Yunnan Sourcing

Overview

Yunnan Sourcing is an online vendor specializing in pu'erh teas from Yunnan Province, China, along with green, black, oolong, white teas, hei cha, and teawares. Founded in 2004 and based in Kunming, it sources directly from local producers and offers both retail and wholesale pricing to international customers, with operations also in Portland, USA.¹³⁵

History

Yunnan Sourcing was founded in 2004 by Scott Wilson, an American expatriate in Kunming, initially as an eBay store. It transitioned to its own domains, yunnansourcing.com and yunnansourcing.us, by late 2009. In 2009, the company began producing its own branded pu'erh cakes, starting with a limited run in partnership with a Korean company, expanding to over 30 productions yearly.¹²

Product Lines

Manufacturing

Products are sourced from Yunnan Province producers; the company commissions its own branded pu'erh cakes pressed at local factories since 2009. Sourcing occurs directly from tea regions like Lincang and Wuliang, with no in-house manufacturing indicated.¹⁵

Notable Products

• Yunnan Sourcing Production Cakes - Branded pu'erh beengs produced since 2009, including spring/autumn harvests from northern regions.
• Lincang Single-Origin Pu'erh - Raw pu'erh from Lincang area, highlighting regional specialization.
• Wu Liang Shan Pu'erh - Material from Wuliang mountains, focused on high-quality sources.
• Ripe Pu'erh Cakes - Fermented shou pu'erh productions offered alongside raw teas.
• Clay Teapots - Yunnan-sourced pottery for tea brewing.

Reputation

Yunnan Sourcing is recognized among pu'erh enthusiasts as a long-standing, reliable vendor with direct access to Yunnan sources, offering reasonable prices and extensive selection not easily matched by non-China-based sellers.¹ It maintains a library of over 600 pu'erhs for sampling and emphasizes verified purchase reviews.²⁴ Some note its specialization in northern pu'erh regions as a strength.¹