Finding The Largest and Most Expensive Tea Tree In The World (WILD: Episode 1)
The most prized Pu’er tea trees produce tea leaves that’s worth thousands per kilo. Discovered in 1991, the largest of these tea trees is 84 feet tall, nestled in the Ailao Mountains near Qiangzha Village in the Yunnan province of China. At 2,700 years-old, it is also considered one of the oldest.
Clarissa Wei takes us on a hike through the mountains of Pu’er to find this elusive tree, which many villagers consider a deity.
Written and Voiceover by: Clarissa Wei
Featuring: Leah Li
Produced by: Clarissa Wei
Shot by: Lui Chen
Edited by: Nicholas Ko
Mastered by: Victor Peña
Music: Audio Network
Clarissa Wei takes us on a hike through the mountains of Pu’er to find this elusive tree, which many villagers consider a deity.
Written and Voiceover by: Clarissa Wei
Featuring: Leah Li
Produced by: Clarissa Wei
Shot by: Lui Chen
Edited by: Nicholas Ko
Mastered by: Victor Peña
Music: Audio Network
Transcript
00:00Had to put away the fancy cameras-
00:03because they don’t want the security guards to know.
00:05*coughs*
00:06I just ate a bug.
00:14We have just left the city and are driving 10 hours west to Ailao mountains,
00:19where we will be hiking to a 2,700 year old tea tree.
00:23Now tea is one of the most lucrative cash crops in this part of China,
00:27and the wild tea trees in this area are prized especially
00:30for their natural sweetness.
00:32We can’t drink from this particular tree that we’re going to,
00:34We can’t drink from this particular tree that we’re going to,
00:36The Ailao mountains are in Pu’er City,
00:38known for producing the most expensive teas in the world.
00:42For example a single kilogram can sell for well over $2,000 USD.
00:48My guide today is Leah Li. She is a local tea farmer and merchant.
00:53And she often takes people on hikes
00:55into this protected national park
00:57home to the world’s largest tea tree.
01:00So this area is heavily protected, there are even cameras in the trees.
01:03The only way to get in
01:05is if you apply for a permit beforehand, which we have done.
01:09and it's because these ancient tea trees
01:10are worth thousands and thousands of dollars.
01:32So all of the trees that we’ve been seeing around here are numbered.
01:35Why did they number them?
01:50Now ancient tea trees are prized for a reason.
01:53They’re sought after for their unique taste and because the trees get so big,
01:56they can be quite dangerous to harvest.
02:10While it’s illegal to pick from these trees,
02:13many people will make the journey anyways.
02:51For people like Leah, tea is not just another drink. It's a way of life.
02:56This is the ultimate pilgramage,
02:58the opportunity to see the largest tea tree in the world.