Tea Mountains Dahusai (Mengku)

When talking about Mengku Pu'er, Bindao comes to mind first, but Dahusai (Chinese: 大户赛, pinyin: dàhùsài) is also quite popular in recent years. Dahusai is also one of the highest villages (except for Sanjia (Chinese: 三家村, pinyin: Sānjiā cūn)) in this region. Recently, when spring tea appears on the market, everyone asks about Dahusai tea, as it is considered the most promising.

Dahusai is one of the 18 Famous Villages of Mengku , one of the most famous tea producing areas on the western slope. The village is located in the Daxueshan Mountain Range, on the western slope, 39 km from the provincial capital. Transportation is poor, but there is a dirt road to the village. It borders Liangzi Village (Chinese: 梁子村; pinyin: Liángzi cūn) to the east, Gonglong (Chinese: 公弄; pinyin: gōnglòng) to the south, Gengma County (Chinese: 耿马县; pinyin: Gěngmǎxiàn) to the west, and Dongguo (Chinese: 懂过; pinyin: dǒngguò) to the north. Dahusai includes Dahusai (Chinese: 大户赛, pinyin dàhùsài), Huajiaoshu (Chinese: 花蕉树, pinyin Huājiāoshù), Hebianzhai (Chinese: 河边寨, pinyin Hébiānzhài) and 12 small villages. The average annual temperature is 25 degrees, precipitation is 200 mm.

Dahusai is located at an altitude of over 2000 m and is second in altitude only to Sanjia Village (Chinese: 三家村, pinyin: Sānjiā cūn), but has more convenient access to the wild tea trees of Banma Daxueshan (Chinese: 邦马大雪山, pinyin: Bāngmǎ dàxuěshān). The average age of the tea bushes is over 200 years, the type of bushes is large-leaved, tree-like. Although some of the ancient trees have been pruned, most are in good condition. Ancient trees make up about 40% of the tea plantations. Due to their favorable location, the trees are surrounded by fog and precipitation all year round. This gives the tea trees diffused light and sufficient humidity necessary for the production of the highest quality raw materials. This creates the special taste of Dahusai puer tea, which is so popular with tea lovers and brings it fame as one of the most promising

The indigenous people living in this area are the Wa (Chinese: 佤族, pinyin: Wǎzú) (or Kawa people) and the Lahu (Chinese: 拉祜族, pinyin: Lāhù zú) people. According to the records of the Lahu people, tea was already planted here about 300 years ago. The Han people began moving to this area 150 years ago. Now the majority of the population is made up of the Lahu and Han people. At least 500 mu of plantations created in the last years of the Qing Dynasty (before 1908) by the Han people have survived. Some of the best ancient tea tree parks are located in Dahusai. The Lahu people live along the banks of the river, and trees over 200 years old are located there. The circumference of the trees is 90-110 cm, the growing area is 50-60 mu. They have never been pruned, the trees are tall, the branches are strong, there are many buds and shoots on the branches. Now Dahusai has 150 households, of which 60 belong to the Lahu people, the rest to the Han. The peoples live separately from each other.

Special geographical and climatic conditions make the raw material from Dahusai different from other productions on the western slope of Mengku. Tea raw materials with fatty buds, after drying become black shiny color, which is why it was called "big black leaf" (Chinese: 大黑叶, pinyin: Dàhēiyè). This tea was highly valued during the period of the Chinese Republic (from 1912 to 1949). The tea infusion is bright yellow, transparent, the aroma is thick, pronounced, with a confident bitterness, which gradually turns into sweetness, resistant to brewing. Already from the first cup, the sweet aftertaste is bright and long. The tea aroma is pronounced, the drink moistens the throat, is the standard of such a penetrating and amazing tea of Lincang County.

Dahusai is also called: "Mengku Double Wall" (Chinese: 勐库双壁, pinyin: měngkù shuāngbì). There are two special places that deserve mention. They are the Shennong Temple ("divine farmer", patron god of agriculture and medicine), located at the foot of the mountain, and the Temple of the God of Wealth (Chinese: 财神庙, pinyin: cáishénmiào). People going to the village and farmers invariably burn incense on the altar before climbing the mountain. Burning incense before picking tea is an integral tradition of the locals.