Among the legends surrounding Pu’er tea, the most influential is the tale of Zhuge Liang (Kong Ming) promoting tea cultivation. The Puer Prefecture Annals from the Qing Daoguang era (Volume 12) records: “An old legend states that Marquis Wu (Zhuge Liang) traversed the Six Tea Mountains. He left a copper gong in Youle, placed a spear tip in Mangzhi, buried an iron brick in Manzhuan, left a wooden clapper in Yibang, buried a stirrup in Gedeng, and placed a quiver in Mansa. Thus, these mountains were named accordingly. Additionally, Mangzhi is said to have a ‘Tea King Tree,’ far larger than others in the five mountains, which locals believe was planted by Zhuge Liang. To this day, the indigenous people still venerate it.”
Regarding Zhuge Liang’s southern campaigns, historical records indicate: In the third year of the Jianxing era (225 AD), Zhuge Liang led his army south from Chengdu in February, traveled by boat to Leshan, and then crossed the Lu River (Jinsha River) in May, entering what is now Yunnan. He subsequently captured and released the local chieftain Meng Huo “seven times” to pacify the region, returning to Chengdu by December. While historical texts lack precise details about Zhuge Liang’s activities in Yunnan, the timeline suggests his army spent no more than four months in the region. Experts estimate that the “Seven Captures and Releases” likely occurred near Qujing. Given the poor transportation conditions in Yunnan during the Three Kingdoms period, marching and fighting from the Jinsha River to Qujing would have taken one to two months each way, leaving only about a month for operations in Qujing itself. This makes it implausible that Zhuge Liang traveled to Baoshan, Simao (modern Pu’er), or the Six Tea Mountains, as the timeline would not permit it.
Why, then, do so many areas in Yunnan claim ties to Zhuge Liang? Two reasons likely explain this: first, his use of psychological tactics to win over local populations earned him enduring respect; second, his fame as a legendary figure inspired later generations to attribute cultural and agricultural achievements—such as tea cultivation—to his influence, even where historical presence is unlikely.
This blend of admiration and “celebrity effect” has cemented Zhuge Liang’s symbolic role in Yunnan’s tea lore, transcending the bounds of historical fact.
