nature · Mungpoo, Darjeeling
Through the cinchona plantations
Cinchona is a South American tree whose bark contains quinine, for long the main treatment for malaria. In the nineteenth century the British brought cinchona to India to cut the cost of importing quinine, and the government planted it in the Darjeeling hills, where Mungpoo became a centre of cultivation and processing. Today the plantations are run by the West Bengal government's cinchona directorate, which also manages estates at Latpanchar and elsewhere.
The trees are slim, with glossy leaves, and they grow in rows on the steep slopes around the village. Walk or drive slowly along the plantation roads and you will see staff quarters, the old factory area and workers tending the trees. The landscape looks different from tea country: taller, looser and greener, with patches of forest between the plantation blocks. Views open towards the Teesta valley on the clearer days.
Do not enter factory buildings or plantation blocks without permission; they are government property and not set up for visitors. A walk along the public roads is fine. Combine the drive with Rabindra Bhavan in the morning and continue to Sittong for lunch. In spring some plantation slopes flower, and in winter the air is clear for photographs. Leeches and slips make the monsoon a poor time to walk here.
Good for
Questions people ask
Good to know
What is cinchona and why is it grown in Mungpoo
Cinchona is a tree from South America whose bark contains quinine, long used to treat malaria. The British planted it in the Darjeeling hills in the nineteenth century to produce quinine in India, and Mungpoo became a centre of cultivation and processing. The plantations are still managed by the West Bengal government's cinchona directorate.
Can tourists visit the cinchona factory in Mungpoo
Factory buildings and plantation blocks are government property and are not normally open to tourists. You can see the plantations, staff quarters and old buildings from public roads on a drive or walk. If you have a research or special interest, you would need prior permission from the authorities. Check current status before you travel.
Is Mungpoo a tea garden
No. Unlike most of the Darjeeling hills, Mungpoo's slopes are mainly planted with cinchona, the quinine tree, not tea. There are tea gardens nearby on the roads to Kurseong and Darjeeling. The difference is easy to see: cinchona trees are tall and slender, while tea bushes are clipped low into neat rows.
