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Hekai 2023 Sheng
🇨🇳 China

Hekai 2023 Sheng

Hè Kāi 2023 Shēng · 贺开 2023 生 (賀開 2023 生)

puerh-sheng · bing · ancient-tree

Hekai is a tea region in Menghun Town of Menghai County, Xishuangbanna, with elevations from 1,400 to 1,700 m. The name translates as "the first place to see the morning sun"; the local Lahu ethnic group has cultivated tea here for over 1,500 years. Hekai contains roughly 8,000 mu (~1,330 acres) of old-growth tea mountain — almost a third of the area covered in 200–400-year-old Menghai-type tea trees, making it one of the largest contiguous ancient gardens in Yunnan. The cup is notably balanced: smoother than Bulang's bolder villages, less floral than Yiwu's gardens.

Quick facts

Region
Hekai
Harvest year
2023
Harvest season
spring
Elevation
1550 m
Shape
bing
Cultivation
ancient-tree
Cultivars
Da Ye Zhong (Large-Leaf Varietal)

Brewing

Leaf
6.0 g / 100 ml
Water
100°C
Rinse
yes
Gongfu steeps (s)
5, 8, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90

Smoother and sweeter than Bulang/Banzhang, less floral than Yiwu/Yibang — Hekai's character is balance. Standard puer gongfu ratios apply; the leaf gives easily across 8–10 infusions.

Calculate leaf weight for this tea

Tasting notes

Aroma
sweet wood, honey, mineral
Flavor
smooth, sweet, balanced bitter, mineral
Mouthfeel
thick, oily
Finish
long, sweet

Aging potential

Hekai gushu ages gracefully over 15–20 years; the balance the leaf shows young carries through into the aged cup.

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