea Mountain

Manzhuan Tea Mountain today lies in the Xiangming Township of Mengla County. It is one of the six famous tea mountains and is located beside Yexiang Mountain, with Mozhe River running between the two mountains. The primary tea producing areas are located in Manzhuan (Manzhuang). Today it contains large areas of new tea plantations. The elevation of this area is between 850 and 1900 meters, and it contains extremely visible topography. Yearly rainfall is between 1,000 and 1,800mm. There are between 1,600 and 2,000 hours of sunshine per year and a relative humidity of 75%. The weather is warm and humid all year around with no frost.

6. Xishuangbanna Lao Mansa Tea Mountain

Lao Mansa Tea Mountain is located to the east of the Mengla County Yiwu Township. It borders Laos and is one of the six famous tea mountains. The tea growing area includes Mansa, Manhei, Mannai, and Manla. It is also a part of the Yiwu tea growing area. Mansa Tea Mountain has a mountainous, monsoonal subtropical climate. It lies between 820 and 2000 meters in elevation and has very marked topography. Yearly rainfall is between 1,000 and 1,800mm. There are between 1,600 and 2,000 hours of sunshine per year and a relative humidity of 80%. The weather is warm and humid all year around with no frost.

7. Xishuangbanna Gedeng Tea Mountain

Gedeng Tea Mountain today lies in the Xiangming Township of Mengla County. It is one of the six famous tea mountains. The tea district is located at the bottom of Kongming Mountain. It is linked with Jinuo Mountain and Youle Mountain to form a continuous stretch of tea mountains. The old tea growing areas are not large, occupying just over 800mu. In recent years some new tea plantations have been created. The elevation of this area is between 850 and 1900 meters, and it contains extremely visible vertical changes. Yearly rainfall is between 1,000 and 1,800mm. There are between 1,600 and 2,000 hours of sunshine per year and a relative humidity of 75%. The weather is warm and humid all year around with no frost.

8. Xishuangbanna Mangzhi Tea Mountain

Mangzhi Tea Mountain today lies in the Xiangming Township of Mengla County. It is one of the six famous tea mountains and is located in the area between Yibang, Manzhuang, and Gedeng mountains. It is connected with Gedeng and located near Yanglin village. The area of tea under cultivation is not large. In the past, it fell out of cultivation and became a dense old growth forest. Beginning in the 1980’s, Mangzhi was once again developed for cultivation. Today production is gradually increasing. The elevation of this area is between 850 and 1950 meters, and it contains extremely visible topography. Yearly rainfall is between 1,000 and 1,800mm. There are between 1,600 and 2,000 hours of sunshine per year and a relative humidity of 80%. The weather is warm and humid all year around with no frost.

9. Xishuangbanna Lao Banzhang Tea Mountain

Banzhang Tea Mountain is located in Banzhang Village of Bulangzu Township, Bulang Mountain, Menghai County. It is located 63km from the Menghai county seat. Bulang Mountain’s Bulangzu Township covers an area of 1,016 square kilometers with a population of only 18,000 people. Mountains cover 93% of its land area. The elevation of this area is between 600 and 2100 meters. Two thousand years ago Pu people were already living here (the Pu were earliest indigenous people in Yunnan). The ancient Pu people were the earliest ancestors of Yunnan tea and the first to cultivate, produce, and drink tea. Banzhang is just a simple village, but the tea it produces possesses overpowering chaqi and intense huigan. As a result, it has become famous throughout the world. To tea lovers, Banzhang village has become one of the holy places of Puerh tea.

10. Xishuangbanna Lao Mane (Bulang Tea Mountain)

Lao Mane Tea Mountain is located in Old Mane Village of Bulangzu Township, Bulang Mountain, Menghai County. It is located 70 km from the Menghai county seat. It has a tea growing history of over 900 years. Today Lao Mane village has 128 households and a total of 614 residents. There are 3,205mu of preserved ancient tea gardens and 852mu of new tea gardens. Lao Mane lies at an elevation of 1,700meters. Tea mountains stretch in a continuous chain traversed by ravines. The climate is warm and provides ample sunshine. Rain is plentiful and the soil is rich. Along with Banzhang, Lao Mane belongs to the Bulang Mountain tea region.

