Our Story — Jiuchen Qilu Tea
From the mist-shrouded peaks of Yunnan to your cup — we are on a mission to share the world’s most remarkable tea with those who appreciate authenticity, craftsmanship, and the passage of time.
The Beginning
In 2012, on the slopes of Nannuo Mountain in Xishuangbanna, a third-generation tea grower named Li Chen made a decision that would change everything. For decades, his family had cultivated ancient tea trees — some over 300 years old — selling their harvest to middlemen who blended it away into anonymity. The trees had stories. The leaves had character. Yet they were lost in a supply chain that valued volume over voice.
Li Chen believed that Pu-erh tea — the only tea that improves with age like fine wine — deserved to be known by its origin. Every cake should carry the name of its mountain, the year of its harvest, the age of its trees. So he founded Jiuchen Qilu (九宸栖露): a brand built on transparency, heritage, and an uncompromising commitment to quality.
The name itself tells the story. “Jiuchen” (九宸) — the nine celestial palaces — represents our aspiration to reach the highest standards in every cake we press. “Qilu” (栖露) — dew resting on leaves — captures the pristine morning mist that blankets our tea gardens at dawn, when the leaves are at their most fragrant and alive.
What started as a single batch of 200 cakes pressed in a village workshop has grown into an international brand serving thousands of tea lovers across the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia. But our philosophy remains unchanged: every tea we sell tells the truth about where it came from.
By the Numbers
2,000+
Acres of Gardens
Organic tea gardens across Xishuangbanna, Pu’er City, and Lincang — the golden triangle of Pu-erh tea production.
300+
Ancient Trees
Trees aged 100–500 years producing single-origin leaves with unmatched depth and complexity.
12+
Years of Craft
Three generations of tea masters perfecting the art of fermentation, aging, and blending since 2012.
8,000+
Happy Customers
Serving tea enthusiasts, boutique shops, and luxury hotels across three continents.
What Makes Our Tea Different
🌳 Ancient Tree Sourcing
Unlike mass-market Pu-erh made from young plantation bushes, we source exclusively from ancient tea trees (古树, gushu) — trees that are 100 to 500 years old. These trees have deep root systems that draw minerals from layers of soil untouched by modern agriculture. The result is tea with extraordinary depth, lingering sweetness (回甘, huigan), and a complexity that develops beautifully over decades of aging.
🍂 Traditional Sun-Drying
After harvesting, our leaves are withered, pan-fired (杀青, shaqing), rolled, and then sun-dried — never oven-dried. Sun-drying preserves the active enzymes that make Pu-erh a living tea, capable of transforming over years and decades. This is the defining difference between authentic Pu-erh and mass-produced imitations.
🕰️ Controlled Aging
We age our teas in a climate-controlled warehouse in Menghai County, maintaining 60–70% humidity and 20–25°C — the ideal conditions for Pu-erh fermentation. Each cake is monitored throughout its aging journey, with samples pulled and tasted at regular intervals by our tea masters. When a cake reaches its peak, we know.
📋 Full Traceability
Every cake we sell is labeled with its harvest year, mountain of origin, and tree age classification. When you buy from Jiuchen Qilu, you know exactly what you’re drinking. No blends of unknown origin. No fillers. No shortcuts. Just pure, honest Pu-erh from named gardens, pressed and aged with integrity.
Our Tea Regions
Yunnan Province is the birthplace of tea — the only place on Earth where wild tea trees (Camellia sinensis var. assamica) grow naturally. We source from three legendary regions, each producing teas with distinct character:
🏔️ Xishuangbanna
西双版纳
The most famous Pu-erh region. Home to the legendary Lao Ban Zhang (老班章) village, whose teas command prices comparable to fine wine. Our Xishuangbanna cakes are bold, floral, and highly aromatic — with a powerful cha qi (茶气, tea energy) that experienced drinkers prize. We also source from Nan Nuo Shan (南糯山), known for its honey-sweet profile and smooth mouthfeel.
Elevation: 1,400–1,800m
Signature note: Orchid, honey, lasting sweetness
⛰️ Pu’er City
普洱市
The namesake region of all Pu-erh tea, though it produces both Sheng (raw) and Shou (ripe) styles. Our ripe Pu-erh undergoes wet-pile fermentation (渥堆, Wo Dui) in Menghai’s unique microclimate — a process refined over 40 years by the region’s master fermenters. The result is smooth, earthy, and naturally sweet with no bitterness.
