Hello, my friends, this is Mabol, now I am walking in the tea park, sharing with you 5Ws about pu-erh tea, with a hope that this can help you have a better understanding of it.
1. WHERE 原产地
Pu-erh tea only originates in Yunnan province, mainly in Xishuangbanna, Pu’er, Lincang and Bao shan cities. Those areas are along Lancang river, that’s why you may hear it very often that 江内六大茶山，江外六大茶山, 江就是指澜沧江。What’s more, those areas are not only the places to produce puerh tea, but also the source of tea, 是世界茶源。
2. WHEN 首次出现“普洱茶”的时间
Although Yunnan is the source of tea, tea was just simply processed at the very beginning. 唐.樊绰《蛮书》载“茶出银生城界诸山，散收，无采造法，蒙舍蛮杂以椒、姜、桂，和而烹之.....”. So it was still loose tea in Tang dynasty, until in late of Ming, around 1620, 谢肇制（Xie Zhao Zhi）wrote in 《滇略》 “《滇略》:"士庶所用,皆普茶也,蒸而成团...”. “Pu Cha” firstly was written in the book, and since then became widely spread, and reached its heyday in Qing dynasty.
3. WHO 种茶先民
According to researchers, Baiyue Pu ren（百越濮人）were the ancestor generation discovered and domesticated tea, there is also one saying that why the tea was called pucha(普茶), because 普and濮 are similarly pronounced. Pu ren initially lived around Dian lake and moved to the south because of war, then later divided into Wa, De’ang and Bulang minorities, then settled down in different areas later. However, Jinuo people still believe that they are the children generation of Zhugeliang(诸葛亮）, the famous strategist in Three Kingdoms, and worship him as their tea ancestor.
4. WHAT 普洱茶的定义
Puerh tea only ①originates in Yunnan, ②adopts sun-dried loose tea, ③been through the processes of either natural post fermentation(raw pu-erh) or piling fermentation(ripe pu-erh), and been compressed into cakes or bricks most likely.
5. WHY 种种为什么
Then you may ask why does pu-erh can only be produced in Yunnan. Firstly, unique climate, unique geography, unique tea species, unique processes all together achieve the virtue of pu-erh tea, which is the older, the better. Secondly, refer to wine AOC/AOP（法国原产地保护法规）, it is definitely a good way to protect pu-erh tea and promote pu-erh tea industry.
OK, hope the 5Ws really help you with better understanding. And if it does, please share it with your friends around you might be interested too. It is going to be a long journey to go ahead, stay with me, hold my hand, we can make it a wonderful tea journey.