Everyone knows tea. Most people have tried it. Yet tea has many misconceptions. Firstly, tea doesn’t grow as a shrub, it is a slow growing tree. Tea does not inherently grow in neat rows or manicured plantations however through industrialisation this has become the standard. Before tea became a global commodity it grew wild – steeped in history and infused with life. Let’s return to how tea was enjoyed in the past, let’s discover gushu tea, ancient tree tea.
1. What Does “Gushu” Mean?
The term Gushu (古树) comes from two Chinese characters:
- Gu (古) = ancient
- Shu (树) = tree
Gushu Tea refers to tea made from ancient tea trees more specifically greater than 100 years old typically 100–300+ years old, and in rare cases approaching 1,000 years old.
The common misconception is that tea is grown as a uniform row of waist high pruned bushes. It’s a familiar image but this is not how tea was originally harvested and grown. With industrialisation and the commodification of tea this is the case however tea was originally grown in forest gardens within biodiverse ecosystems, thriving as part of a balanced, natural environment.
Whilst they may look dramatically different Gushu Tea Trees are the same plant species (camellia sinensis) as plantation tea bushes. The difference is only in the age of the tree, size and the way they are grown and managed. Gushu Tea Trees produce the same black, green, white and oolong teas you enjoy.
2. The Meaning of “Cha” (茶): A portrait of man in harmony with nature
The Chinese characters paints a picture of co-existing harmony between the earth, people and forests.
It combines three key elements (radicals):
- 艹 –grass or plant (top)
- 人 – a person (middle)
- 木 – a tree or wood (bottom)
Together they form a portrait of humans living in harmony with plants and forests. This symbolism is a stark juxtaposition to plantation tea production and the wider modern model of agriculture focused on extraction. Gushu cha embodies the original spirit of cha— a relationship of coexistence.
3. Gushu Cha vs Plantation Tea
While both come from the same plant species, the growing conditions create two entirely different expressions of tea.
| Gushu Tea (Ancient Tree Tea) | Plantation Tea |
|---|---|
| Grows in natural forests | Grown for yield and efficiency |
| Often intercropped with other vegetation | Same-aged, same-height plants |
| Grown without chemical fertilisers or pesticides | Often treated with fertilisers and pesticides |
| Exists within balanced, biodiverse ecosystems | Produced as monocultures |
| Grown from seed rather than cloned | Propagated through cloning for uniformity |
| Deep root systems penetrating far into the earth | Shallow root systems limited by cultivation |
| Absorbs deep-soil minerals unavailable to younger plants | Accesses only surface-level soil nutrients |
| Naturally resilient to drought and disease | More vulnerable, reliant on human intervention |
| Harvested selectively by hand | Often mechanically hedged and harvested |
(an example of biodiverse settings that some ancient tea trees are grown in).
4. Are Gushu Tree Tea Organic?
Most gushu teas do not carry formal organic certification. Organic certification systems are designed for large commercial farms and are often too costly or impractical for small artisanal producers, despite the fact that they are grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilisers. In practice, gushu teas are grown with traditional methods grown wild or semi-wild akin to organic farming practices however they are not officially certified.
5. Hand-Picked in Three Dimensions
Harvesting gushu tea is physically demanding as pickers often:
Climb trees balancing on branches
- Hold onto branches with one hand to maintain balance and pick with the other
- Leaves are harvest leaves at different heights and proximities
- Navigate uneven forest terrain.
This is not factory-line agriculture. Every leaf is selected by hand, often by families who have cared for the same trees for generations.
6. Ethnic Communities: The Ancestoral Stewards of Tea
For many communities, tea is more than a drink—it is a way of life. For generations, many ethnic groups such as the Dao, Hmong, Phu Noi, Dai, Hani, Akha have acted as custodians of the ancient tea tree forests and gardens. Under their care, the seeds have spread, survived war, empires and modernization.
Tea remains central to their cultures, used in:
- Rituals and ceremonies
- Hospitality and daily life
- Traditional medicine
- Spiritual and ancestral practices
(above is a photo of a Dao girl beside the grave of her ancestor amongst the tea gardens. The Dao are born bathed in tea water, drink tea for sustenance, have tea in their rituals and ceremonies, follow teas harvest and rely on the tea tree for their livelihood and when they pass they are burnt with the fallen branches of the tea tree and their ashes are returned to the foot of tea trees)
Why Does Age Matter in trees
- Slower Growth
Older tea trees (Gushu) are valued because age changes how a tree grows, feeds, and expresses itself in the cup. As trees mature, growth slows, allowing leaves to accumulate more minerals, resulting in greater depth, richness, and complexity than faster-growing young trees.
- Deeper Roots
Old trees have deeper and broader root systems. These roots reach mineral layers unavailable to younger plants, drawing a wider range of nutrients into the leaves, further enhancing flavour complexity.
- Growth in semi-wild and wild
They are usually only lightly managed forests in high altitude, biodiverseareas
7. Why Gushu Cha Is Rare
Gushu cha is limited by nature itself:
Gushu cha is limited by nature itself:
- Overharvesting damages the tree, so harvests are limited to a few times per year.
- Many trees are protected or sacred
As global demand grows, true gushu tea becomes increasingly rare—and increasingly important to protect.
8. What Does Gushu Cha Taste Like?
While flavor varies by region, altitude, and processing, gushu cha often shares these qualities:
- Deep complexity
- Strong sweetness (hui gan) that returns even after ingesting
- Low bitterness, even when brewed strong
- Long-lasting lingering finish
- Evolving taste across multiple infusions
Many people notice that gushu tea doesn’t just taste different—it feels different it has cha ai
9. Cha Qi (茶气) of gushu Cha
One of the most profound qualities of gushu cha is its cha qi—the felt life vitality of tea.
Ancient tea trees grow slowly over decades or centuries. Their roots reach deep into mineral-rich soil, absorbing the full complexity of the land. This depth of growth translates into a tea that carries grounded, enduring energy. Upi cam certainly feel a deep body high and flowy state of mind. Personally I find that I am more creative andconcentrated.
Drinkers often describe gushu cha’s cha qi as:
- Warming and centering in the body
- Clearing and focusing for the mind
- Expansive yet calming, rather than jittery
- Lingering long after the last cup
This is why gushu cha has traditionally been valued by monks, meditators, and tea enthusiasts.
10. Why We Care about Gushu Cha at Bhava Cha
When you drink gushu cha, you are not just drinking tea.
It is:
- Rooted in local communities
- Grounded in tradition
- Steeped in history
- Infused with life
At Bhava Cha we believe these qualities are what help us become found in flow.