Elevation: 1,200–1,600m
Signature note: Earthy, dark chocolate, camphor
🏔️ Lincang
临沧
High-altitude gardens producing teas of exceptional sweetness and purity. Our Lincang raw cakes come from the Bing Dao (冰岛) area, famous among collectors for its cooling mouthfeel, rock-sugar sweetness, and extraordinary aging potential. Lincang teas are often described as “ethereal” — delicate yet profoundly satisfying.
Elevation: 1,600–2,200m
Signature note: Rock sugar, cooling finish, floral
From Garden to Cup — Our Process
🌱
1. Harvest
Hand-picked in spring and autumn by skilled tea farmers. One bud, two leaves — the classic standard for premium Pu-erh. Harvesting begins at dawn when the leaves hold their peak moisture.
🔥
2. Kill-Green
Leaves are pan-fired in large iron woks at precisely controlled temperatures. This stops oxidation while preserving the active enzymes that define Pu-erh’s aging potential.
☀️
3. Sun-Dry
Rolled leaves are spread on bamboo mats under the Yunnan sun. This gentle drying process preserves the microorganisms that enable decades of aging — something oven drying destroys.
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4. Press & Age
Leaves are steamed, pressed into cakes (357g standard), and wrapped in breathable paper. They then rest in our climate-controlled warehouse, slowly transforming year after year.
Our Founders
Two people. One shared obsession with honest tea.
Long Fei
Tea Master & Garden Director
Born and raised in Yunnan, Long Fei grew up walking between tea trees that his grandfather planted in the 1950s. He studied tea science at Yunnan Agricultural University and spent his early twenties working alongside master fermenters in Menghai, learning the subtle art of wo dui (wet-pile fermentation) through trial, failure, and countless tastings. In 2010 he returned to the family gardens to take over production — and never looked back. He holds a Senior Tea Artisan certification and personally approves every batch before it’s pressed. His philosophy is simple: the tea speaks if you listen.
“Make tea the way you’d want to drink it yourself. No blending, no hiding, no shortcuts. If the leaves are honest, the cup will be too.”
— Long Fei
Rui Ying
Brand & International Operations
Rui Ying first encountered Pu-erh while living abroad — and was struck by how unknown it was outside China. She joined Long Fei in 2020 to build Jiuchen Qilu as a brand that could speak to the world without diluting its roots. Fluent in English and French, she leads overseas customer experience, social media, and wholesale partnerships. Her background in international trade gives her a sharp eye for compliance and logistics — which means when you order from Jiuchen Qilu, it actually arrives. She believes that a great tea brand is built on trust, not just on taste.
“Anyone can sell tea. We’re here to help people understand what they’re drinking — where it’s from, how it was made, and why it matters. That’s the difference between a product and a relationship.”
— Rui Ying
Our Commitment to Quality & Sustainability
🔬 Quality Testing
Every harvest batch undergoes laboratory testing for pesticide residues, heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury), and microbial safety. We test before pressing — not after — so we never have to recall a finished cake. Results are available to wholesale partners upon request.
- ✅ FDA Registered Facility
- ✅ Third-party lab tested
- ✅ ISO 22000 Food Safety
🌍 Sustainable Farming
Our tea gardens are managed without synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers. We practice biodynamic farming: companion planting, natural pest management, and seasonal pruning that respects the trees’ natural growth cycle. Healthy soil grows healthy tea.
- ✅ No chemical pesticides
- ✅ Biodiversity preservation
- ✅ USDA Organic (in progress)
♻️ Plastic-Free Packaging
Tea breathes. That’s why we wrap every cake in traditional cotton paper (棉纸) — breathable, biodegradable, and protective. Gift sets use bamboo trays and recycled cardboard. No plastic wrap, no styrofoam. Good for the tea, good for the planet.
- ✅ Cotton paper wrapping
- ✅ Biodegradable materials
- ✅ Recycled shipping boxes
Recognized By
We are proud to have been featured in leading tea industry publications and exhibitions.
🏆 Yunnan Tea Expo 2023
Gold Medal — Aged Sheng
📰 Tea Journey Magazine
“Top 10 Pu-erh Brands to Watch”
🌿 World Tea Conference 2024
Best New International Brand
⭐ Steepster Community
94/100 Rating — 200+ Reviews
Experience Jiuchen Qilu
Whether you’re a seasoned Pu-erh collector or discovering aged tea for the first time, we invite you to explore our collection. Each cake tells a story — and we’d be honored to be part of yours.