春茶
Main pu'er harvest; village examples: Lao Banzhang picks in March–April (see that entry); vendors report April first-flush picking in Hekai, Pasha and Lao Man'e.
勐海
Menghai
Self-described largest pu'er-planting county in China (905,900 mu, 41,100 t maocha); home of Menghai Tea Factory and of Bulang, Nannuo, Hekai, Bada, Pasha, Mengsong.
- Level
- County
- Within
- Yunnan › Xishuangbanna
At a glance#
- Output
- Dry maocha (干毛茶) 41,100 t, as reported on the county tea-resources page published 2026-08-31; the page does not state the data year (inference: 2025).
Where it lies#
Tea places nearby, plotted by their coordinates. Only physical positions are shown, no boundaries.
1811 places shown Across the view · 198 km
107 places shown Across the view · 104 km
Picking calendar#
雨水茶
Rainy-season leaf; in neighbouring Xiding township the rainy season runs May–October and rain-season leaf fetched roughly a quarter to a third of the spring price in 2017.
谷花茶
Autumn leaf is traded separately (e.g. Lao Banzhang autumn maocha prices were reported for 2012–2013); no county-level dates found.
Terroir#
- Slope and light
- Altitudinal zoning (county climate page): <750 m north tropical; 750–1,000 m, 1,000–1,200 m and 1,200–1,500 m south-subtropical belts; 1,500–2,000 m mid-subtropical. Weather-station normals: 1,318.5 mm and 18.9 °C (1981–2010, zh Wikipedia); en Wikipedia gives 1,340.9 mm and 20.3 °C for 1991–2020 at the 1,223 m station (temperature looks high against the county's own 18.9 °C; not verified).
Cultivation#
- Cultivars grown
- Yunnan large-leafFoxiang (佛香) clonal seriesYunkang 10
- Landraces
- Seed-propagated local large-leaf populations (Menghai large-leaf, 勐海大叶种) dominate: around Menghai town 64,269 of 67,851 harvested mu are seedling large-leaf tea and only 2,649 mu clonal varieties.
- Plant age
- Ancient-tree gardens are about 6% of county tea area (56,200 of 905,900 mu, inference from county figures). The county's Republican-era old gardens were put at about 80,000 mu, against more than 47,000 mu in a 2017 county page, with most trees 200–500 years old.
- Practice
- Most area is terrace or 'ecological' tea (生态茶); county reports 385,000 mu certified organic (2026) and programmes for interplanting shade trees and protecting old trees (728 trees tagged).
Local words#
People#
- Dai 傣族
- Valley-dwelling group; many Menghai place names (Meng-, Man- 'village') are Dai.
- Hani (incl. Aini) 哈尼族
- Main group of Gelanghe township (Nannuo, Pasha) and of Lao Banzhang.
- Lahu 拉祜族
- Hekai's tea villages are Lahu.
- Bulang (Blang) 布朗族
- Menghai has the largest Bulang population of any county in China.
Market#
- Trading towns
- Menghai town (勐海镇)
- Output
- Dry maocha (干毛茶) 41,100 t, as reported on the county tea-resources page published 2026-08-31; the page does not state the data year (inference: 2025).
- Prices of teas claiming this origin
- Menghai town alone has 78 tea shops and 194 processing/refining enterprises (2017); the county lists 18,028 registered tea business entities (2026). Village-level maocha prices span two orders of magnitude, from tens of yuan/kg for terrace rain-season leaf to five figures for Lao Banzhang old-tree spring leaf.
Misnaming to watch for: 'Menghai' on a wrapper may mean the county or Menghai Tea Factory/Dayi; see the existing ambiguity note.
History#
- 1940-09Fohai Experimental Tea Factory (佛海实验茶厂) founded under Fan Hejun (范和钧), predecessor of Menghai Tea Factory. Economic Daily gives 1939 and names Zhang Shicheng (张石城) as co-founder.
- 1952Factory resumes work as Fohai Tea Factory (佛海茶厂).
