Cloud tea is like life; life is learning, wisdom is cultivation.
Dear old friends, today I would like to talk about a name many old tea lovers have heard — Liming Tea Factory. When people mention Yunnan’s state-owned tea factories, most remember only Menghai Tea Factory and Xiaguan Tea Factory, but in fact the history of Liming Tea Factory is equally worth knowing.
Back in the 1950s, after the founding of New China, everything awaited rebuilding. Yunnan, as one of China’s most important tea-producing regions, saw the government vigorously promote the nationalization and modernization of the tea industry. Against this backdrop, Liming Tea Factory was formally established in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna. The Menghai of those days was ringed by primeval forest and ancient tea gardens, with fresh air and fertile water and soil — a natural treasure land for developing the tea industry. The factory’s location was no accident: the Menghai region had been the core producing area of Pu-erh tea since ancient times, with moderate altitude, abundant rainfall and large day-night temperature differences — natural conditions that created the tea’s distinctive quality.
Liming Tea Factory’s first workers were recruited largely from the local Dai, Hani, Bulang and other ethnic minorities. These people had dealt with tea trees for generations and possessed a natural sensitivity to picking and primary processing. The establishment of the state-owned factory gathered this scattered folk tea-making experience into a systematic production process. From fresh-leaf picking, kill-green, and rolling to drying, every step had strict standards. This standardized production made the tea’s quality more stable and greatly increased output.
I remember my first encounter with Liming Tea Factory’s products in the 1980s — that mellow taste left a deep impression on me. The state-owned factories of that era may not have had advanced equipment, but the devotion and experience of their tea masters were priceless. They judged the kill-green temperature by feel and discerned the degree of fermentation by nose — things no machine could replace. The wo dui process of ripe Pu-erh requires masters to watch over it day and night, observing changes in temperature and humidity and turning the pile at the right moments — all of it built on decades of accumulated experience. In a good cup of ripe tea, the polyphenols have been transformed through wo dui fermentation into gentler substances, reducing stimulation of the stomach while retaining the fat-lowering and digestion-aiding benefits — especially suitable for older friends as a daily drink.
Tea has grades high and low, but everyone may enjoy it regardless of status. The birth of Liming Tea Factory is not just the story of one factory — it is the epitome of an era. In those days of material scarcity, tea was one of the few things that could bring spiritual comfort. After a day’s labor, brewing a pot of strong tea and sitting at the factory gate chatting with fellow workers — that was the simplest happiness of that generation. Our living conditions are far better now, but that pure love of tea should not fade with time.
Looking back at the birth of Liming Tea Factory, I deeply feel that a good tea factory needs the right timing, the right place and the right people. Menghai’s fine mountains and waters were the place; the state’s policy support was the timing; and the perseverance of generations of tea makers was the people. None of the three could be missing — together they made Liming Tea Factory’s decades of brilliant history. The way of wellness is the same: it needs a good environment, the right methods and persistent effort. A cup of tea every day is not only a pleasure of taste — it is an act of care for your own body. Making friends through tea — please, have a cup.
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Author: Lam Sam (LamSam), the Old Tea Head
ZENTEA MANOR
Alliance Supply Chain Services Limited
www.zentea-shop.com