11. Xishuangbanna Hekai Tea Mountain

Hekai Tea Mountain is located in the southeast of Menghai County in Hekai Village of Menghun Town. The primary ethnic groups are Hani and Lahu. It is located 50km from the Menghai county seat and belongs to the northern section of the Nannuo mountain chain. Hekai Tea Mountain is divided into Manmai and Mannong old and new villages. It contains Xishuangbanna’s best preserved and largest ancient tea gardens. The tea gardens are primarily distributed along mountains and hills between 1,170 and 1,800 meters. Mountains cover 93.5% of its land area. It possesses a southern subtropical, monsoonal climate and receives plentiful rainfall. The yearly average temperature of 18.1°C and relative humidity is 82%. The climate is warm and moist, providing superior natural conditions for growing tea trees. The areas around the tea mountain have luxuriant tree growth. A natural environment with excellent tree cover creates a harmonious tea garden landscape where “the forest contains tea and the tea contains a forest.” Today there are nearly 8,000mu of ancient tea gardens in the Hekai tea growing area, which produce approximately 250 tons of high quality tea per year.

12. Xishuangbanna Bada tea growing area

The Bada tea growing area is located approximately 60km to the west of Menghai. Originally this was known as the Bada Bulang and Hani Township, but in 2004 it and the Xiding Hani Township were merged to form the Xiding Hani and Bulang Township. Bada Mountain is at the border of Xishuangbanna and Myanmar. Bada Mountain is a mountain area in the truest sense, with 100% of its territory mountainous. Its highest elevation reaches 2,249 meters, and its lowest is along the banks of the Nanlan River at 668 meters. The yearly average temperature is 17°C, and relative humidity is 85%. Beda’s high, empty mountains and deep rivers cover a vast area. Today it contains the largest old growth forest in Xishuangbanna. Bada’s Xiaohei Mountain is also one of the primary wild animal habitats in Xishuangbanna. The Bada wild tea tree in Hesong village has been proclaimed “the king of tea trees.” It is 34 meters tall and its primary trunk spreads out 3.8 meters and is approximately 1 meter in diameter. It is the largest currently known wild tea tree. The Bada ancient tea gardens are concentrated near Manmai Village and occupy nearly 2000mu. Every year between April and October, thick fog shrouds all of Bada Mountain. Tea can be harvested ten months out of the year. During the 1980’s, Menghai Tea Factory built a nearly 10,000mu tea plantation in Bada.

13. Xishuangbanna Mengsong (Menghai tea growing area)

The Mengsong (Menghai) tea growing area is located 25 kilometers from the Menghai county seat. It is primarily inhabited by people of Dai and Lahu ethnicities. The elevation of this area is between 870 and 2,219 meters. It has a southern subtropical, monsoonal climate and a yearly average temperature of 18°C. It has plentiful rainfall and sunshine and a long frostless season. Combined with the rich fertile soil, this area has excellent conditions for growing tea trees. Along with the Nannuo tea growing area, Mengsong is one of the tea growing areas of Xishuangbanna with the longest history. Today its old tea gardens cover nearly 4,000mu. They are primarily distributed in Da’an village, Nanben old village, Nake village, and Baotang old village. New tea plantations cover over 40,000mu. The area has a yearly tea output of nearly 1,000 tons.

14. Xhishuangbanna Da Mengsong Tea Mountain

Da Mengsong Tea Mountain is located in Mengsong Village 31km from Menglong Town of Jinghong City. Menglong Mengsong is an important border village on the border between Jinghong city and Myanmar. It contains Dai, Hani, and Bulang minority ethnic groups. The Mengsong village area lies at elevations between 1,500 and 1,800 meters. Mountains are scattered over its area, and its forest cover is nearly 70%. The yearly average temperature is 17°C. The soil is fertile, the climate is mild, and there is moderate rainfall. The ancient tea growing areas of Mengsong village are nearly 4,000mu in size and produce approximately 120 tons of high quality tea per year.

15. Puerh Jinggu tea growing area

The Jinggu tea growing area is located in the central-western part of Puerh prefecture. Its primary inhabitants are of Dai and Yi ethnicities. It covers a total area of 7,550 km2. Jinggu has a long history. It was already inhabited by humans 3 to 4000 years ago. It was also a prefecture location during feudal dynastic times. On June 11, 1985, the Jinggu Dai and Yi Autonomous County was established. It fell under the jurisdiction of Simao prefecture.

Jinggu’s terrain is largely made up of high mountains. Overall, the terrain tends downward from the north to south. Its highest altitude is 2,920 meters, while the lowest is 600 meters. The topography is markedly steep. It possesses a high-altitude, subtropical, monsoonal climate. An average of 1,253mm of rain falls annually, and the average annual temperature is 20.2°C. Average relative humidity is 78%.

