Photo taken on May 26, 2025 shows an ecological tea garden forming fingerprint-like spiral patterns in Paliang village, Mengma town, Menglian Dai, Lahu and Wa Autonomous County, Pu'er city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Hu Zunhui)

An ecological tea garden forms spiral patterns resembling fingerprints when viewed from above in Paliang village, Mengma town, Menglian Dai, Lahu and Wa Autonomous County, Pu'er city, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

As one of Yunnan's 25 border counties, Menglian has served as a vital commercial gateway between China and Southeast Asian countries since the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

The county's tea industry began to take shape in 1986. After nearly four decades of development, Menglian has specialized in processing premium green tea, black tea and the renowned Pu'er tea.

Currently, the county's total tea planting area spans 103,900 mu (6,927 hectares) — roughly equivalent to 9,700 soccer fields — with 92,200 mu available for tea picking. In addition, certified green and organic tea gardens cover an area of 16,700 mu and 27,400 mu, respectively.

In 2024, the county produced 6,500 tonnes of raw tea, generating an agricultural output value of 400 million yuan ($55.57 million), up 3.76 percent year on year.