The national standards of Chinese Puer Tea is put into practice Monday.

Puer tea is a traditional tea with a regional character. Rules of the State Quality and Technical Supervising Bureau, declare that Puer tea must originate from any of 11 regions and cities, such as Puer City, Xishuang Banna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and Kunming City in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Puer tea has been celebrated since the Tang Dynasty (618-907) for its health benefits and curative powers in certain diseases. It has gained international fame in recent years.

The standard insists that Puer tea must be made from a special variety of local tea plant. It can not be called Puer Tea if it is made from outside the designated area.

The national standard of Puer tea will protect and control the tea industry to maintain its high standards of quality.

(CRIENGLISH.com December 1, 2008)