16. Puerh Bangwei tea growing area

The Bangwei tea growing district is locate in Bangwei Village, Fudong Township, Lancang County, Puerh prefecture. Lahu people make up the principal ethnic group. Several hundred mu of old tea forest surround the village. Their output is not large. A famous thousand-plus year old transitional stage tea tree sits in the village. The ancient tea tree grows at an altitude of 1,900 meters. Large quantities of stone axes and other tools from the Neolithic era have been discovered in Bangwei and the villages surrounding it. Some academics believe that the Pu people were already growing tea trees before the time of the Bangwei ancient tea tree. Later because of various natural or human factors, only the most resilient and oldest tree remains. This leads to the conclusion that the Lincang Bangwei region has over one thousand years of tea growing history.

17. Puerh Zhenyuan tea growing area

The Zhenyuan tea area is located in the Puerh Prefecture (originally Simao), Zhenyuan Yi, Hani, and Lahu autonomous county. It lies in the western part of Puerh Prefecture and the middle section of the southwestern Yunnan Ailao and Wuliang mountain chains. Within the area’s border is a string of mountains. In fact, mountainous terrain makes up 97.7% of the land. The total area of Zhenyuan County is 4,109.38 km2. The topography is complex, high in the north and lower in the south. The highest point is 3,137 meters above sea level, while the lowest is 774 meters. The county seat of Enle lies at an elevation of 1,080 meters. Zhenyuan has a subtropical climate, with a yearly average temperature of 18.5°C, 1,284.8mm of annual rainfall, and an average relative humidity of 78%. The Babian, Amo, and Mengtong rivers flow through the area. It was an important stopping point on the Old Tea Horse Road. In 1990, Zhenyuan Yi, Hani, and Lahu Autonomous County was formed. In 1998, county-level administrative offices were moved from the town of Anban to Enle. The Jiujia township village of Qianjia contains a record in the Guinness Book of World Records for a 2700+-year-old, world tea tree king. This has become one of Zhenyuan’s main tourist attractions.

18. Puerh Wuliang tea growing area

The Wuliang mountain system belongs to the southern subsection of the Hengduan mountain chain, which stretches across Yunnan. Along with Ailao Mountain, it is located at the intersection of the Qinghai/Tibetan plateau, the Hengduan mountain range, and the Yunnan high plateau. The mountains are high and steep. The highest point is 3,306 meters above sea level, while the lowest is also above 1,000 meters. It is located at the convergence of the Central and South Asian tropical zones. The natural environmental conditions are complex and diversified. Because the area within Wuliang’s borders contains high mountains and deep gorges, there are large differences in elevation and marked climate changes over its vertical range. The flavor of the tea also has large variation and is difficult to represent with a single description.

19. Puerh Jingdong tea growing area

The Jingdong tea district is located in the west of Puerh (originally Simao) Prefecture. Jingdong County lies at the southern tip of the Hengduan mountain range. The topography is narrow in the north and wide open in the south, and the land surface is composed of deeply cut mountains. Tall peaks, steep hills, and deep canyons are its most prominent features. The highest point (Maotou Mountain) is 3,371 meters above sea level. The lowest (mouth of the Wenxiao River) is 795 meters above sea level. The landscape is formed by “three bodies of water pressing against two mountains.” Wuliang Mountain and Ailuo Mountain occupy a total area of 2,581km2 and 1,740km2, respectively. The primary rivers flowing through the area are the Lancang, Chuan, Zhegan rivers. The Chuan and Zhegan belong to the Honghe river system. This area possesses a subtropical monsoonal climate. Because of the large variations in altitude, there are very marked topographical changes. Winters lack harsh cold and summers lack extreme heat. Rainfall is concentrated with distinct wet and dry seasons. The hot season is also the rainy season, while the cool season goes hand in hand with the dry season. The yearly average temperature is 18.3°C and average relative humidity is 77%.Yearly average rainfall is 1,086.7mm.

20. Puerh Jiangcheng tea growing area

Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County is located in the eastern part of Puerh Prefecture (originally Simao). It is 130km from the city of Puerh. It lies at the intersection of Puerh, Honghe, and Xishuangbanna prefectures and borders Vietnam and Laos. It has often been referred to as “one glance at three countries.” This area is called Jiangcheng because of the surrounding the Lixian, Manlao, and Mengye rivers (Jiangcheng means “river city” in Chinese). The entire county of Jiangcheng covers an area of 3,544.38km2. The terrain slopes upward from east to west. The highest point is 2,207 meters (Kangping Lion Rock Mountain), and the lowest point is 317 meters (Tukahe Village at the mouth of the Lixian River). The county seat of Menglie lies at an elevation of 1,119 meters. This area belongs to a low-latitude, mountainous, monsoonal, subtropical climate zone. The yearly average temperature is 18.7°C and average relative humidity is 85%. Yearly rainfall is 2,283mm. In Yunnan, this is considered a high-temperature, high-humidity and sunny climate.

