Victoria's Tea Sourcing Trip 2017 - Fengqing, Yunnan

Recently, Victoria traveled to Fengqing, Yunnan to see a 3,200 year old puerh tea tree, said to be the oldest puerh tree. This particular tree made its rounds across the internet back in 2007 when news circulated that a 499-gram tea cake from this tree was going to be auctioned in Shenzhen with a starting price of 300,000 yuan (approximately $39,000 USD at the time).

The environment in Fengqing on the way to see the ancient puerh tree is ideal and serene. Very little human intervention has been allowed to affect these areas.

Can it possibly get any more peaceful and majestic than this? Away from the trappings of modern civilization, one can admire all of the beauty that nature has to offer. 

Ancient puerh trees, known as gu shu, are tea bushes that have not only been harvested for making puerh tea, but have also been left to grow into full-size trees. They are often hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. Although the gu shu term is frequently tossed around, true gu shu lives up to its "ancient" name and is often very expensive.

These gu shu trees have survived all sorts of myriad changes in their environments, having lived through the rise and fall of civilizations. Their history alone makes them almost magical, and in this case, the tree in the above photo is the 3,200 year-old puerh tree.

Here Victoria is standing in front of the 3,200 year-old puerh tree. It is somewhat difficult to get a sense of how large this tree actually is. In person, the experience is quite humbling and awe-inspiring. The tree proudly dwarfs everything around it. Notice its size in comparison to the tree on the right in the photo.

Here is yet another look at this beautiful tree against a steel gray sky. It epitomizes the reality and beauty of life itself, having stood firm against the elements time and time again, never ceasing to offer up its bounty.

One will not find another tree quite like this one. While many trees claim the title of gu shu, depending on with whom you're speaking, this tree is the standard against which all others are judged.