Pu'er

Pǔ'ěr (普洱), previously known as Sīmáo (思茅), is a prefecture-level city in Southern Yunnan. It has been a center for trade, mainly with Myanmar, for centuries. It is perhaps best known for its eponymous tea. In 2024, it had a population of 2.34 million people.

Understand

Pu'er is the source of the name Pu'er tea. Pu'er is in the south of Yunnan Province, next to Laos and Myanmar. It has unique natural conditions suitable for tea tree growth, so it has become one of the birthplaces and main production areas of Pu'er tea.

Get in

By plane

• 1 Pu'er Simao Airport (普洱思茅机场), 123 Siting Road, Simao District (思茅区思亭路123号) (there is no dedicated airport city bus, but the airport is close to the city center so a taxi ride to your hotel should be relatively cheap), ☏ +86 879 2153017. A small airport with only a few flights per week. As of October 2022, flights are only available from Changsha, Chengdu. Kunming and Mangshi. (updated Oct 2022)

By train

• 2 Pu'er Railway Station (普洱站), Kunming-Mohan Expressway, Simao District (思茅区昆磨高速) (bus nos. 3 and K1 are the main buses connecting the station to the city; there are also special tourist buses operating between the station and several of the city's major tourist attractions). A relatively new station, which opened in late 2021 with the completion of the Kunming-Mohan Railway. Trains from Kunming take 2½ to 3½ hours to reach Pu'er. From Jinghong, the journey time is only about 40 to 50 minutes. (updated Oct 2022)

By bus

• 3 Pu'er Bus Station (普洱客运站), 148 Zhenxing Avenue, Simao District (思茅区振兴大道148号) (there is a bus stop outside the station, which is served by bus nos. 1, 4 and CX01), ☏ +86 879 2308286. The city's main long-distance bus station. (updated Oct 2022)

See

• 1 Pu'er Museum (普洱市博物馆), No. 10 Pu'er Culture Center, Binhe Road, Simao District (思茅区滨河路普洱市文化中心10号) (take bus no. 4 and get off at the Pu'er Grand Theatre bus stop), ☏ +86 879 2306961. 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30, closed on Mondays. Part of a cluster of museums in the same building complex, which also includes the Pu'er Museum of Urban Planning, Science and Technology (普洱市城市规划与科技馆), the Pu'er Art Museum (普洱市美术馆) and the Pu'er Tea Museum (普洱茶博物馆). Free. (updated Oct 2022)

Do

• 1 China Pu'er Tea Exhibition Garden (中华普洱茶博览苑) — Yingpan Mountain, Yixiang Town, Simao District (思茅区倚象镇营盘山) (take the special tourist bus that departs from outside Pu'er Railway Station) ☏ +86 879 2813788. Open daily 08:30-17:30. Entry tickets cost ¥30, battery car tickets also cost ¥30 (as of Oct 2022).
• 2 Pu'er Sun River National Park (普洱太阳河国家公园) — Dakai River Road, Yixiang Town, Simao District (思茅区倚象镇大开河段) (take the special tourist bus that departs from outside Pu'er Railway Station) ☏ +86 879 3027663. Open daily 08:00-18:00. Admission ¥150 (as of Oct 2022).
• 3 Pu'er Tea Horse Road Scenic Area (普洱茶马古道旅游景区) — Pu'er Avenue, Simao District (思茅区普洱大道) (take the special tourist bus that departs from outside Pu'er Railway Station; you can also get here on bus no. 3). ☏ +86 879 3088111 (enquiries), ☏ +86 879 3016111- (complaints). 121027478@qq.com Open M-Th 08:00-17:30, no entry after 16:30, F Sa 08:00-18:00, no entry after 17:00. Admission:=battery car tickets cost ¥10, the museum charges ¥60, the eagle show is ¥50, and the lake cruise is ¥30; all-inclusive tickets are also available for ¥80 (as of Oct 2022).
• 4 Jingmai Mountain (景迈山) — Lancang Lahu Autonomous County (澜沧拉祜族自治县) (about 200 km from downtown Pu'er and about 60 km from the county seat of Lancang County). Listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site, this mountain is covered in old tea trees and tea has been produced here since the 10th century CE (as of Sep 2023). A company called Abaila Cultural Tourism (阿百腊文旅) operates bus services to the area from Pu'er Simao Airport, Pu'er Railway Station, and Lancang Jingmai Airport as well as the airport and railway station in Jinghong - tickets can be purchased on the company's WeChat account; alternatively you could get a bus to Huimin (惠民), which is the nearest town; buses to Huimin depart from Lancang Bus Station.

Buy

Pu'er town view

The area's best-known product is Pu'er cha, Pu'er tea, a heavily fermented tea packed into flat cakes. These were originally for the horse caravan trade into Tibet and Myanmar. The cakes are embossed with designs, pretty enough that some people hang them as wall ornaments.

Eat

• Crossbridge rice noodles are a very famous traditional dish in Yunnan, and although the origin of this dish is not directly related to Pu'er, it is very popular in Yunnan areas such as Pu'er. Rice noodles are made of rice, smooth taste, accompanied by hot soup, vegetables, meat and other ingredients, delicious, usually eat with rice noodles, soup and side dishes, hot soup can release the aroma of the ingredients to become a highlight.
• Pu'er sausage is one of the special food in Yunnan province. Pu'er climate is suitable for curing sausages, traditional Pu'er sausage is generally mixed with pork and seasoning, after air drying and smoking, the taste is fragrant and the meat is firm. It can usually be eaten with rice or as a snack.

Drink

Pu'er tea, as a drink, usually refers to tea made from Pu'er tea leaves in Yunnan Province. Pu'er tea has a long history of drinking, it is not only loved in China, but also has gone international, and has become a favorite drink of tea friends around the world. Pu'er tea can be divided into many different types according to the processing technology, fermentation degree and aging year, mainly including raw Pu'er tea and cooked Pu'er tea. Raw Pu'erh, also known as green Pu'erh, tea is not fermented after picking, belongs to the unfermented tea, the taste is relatively fresh and fragrant, but with the aging of time, the taste gradually becomes mellow and sweet.

Ripe Pu'er by artificial acceleration of the fermentation process, the taste is more mellow, mild, with a familiar earthy and woody aroma. Ripe Pu'er is characterized by a soft taste and easy entry.

Sleep

Residents of Pu'er region, like residents of other parts of Yunnan, usually have a relatively leisurely pace of life. The local lifestyle pays attention to the "slow life", which is also conducive to good rest and sleep.Pu'er tea contains caffeine, which makes it have a certain refreshing effect.Pu'er City is located in the southern part of Yunnan Province, located in the plateau, the climate is warm and humid, the four seasons like spring. Such climate characteristics can help people's rest and sleep quality.

Connect

Pu'er, as an important city in Yunnan, plays an important role in the connection with the outside world, whether it is transportation, economy, culture, or education. As the birthplace of Pu'er tea, it promotes the global spread of tea and maintains close trade and cultural ties with Southeast Asia and beyond. With the improvement of infrastructure, Pu'er will become closer to the outside world and become an important bridge between China and the international community.