The Jiangcheng area has a long history of growing tea. During the Republic of China period (1912-1949), its reputation had already spread among Southeast Asian ethnic Chinese circles. Primary tea growing areas of Jiangcheng County are distributed in the towns of Kangping and Zhengdong, and the townships of Guoqing and Jiahe. Large modern tea plantations have been planted in the area along the Niuluo River directly adjacent to Laos. They produce nearly 1000 tons of high quality green tea per year.

21. Puerh Jingmai Tea Mountain

The Jingmai tea growing area is located in the Puerh Prefecture Lancang County township of Huimin. It borders Menghai County in Xishuangbanna. The Jingmai tea growing area covers the Lancang County villages of Jingmai and Mangjing. This stretch of 10,000mu cultivated ancient tea gardens has upwards of 1000 years of history. Scholars believe the Jingmai Tea Mountain was first cultivated over 1200 years ago in 696 A.D. by the ancestors of the Bulang people. The next several dynasties saw a succession of tea planting, leading to the current scale of over 10,000mu under cultivation. Within the ancient tea forest, tea trees are mixed in with the rest of the forest. This has created a fine natural ecology, which is a good example of an ecological tea garden.

22. Puerh Kunlu Tea Mountain

Kunlu Mountain is located in the Puerh Prefecture town of Ninger, village of Kuanhong. It is 31km from the city of Puerh. Kunlu Mountain is made up of a series of emerald peaks with ancient trees stretching toward the sky. Yearly rainfall is between 1,410 and 2,271mm. It is one of the highest mountains in Puerh. A large ancient wild tea forest grows here. A well-preserved old growth tea forest, its total area is 10,122mu. It is the largest ancient tea forest currently known to exist in Puerh prefecture. It is also the closest in Yunnan to Kunming and has the most convenient transportation, the densest growth of ancient tea trees, the most varieties, and the best surrounding vegetation. Kunlu Mountain wild and transitional style tea trees grow in a forest whose altitude is over 1,900 meters. The majority of the trees are over 2,000 years old. There are currently 372 old tea trees under harvest in the vicinity of Kunlu Mountain Village. During the Qing dynasty, Kunlu Mountain tea was a treasured item sent as tribute to Beijing.

23. Lincang Yongde tea growing area

Yongde County belongs to the Laobie mountain area, which lies at the tip of the Hengduan mountain range on the eastern side of the Nujiang River. The topography rises from east to west and slopes northward, resembling piled leaves. The landscape features rows of alternating mountains and water and interconnected hills and embankments. The main peaks are Daxue Mountain, Tangli Mountain, and Sanbao Mountain. This area has a South Asia tropical river valley monsoonal climate. It has moderate temperatures with ample sunshine and rainfall. The climate is spring-like year around. Winters lack severe cold and summers lack intense heat. There are distinct wet and dry seasons and a distinctive three-dimensional climate. The sun shines an average of 2,196.1 hours per year providing 133.58 kilocalories per cm2 of total solar radiation. The highest point is the main peak of Daxue Mountain at 3,504 meters above sea level, while the lowest is the Honghe river valley Hudeng embankment at 540 meters. An average of approximately 1,500 meters elevation is representative. Yearly average temperature is 17.4°C. Extreme highest temperatures can reach 32.1°C. Extreme lows can reach 2.1°C. An average of 1283mm of rain falls annually.

According to reports, currently known wild-type tea trees belong to the Dali and Changguo tea strains. Over 300,000 tea trees are over 40cm in trunk diameter, and nearly 100,000 are between 80 and 200cm. Nearly 1,000 tea trees are over 1,000 years old. Large ancient natural tea gardens cover an area of 100,000mu. They enjoy excellent growing conditions. Wild tea trees and old growth broad leaf forest intermingle in a 1,900 to 2,600 meter elevation South Asian tropical mountainous ecology.

