Luo Shui Dong

Luo Shui Dong (落水洞), sometimes translated as “Waterfall Cave” (though carrying a meaning closer to “fall into water” or “sinkhole”) is a famous tea growing village in the northeast of the Yiwu area of Yunnan Province. The village has only 33 households and roughly 120 people. In the past many of the villagers were of the Yi ethnic minority, but today the numbers of Yi people in the village has declined. The tea gardens are a main source of income for the villagers. The area is cloudy and foggy year-round with warm temperatures and lots of rain. The land has a deep and fertile topsoil layer with good soil permeability that provides excellent nourishment for the large ancient tea trees growing there. From Yiwu, Luo Shui Dong is about a half-hour drive. In recent years, some of the tea farmers in the area stopped pruning some of the trees so as to claim that they are more “natural” and thus demand a higher price. Locals call the old-growth forest an “oxygen bar” due to the fact that the air is so rich in oxygen. 

Luo Shui Dong was originally called Man Luo (曼落). Near the center is a large cave containing water that is connected to the nearby river system through underground currents. The cave is said to be a place where the Seven Immortals (七仙) bathed. Even during the rainy season, the water from the cave does not overflow due to its underground connection to the river, hence the name “sinkhole.” 

Luo Shui Dong tea is said to be of such high quality due to the unique environment of the area. The village is surrounded by high mountains which creates a basin that is surrounded by clouds and mist all year round. This dims the sunlight creating a diffuse light source which is known for being ideal for tea plant growth. The abundant rainfall in the area that washes down the mountains has also created an excellent, deep humus soil layer. Additionally, the tea farmers of the area are excellent craftsmen and take care to preserve the tea trees well. 

Luo Shui Dong is also home to an 800-year-old “King Tea Tree.” The tree is no longer living, but it is preserved as a cultural relic. Called a “living fossil of a tea tree,” it attracts tea experts, scholars, and tea enthusiasts who come to pay homage to it. The tree is 12.6 meters high and has a crown diameter of 6 meters. 

Tea History of Yiwu 

Yiwu (易武) has a long history of tea planting and tea making with more than 200 years of glory in the tea industry. It has come to be known as one of the birthplaces of the most profound Pu'er tea culture. 

In the Tang Dynasty, tea cultivation began in Yiwu, along with the other six major tea mountains in Xishuangbanna (西双版纳), under the jurisdiction of Yinsheng Prefecture (银生府), corresponding to the present-day ancient city of Yinsheng. 

In the Ming Dynasty, with the introduction of advanced processing technology into Chashan, the local tea trade developed unprecedentedly.

During the Yongzheng (雍正) and Qianlong (乾隆) years of the Qing Dynasty, some tea mountains, with Yiwu as the core, developed rapidly and reached a peak period where thousands of people were entering the mountains to make tea. This period stretched from the time of the Daoguang Emperor to the Republic of China.

At that time, Yiwu District and Yibang District produced more than 100,000 catties of tea annually, and were designated as tribute tea production areas by the imperial court. Tribute tea was shipped to Beijing every year. In order to strengthen the management of Yibang (倚邦), Yiwu (易武), and other tea mountains, Qing Dynasty official Ertai (鄂尔泰) set up Qianliang Tea Offices in Yiwu, Yibang, Cheli (车里) and other places. 

In 1845, in order to facilitate the tribute tea, Pu'er House (普洱府), the name at the time for what is presently called Pu’er City, built a stone road with a width of six feet and a length of 240 kilometers using government funding. It was paved from Yiwu through Yibang to Pu'er.  This road was the origin of the famous "Tea Horse Road" (茶马古道). After that, merchants and caravans gathered in the Yiwu area, and it became the largest tea-making center and trade distribution center among the six major tea mountains in the Pu'er Prefecture.

At that time, there were more than 20 big tea names in Yiwu, famous at home and abroad, some of which had established business names in Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, and other overseas countries. Yiwu tea was supplied to the whole Southeast Asian market and continues to be one of the most popular Pu’er tea regions today.

Yiwu Ancient Town: The Source of The Ancient Tea Horse Road

The Ancient Tea Horse Road was an ancient trade route between Yunnan, Sichuan, and Tibet. Tea from Sichuan and Yunnan was transported by caravans and traded for horses and medicinal materials from Tibet. It was given the name “Cha Ma Gu Dao” (茶马古道), which translates to "Ancient Tea-Horse Road."

At that time, the Pu'er tea produced in Yiwu was exported to Tibet and other areas in Southeast Asia. During the peak tea production season, the number of people who came to purchase and transport tea could reach up to 10,000. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, merchants gathered in Yiwu which made for a lively tea market.

Many horse and cattle caravans passed through Yiwu for trade. The horse caravans were responsible for long-distance transportation, and the cattle caravans were responsible for short-distance transportation. Many road sections of the ancient trade route are still in use around Yiwu today as can be seen from the traces of stone pavement and depressions from horse hooves left in areas where the original road existed.