- 1953Fohai county renamed Menghai; the factory becomes Menghai Tea Factory (勐海茶厂).
- 1996Factory reorganised as 西双版纳勐海茶业有限责任公司.
- 2004-10-25Menghai Tea Factory restructured as a private enterprise (later Dayi/TAETEA group).
- 2025County tea area passes 900,000 mu; whole-chain tea output value reported above 35 billion yuan.
Other names and written forms 4#
Chinese variants
- 佛海Fohai
Romanisations
- Meng Hai
Translations and trade names
- Fohai
- Mueang HaiTai Lue/Lao form; 'Meng' derives from 'mueang' (polity/town).
Names and ambiguities#
Menghai the county vs. Menghai the factory
'Menghai' on a wrapper can mean the county (any Menghai-area producer) or Menghai Tea Factory (Dayi). TeaDB gives an example of a '2004 Menghai 7532' that was not an official Dayi production. Historically the area overlapped the earlier Fohai (佛海) and Nanqiao counties, so retroactive use of 'Menghai' for pre-1950s events is anachronistic.
Founding year of the Fohai Experimental Tea Factory
County tea value figures
Notes#
The county was called Fohai (佛海) before the 1950s, which is why the factory's founding name was Fohai Tea Factory.
Prices of teas claiming this origin#
China market quote Brand suggested price International retail
China reference prices centre on about $219.27 per 100 g. 21 international listing(s) cost less than half of that, so their origin claims deserve a closer look.
Show as table
| Product | Vendor | Channel | per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooked Yellow Mark Pu'er Cake CNNP | Tea Masters | International retail | $14.01 |
| Banzhang Mountain Soul Sheng Pu'er | Moychay.nl | International retail | $21.69 |
| TE LaoMan'E Kucha | Tea Encounter | International retail | $22.69 |
| Fangmingyuan Bama | Tea Encounter | International retail | $26.03 |
| CNNP 7262 Ripe Pu'er Tea Cake | Yunnan Sourcing | International retail | $29.69 |
| I've got the Power 2026 Laomane Raw Pu'er | Bitterleaf Teas | International retail | $31.00 |
| Xinbanzhang Raw Pu'er Spring | Bitterleaf Teas | International retail | $37.50 |
| CNNP Farmer Ban Zhang Raw Pu'er Tea Cake | Yunnan Sourcing | International retail | $38.66 |
| Nannuo Duo Yi Zhai | Tea Encounter | International retail | $42.04 |
| Pu'er Tee - Shou BU Lang Zheng Shan Cake Pest.Free | Yoshi en | International retail | $47.09 |
| Pu'er Tee - Sheng BUlANG SHE Cake Pest.Free | Yoshi en | International retail | $49.32 |
| Pu'er Tee - Sheng Nannuo Shan Brick Pest.Free | Yoshi en | International retail | $53.79 |
| Green Peacock Lao Man'e | Teas We Like | International retail | $54.62 |
| Nannuo Gushu | The Essence of Tea | International retail | $55.46 |
| Hai Lang Hao Nan Nuo Shan Gu Shu Raw Pu'er Tea Cake | Yunnan Sourcing | International retail | $60.99 |
| Spring Lao Man E Gushu | Farmerleaf | International retail | $64.43 |
| Lao Banzhang Sheng Pu'er | Yoshi en | International retail | $67.82 |
| Yunnan Sourcing Nannuo Ya Kou Raw Pu'er Tea Cake | Yunnan Sourcing | International retail | $78.00 |
| Nan Nuo Shan Ba Ma Village 500+ Years Old Gushu Pu'er | Tea Habitat | International retail | $98.77 |
| Nannuo Shan Cooked Pu'er | Postcard Teas | International retail | $99.77 |
| Lao Ban Zhang Old Tree Sheng Dragon Balls | Crimson Lotus Tea | International retail | $99.80 |
| 陈升号 老班章青饼 357克 参考价 | ZZCTea | China market quote | $127.33 |
| Pu'er Tee - Sheng Bulang Cake Pest.Free | Yoshi en | International retail | $154.21 |
| Lao Ban Zhang Raw Pu'er Tea Cake | Yunnan Sourcing | International retail | $217.80 |