24. Lincang Mengku tea growing area

The Mengku tea growing area is located in Yunnan’s Lincang Prefecture Shuangjiang County town of Mengku. Mengku contains the largest distribution of wild tea trees in Lincang. It is the highest elevation and densest currently known group of Dali variety tea trees growing on earth. These trees grow on the middle and upper reaches of the Shuangjiang County Daxue Mountain and are scattered over more than 12,000mu. The elevation is between 2,200 and 2,750 meters. Mengku ancient tea trees are considered wild-type wild tea. In evolutionary terms, they are more primitive than Puerh tea varieties. These trees possess all characteristics and components of tea trees (tea polyphenols, amino acids, caffeine, etc). They can be used to produce and drink tea. They are genetically primitive and grow in a cold, high altitude region. This tea variety is highly stress and cold resistant. It is a valuable resource for researchers of molecular biology and resistant plant breeds. Today products unique to Mengku are mutations of varieties introduced from Xishuangbanna over 300 years ago.

25. Lincang Fengqing tea growing area

Fengqing County lies in the northwestern part of the Lincang area. It covers a total area of 3,340.2 km2. It is located in the southern section of the west Yunnan longitudinal valley. Within borders of Fengqing is an unbroken line of mountains and alternating landscape of mountains and rivers. The Lancang River and its tributaries the Shundian, Heihui, and Yingchun rivers cut across the area, creating four large canyons running north to south. The western part of the county has more relaxed topography, extending westward like rolling waves. It forms a mountainous and hilly basin with the town of Yingpan at the center. The rest of the area is entirely composed of mountains and canyons. The highest point is the large snow-capped mountain of Huangzhulin at an altitude of 3,098 meters. The lowest point is where the Mengtong River flows out of the area at an altitude of 900 meters. The county seat lies at an altitude of 1,578.8 meters. Rivers within Fengqing County belong to the Lancang and Nujiang river systems. The climate is subtropical, monsoonal and has characteristic hot-wet and cool-dry seasons. The climate is warm and provides ample sunshine. Winters are warm, while summers are cool. Rainfall is concentrated with distinct wet and dry periods. The yearly average temperature is 16.5°C.

There a 56,000mu of ancient tea gardens growing within the borders of Fengqing. Among these are 3,100mu of cultivation-style ancient tea groves, which include a 3,200+-year-old tea tree in Xiaowan town, Jinxiu village known as the “Jinxiu tea ancestor.” Another 21,300mu of cultivated ancient tea gardens, dating to before the Republic of China, lies within Fengqing County. Wild tea forests make up a further 31,600mu. All 13 townships within the county contain wild ancient tea trees as well as cultivation-type ancient tea trees. They can be found throughout the county growing in patches and forests. This county contains one of the largest collections of ancient tea trees in China. At the end of 2006, of the 91,723 agricultural households within the county, 88%, or 80,716, were involved in growing tea. Per capita income from tea was 400RMB (~$50US), or 27.2% of the total per capital income for residents involved in agriculture. It is estimated the entire county contains 238,000mu of tea growing areas and produces 10,554 tons of tea per year. It is one of the largest tea-producing counties in China. The tea industry has become the backbone of the Fengqing County economy. At the end of the Qing dynasty, the Shunning magistrate Qi Lin advocated growing tea and introduced fine outside varieties. This led to a popular interest in growing tea. The Shunying development in tea growing and production was unprecedented and led to the creation of businesses involved in the tea trade. In recent years Dianhong black tea produced in Fengqing has become one of the top three back teas in the world.

26. Baoshan Channing tea growing area

Changning was split off as a county in 1933 from Baoshan (Yongchang) and Shunning (Fengqing). Its name was taken from the final syllables of the two locations. It belongs to Baoshan Prefecture, bordering Fengqing County in the east and in the south separated by a river from Yongde County. The terrain falls from northwest to southeast. It forms a landscape of north-south rows of mountains and valleys. The highest elevation is 2,875.9 meters above sea level, while the lowest is 608 meters. This area possesses a subtropical monsoonal climate. It has four climate belts: low-hot, moderate-hot, mild-cool, and high-cold. Yearly average temperature is 14.9°C. An average of 1,259mm of rain falls annually, and there are 253 frost-free days. There are eight major river systems including the Mangshui River.

Eight ethnic groups have long resided in the Changning area, including Han, Yi, Dai, Miao, Bulang, Hui, Bai, and Lisu. Through the process of discovering tea, growing tea, and drinking tea, generation after generation of people of various ethnicities have created a unique ethnic tea culture in Changning. Along with Fengqing, Changning has a long history of growing tea. Today it has over 2,500mu of ancient tea trees and nearly 100,000mu of ecological tea plantations.