Tea is called “the mystical foliage from
the East”. Scholars believe the south-western China Yunnan is the birthplace of
tea. This is confirmed by the fact that the oldest wild tea trees are found
scattered across geographic Yunnan region.
The No.1 wild tea tree is located in the
virgin forest of Qianjiazhai, Ailao Mountain Nature Reserve, Yunnan Province
(24° 7' N, 101° 14' E, 2100-2500 meters altitude). This ancient plant has been
growing to a height of 25.6 meters (84 feet). Experts estimate it is about 2700
years old. So ancient that it has great reference value for studying the source
and survival mode of tea trees.
Ailao Mountain is a subtropical moist
broad-leaved forest. Qianjiazhai wild tea tree community is a plant community
with tea tree as the dominant species. There are related plants inherited and
evolved from the Tertiary period, such as Magnoliaceae, Fagaceae, Camellia and
other plant groups.
This ancient tea forest was found in 1970s
when the local government organized a feasibility study on building a reservoir
in Qianjiazhai. Nevertheless, this No.1 tea tree was not found until 1991. In
October 2001, it was adopted by a tea company. Ever since then it has been
protected by metal fence, and guarded by designated personnel.