| 雨林档案·老班章（传统系列） | Yulin Gucha Fang suggested price | Brand suggested price | $219.27 |
| Gu Ming Xiang Lao Ban Zhang Gu Shu Raw Pu'er Tea Cake | Yunnan Sourcing | International retail | $220.81 |
| Lao Ban Zhang Spring | Tea Urchin | International retail | $240.00 |
| Lao Banzhang autumn | pu-erh.sk | International retail | $262.21 |
| Lao Banzhang Gushu | pu-erh.sk | International retail | $432.10 |
| Lao Banzhang Imperial Sheng Pu'er | Yoshi en | International retail | $439.77 |
| Lao Banzhang '06 | pu-erh.sk | International retail | $657.54 |
| Lao Banzhang '05 | pu-erh.sk | International retail | $768.34 |
| Lao Banzhang '03 | pu-erh.sk | International retail | $883.29 |
| Lao Ban Zhang 800+ Years Old Tree 1st Pick Green Pu'er | Tea Habitat | International retail | $899.47 |
| Lao Ban Zhang 800+ Years Old Tree 1st Pick Green Pu'er | Tea Habitat | International retail | $899.47 |
| Lao Ban Zhang King Ancient Tree Green Pu'er | Tea Habitat | International retail | $1,640 |
Listings claiming this origin 36#
Price ranks compare recorded retail offers for the same tea, including offers outside the current delivery filter. Shipping and import charges are excluded.
Prices compared in the selected currency; unknown values appear last.
| Product | Vendor | Price | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
Cooked Yellow Mark Pu'er Cake CNNP
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Tea MastersSelected destinations |
$50.00 / 357 g | $14.01 ≈ $0.98 a session |
Banzhang Mountain Soul Sheng Pu'er
Details and price notesCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
Price shown for delivery within the EU, including VAT. The final price may vary by destination country. |
Moychay.nlSelected destinations |
€9.67 / 50 g | $21.69 €19.34 / 100 g ≈ $1.52 a session |
TE LaoMan'E Kucha
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Tea EncounterWorldwide |
£68.00 / 400 g | $22.69 £17.00 / 100 g ≈ $1.59 a session |
Fangmingyuan Bama
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Tea EncounterWorldwide |
£78.00 / 400 g | $26.03 £19.50 / 100 g ≈ $1.82 a session |
CNNP 7262 Ripe Pu'er Tea Cake
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Yunnan SourcingSelected destinations |
$106.00 / 357 g | $29.69 ≈ $2.08 a session |
I've got the Power 2026 Laomane Raw Pu'er
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Bitterleaf TeasSelected destinations |
$62.00 / 200 g | $31.00 ≈ $2.17 a session |
Xinbanzhang Raw Pu'er Spring
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Bitterleaf TeasSelected destinations |
$75.00 / 200 g | $37.50 ≈ $2.63 a session |
CNNP Farmer Ban Zhang Raw Pu'er Tea Cake
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Yunnan SourcingSelected destinations |
$138.00 / 357 g | $38.66 ≈ $2.71 a session |
Nannuo Duo Yi Zhai
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Tea EncounterWorldwide |
£63.00 / 200 g | $42.04 £31.50 / 100 g ≈ $2.94 a session |
Pu'er Tee - Shou BU Lang Zheng Shan Cake Pest.Free
DetailsCompare the details Recorded seller claims; a blank means unrecorded here, not necessarily absent from the seller’s page. Matching production does not establish identical storage or condition.
|
Yoshi enSelected destinations |
€149.90 / 357 g | $47.09 €41.99 / 100 g ≈ $3.30 a session |
Price references 2
For comparison only. These are not retail offers or confirmation of delivery to your selected destination. Compare the same batch, date and pack size; shipping and taxes may differ.
