"The World's Tea Source," Pu'er: Retracing the Ancient Tea Horse Road with the Ma Gang Caravan

Pu'er is generally visited together with Xishuangbanna, as it's only a 2-hour drive between the two cities. 🚙 We took the high-speed train from Kunming to Pu'er, rented a car at Pu'er Station, spent a day exploring Pu'er, and then drove to Xishuangbanna. If you have more time, you can spend a couple more days in Pu'er. We didn't go to Jingmai Mountain because it was too far. 🍃 First, we went to the tea mountain (viewing platform) ~ Tea Horse Ancient Town. Along the way, there were tea plantations everywhere. We used navigation to find a farmhouse restaurant in a village for a local meal, which was quite good. The Tea Horse Ancient Town gets lively around 4 or 5 p.m., as it's too hot during the day. ☕ We enjoyed tea brewed around a stove in the ancient town, experiencing the "seven courses of tea from one pot," learning about tea culture, and savoring the essence of life! There are many shops selling tea cakes and tea leaves, so you can compare and choose. 🍲 We found a great spot for dinner, right next to the central square's performance area. Around 7 p.m., as we were finishing our meal, the bonfire performance began. Feeling the excitement, we joined the circle, hand in hand, and danced with everyone. 👫 The atmosphere was fantastic. There were many performances, including the "flower scattering fairy," drum battles on a raised platform, and more. The night market was also great, with lots of delicious food. After leaving the ancient town, we drove straight to Gaozhuang.