Yunnan white tea
Yunnan White Tea Craft Inheritance and Innovation
Yunnan White Tea follows the ancient process of “The Way is Simple”, with “no frying and no kneading” as the core, and retains the original flavor of the tea leaves to the maximum extent through natural withering and sunlight.
Unlike the delicate processing of Fujian White Tea, local tea growers utilize the richness of the large-leaf tea leaves to create a unique flavor that combines sweetness and orchid aroma. Especially in high altitude areas (such as Nanjian Wuliang Mountain 1700-2500 meters), the scattered light environment of clouds and mist significantly increases the amino acid content of the tea leaves (up to 6% in some ancient tea trees), resulting in a tea broth as fresh and clean as a spring, with a long-lasting taste in the throat. Yunnan White Tea Craft Inheritance and Innovation
Geographical characteristics and varieties of advantages
- Distribution of core production areas
Nanjian plateau white tea: famous for its “fresh, sweet, mellow and refreshing” flavor formed by the altitude gradient, with the output reaching 806 tons in 2024 and the output value exceeding 258 million yuan, and the leading enterprises driving the transformation of tea farmers to increase their income. Tea farmers transformation to increase income;
Jinggu Dabai tea: triploid rare varieties, rich in aroma and high nutritional value, the brand value of 662 million yuan in 2025, the scale of certification of organic tea gardens in the forefront of the province.
- Tea Tree Resource Characteristics
The proportion of large-leaf ancient tea trees is more than 40%, the leaves are fat and rich in pectin substances, which gives the tea soup a stronger sense of wrapping and resistance to brewing;
Jingmai Ancient Tree White Tea is not kneaded to retain the integrity of the inner texture, cold extraction, cooking and drinking are suitable, orchid and grassy flavor mingled to present a sense of hierarchy.
Market positioning and industrial upgrading
Yunnan white tea breaks through the competitive pattern of traditional tea through differentiation strategy:
Quality upgrade: single-bud white tea is sold at RMB 800/kg, which doubles the price of traditional sun-dried green tea;
Science and technology empowerment: expert workstations to guide soil improvement and biological control, reshaping the ancient tea tree ecological chain;
Culture and tourism integration: tea estates combined with eco-tourism, the development of tea culture experience line, such as Wuliangshan North Latitude 25 degrees tea estate of 500 acres of ancient tea mountain project.
Differential characteristics from Fujian White Tea
| dimension | Yunnan White Tea | Fujian White Tea |
| raw material | Ancient tea trees with large leaves and thick leaves | Medium-small leaf variety, delicate buds and leaves. |
| technique | Natural withering + sunshine, retaining the wild flavor. | Indoor withering is the main focus, emphasizing the refinement of the craftsmanship |
| mouthfeel | Mellow and full-bodied flavor, with remarkable orchid and fruity aroma. | Elegant floral aroma, higher freshness and freshness. |
| Number of brews | Generally more than 15 steeps, with excellent toughness of the leaf bottom. | Usually 8-10 steeps, with decreasing flavor in the later stage. |
Future Development Trends
With the promotion of “Yunnan White Tea” Geographical Indication Protection, the industry is accelerating standardization and branding:
High-quality enterprise (Yunnan Chunming Tea) stabilizes the supply chain through large-scale purchase (annual procurement volume of over 40 tons).
Increased number of awards at international tea festivals, promoting Yunnan White Tea as another world-class tea category after Puerh Tea.