Prices compared in the selected currency; unknown values appear last.
| Product | Vendor | Price | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| 陈升号 老班章青饼 357克 参考价 China market quote
quote of 2026-06-08 · checked: 2026-10-18
|
ZZCTea | CN¥85,000 / 9996 g | $127.33 CN¥850.34 / 100 g |
| 雨林档案·老班章（传统系列） Brand suggested price
checked: 2026-10-18
|
Yulin Gucha Fang suggested price | CN¥1,230 / 84 g | $219.27 CN¥1,464 / 100 g |
Prices recorded on the dates checked. Conversions use ECB rates dated 2026-10-20; original prices appear alongside. Origin, age and cultivar are stated by the vendor.
Places within#
布朗山
Bulang Mountain Bùlǎngshān
China's main Bulang township (about 1,000 km², 535–2,082 m) on the Myanmar border; 126,400 mu of tea incl. 24,000 mu old trees, with Lao Banzhang and Lao Man'e.
draft
南糯山
Nannuo Mountain Nánnuòshān
Hani mountain about 20 km east of Menghai town on the Jinghong road: about 30 villages, 12,000 mu of old gardens, and the site of Yunnan's first machine tea factory (c. 1940).
draft
贺开
Hekai Hèkāi
Lahu tea villages in Menghun town with about 16,000 mu of old trees, billed as China's largest contiguous ancient tea garden; on the road from Menghai to Lao Banzhang.
sourced
巴达
Bada Mountain Bādá
Bulang–Hani tea area in Xiding township on the Myanmar border, known for the 1,700-year wild 'Bada tea king' (now dead) on Dahei Mountain and Zhanglang old gardens.
sourced
帕沙
Pasha Pàshā
Hani (Aini) administrative village of Gelanghe township south-west of Nannuo; about 3,000 mu of old gardens at about 1,600–1,800 m, mist-bound most of the year.
sourced
勐宋
Mengsong Měngsòng
Township in north-east Menghai, north-west of Nannuo; old-tree villages such as Nanben Laozhai and Sanmai, and a regular Menghai Tea Factory (Dayi) sourcing area.
sourced
Teas associated with this place#
88青饼
88 Qingbing
A collector name associated with Menghai 7542 cakes selected and stored by Hong Kong merchant Vesper Chan; the name alone does not establish a 1988 harvest.
sourced
生普
Sheng pu'er shēng pǔ
Pu-er made from sun-dried maocha without the accelerated wet-piling used for shou; its character changes with manufacture and storage.
draft
熟普
Shou pu'er shú pǔ
Pu-er whose sun-dried maocha undergoes controlled wet-piling, producing a distinct ripe style through microbial, moisture and heat-driven changes.
sourced
老班章生茶
Lao Banzhang sheng pu'er Lǎo Bānzhāng shēngchá
Sheng Pu-er identified with Lao Banzhang village in Menghai; a precise village-origin claim that needs lot-level provenance.
draft
南糯山生茶
Nannuo sheng pu'er Nánnuòshān shēngchá
Sheng Pu-er from Nannuo Mountain in Menghai, where named village gardens offer more precise origins than the mountain label alone.
draft
Cultivars that originate here#
Producers based here#
勐海茶厂
Menghai Tea Factory Měnghǎi Cháchǎng
The most influential pu'er factory; its standard recipes such as 7542 and 7572 are reference points for the whole market.
sourced
陈升号
Chen Sheng Hao Chén Shēng Hào
Menghai pu'er company best known for Lao Banzhang cakes; runs an anti-counterfeit lookup for its wrappers.
sourced
黎明茶厂
Liming Tea Factory Límíng Cháchǎng
Menghai (Mengzhe) factory that began as the tea unit of the state Liming Farm in 1964; makes pu'er under the Bajiaoting brand, now within the Yunnan Nongken group.
sourced
福海茶厂
Fuhai Tea Factory Fúhǎi Cháchǎng
Menghai-based Pu Erh producer behind the Fuhai brand and recurring numbered raw and ripe tea families.
sourced