One in every five cups of white tea sold worldwide comes from Jinggu, SW China's Yunnan

Photo shows a tender tea bud in a tea garden in Jinggu Dai and Yi Autonomous County in Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The Jinggu Dai and Yi Autonomous County in Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province, is a major white tea production area in the country. Its core large-leaf white tea planting area spans 200,000 mu (about 13,333 hectares) and yields 13,000 tonnes of premium white tea annually.

With a total output value exceeding 5 billion yuan (around $724 million), the county leads Yunnan in both white tea production and cultivation, meaning one in every five cups of white tea sold worldwide comes from Jinggu.

Fossils of broadleaf magnolia, dating back 35.4 million years, and Chinese magnolia fossils, dating back 25 million years, have even been discovered in the county.

Photo shows a tea garden in Jinggu Dai and Yi Autonomous County in Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Jinggu large-leaf white tea is distinguished by five key traits: long buds, large leaves, fine downy hairs, a rich aroma, and a naturally sweet taste. Grown along the Tropic of Cancer at an elevation of 1,700 meters, the tea thrives in the mountainous terrain, where cool temperatures create an ideal environment for exceptional quality. Today, Jinggu boasts 256,700 mu of certified organic tea gardens.

In April 2025, Jinggu introduced a digital "tea ticket" for its large-leaf white tea. By scanning a QR code, consumers can explore the full story of each tea cake, including where it was picked, the exact tree, the harvest date, and even the artisan who handcrafted it.

A farmer picks tea leaves in a tea garden in Jinggu Dai and Yi Autonomous County in Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

On an ancient tea mountain in Yangta village, tea gardens have been turned into open-air "museums". At the Digital White Tea Traceability Center and the Broadleaf Magnolia Fossil Exhibition Hall, experts, students, and tourists gathered, making up a small part of the area’s 20,000 visitors each year.

In 2024, Jinggu was recognized as the "Home of Large-Leaf White Tea," and its large-leaf white tea was recognized as a nationally renowned, special, and high-quality new agricultural product.

Two women drink tea in a tea garden in Jinggu Dai and Yi Autonomous County in Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province.