Da Xue Shan, or “Great Snow Mountain,” rises to 3,480 meters in the Lincang region of southwestern Yunnan. Its peak remains snow-covered year-round, giving the mountain its name.
Wild tea, locally known by Yunnan farmers as Shan Cha, grows here at elevations between 2,000 and 2,300 meters. Despite the altitude, these wild tea trees sprout earlier than most cultivated teas in Yunnan and across China—ready for harvest by late March.
Tea from Da Xue Shan is celebrated for its gentle taste and the subtle fragrance of wild orchids. The local farmers belong to the Li Su ethnic minority, a rare mountain-dwelling group in Yunnan. True to their nature, they prefer to produce less tea and live a simple, traditional life—just as they always have.
