Puer 普洱

About Puer

The municipal museum at the Culture Centre presents ethnic, tea and Tea Horse Road themes, while the separate Tea Horse Road scenic area at Lameipo places the trading story in an outdoor setting. These are useful first stops before travelling to distant tea mountains. Jingmai is part of the wider Pu’er region but is not a nearby city attraction, so give it a separate travel plan.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the area distributed tea produced across southwestern Yunnan, giving Pu'er tea its name. Records from the Ming period refer to 'Pu Tea'. The city was renamed Simao in 1950 and took the name Pu'er again in 2007, when the surrounding county became Ning'er and Simao remained the name of the urban district.

The wider prefecture borders Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. Mountainous terrain covers 98.3 per cent of its administrative area, with elevations ranging from 376 to 3,306 metres. Ethnic minority communities form a majority of the population. Tea remains a substantial contributor to regional income, although the sharp fall in tea prices during 2007 caused economic hardship before prices recovered.

What to look for

• The municipal museum’s tea and ethnic-culture galleries explain the region beyond its famous product name.
• Lameipo’s Tea Horse Road scenic area combines route heritage with an interpreted landscape.

Location & getting there

Getting to Puer

Start at Pu’er Museum in the Culture Centre at 10 Binhe Road, Simao District. For the outdoor extension, arrange a separate local transfer to the Tea Horse Road scenic area at Lameipo northwest of the urban centre.