Fine trees in the south, fragrance drifting through a thousand years.
On September 17, 2023, the Jingmai Mountain Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape in Pu’er was successfully inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming the world’s first tea-themed World Cultural Heritage. This honor is not only a recognition of the natural ecology of Jingmai Mountain but also an affirmation of its profound cultural heritage, outstanding conservation efforts, and rich cultural transmission.
Ecological Heritage
Sustainable development of lucid waters and lush mountains
On Jingmai Mountain, every breeze carries stories of a thousand years, and every villager is a living “textbook” of this land. Through ancient oral traditions, they pass down the essence of protecting the cultural heritage of Jingmai Mountain from generation to generation, making it a shared cultural belief and value pursuit for their ethnic group, nourishing future generations.
“In our Mangjing Village, every generation of parents tells the stories of the legacies left by Pa Aileng, an ancestor of the Blang people, teaching children to hold a sense of reverence for nature and tea trees, and to carefully cherish this gift from nature.” In the words of Zhou Tianhua, a villament of Mangjing Village, Huimin Township, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County, there is a deep affection and responsibility for Jingmai Mountain. It is precisely this adherence to ancestral legacies, profound understanding of natural laws, the hardworking and simple customs of the Jingmai Mountain people, and the wisdom of protection passed down through generations that together construct the cultural landscape of “tea in the forest, village in the tea, and coexistence of humans and tea,” as well as a smart mountain human settlement. This shapes a harmonious spatial and ecological relationship of “forest, tea, and people,” serving as a vivid practice of Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization thought, his cultural thought, and the concept that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.”
Today, with Jingmai Mountain successfully joining the ranks of World Heritage, its unique charm has attracted even more global attention. According to statistics, since the successful application for World Heritage status, the number of tourists received by Lancang County has risen to 3.7576 million, an increase of 6.19% over the same period last year, with tourism revenue reaching 4.371 billion yuan, up 11.79% from before the application; among them, Jingmai Mountain tourism has experienced “explosive” growth, receiving a total of 402,000 tourists since September 2023, a year-on-year increase of 33.52%, with tourism revenue reaching 338 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 184%.
However, the people of Jingmai Mountain know well that this honor is not merely about rising tourism figures, but also an affirmation and encouragement of their long-term commitment to protection, inheritance, and the realization of sustainable development concepts. “Now, with the continuous growth in tourist numbers, villagers can see not only the economic benefits brought by protecting the ancient tea forests and ancient villages but also a further enhancement of everyone’s awareness of protection,” said Ke Aihua, Secretary of the Mangjing Village Party Branch and Director of the Village Committee.
To protect and pass on this precious ancient tea forest, the people of Jingmai Mountain adhere to a development strategy of “protection on the mountain, development below the mountain, and integration of tea, culture, and tourism,” ensuring the ecological security and sustainable development of the ancient tea forest through the formulation and implementation of a series of protection regulations and measures. At the same time, they actively promote green planting concepts and technical means to improve the quality and safety of the tea leaves.
These efforts have not only protected the lucid waters and lush mountains of Jingmai Mountain but also laid a solid foundation for the sustainable development of the local economy.
Cultural Heritage
A thousand years of tea charm passed down through generations
Jingmai Mountain, this ancient land, nurtures diverse cultures. Ethnic minorities such as the Blang, Dai, and Hani peoples have lived here for generations. From ancient tea planting, harvesting, and processing techniques to unique tea-drinking customs, tea songs, tea dances, and ethnic traditions, these traditional cultures have deeply integrated into the lives and production of the local people, becoming an indispensable part of them.
“Slashing, chopping, spinning, jumping…” On Jingmai Mountain, during major festivals such as the Kai Men Festival and the Shan Kang Tea Ancestor Festival, generations of Blang people perform the Knife Dance to express respect for their ancestors and their yearning for a better life.
Su Xinghua, a villager from Mangjing Village, is an inheritor of the traditional Blang Knife Dance of Jingmai Mountain. He began learning at age 11 and started teaching at age 20, having taught for over 30 years.
Previously, Su Xinghua only taught at home. Now, he goes to Mangjing Village Primary School every week to teach students. During the teaching process, Su Xinghua habitually uses the Blang language, explaining the etiquette, strength, movements, and occasions of the Knife Dance in detail. He says, “These are our precious ethnic culture, which needs to be passed down.” Even if children go away for schooling and return during holidays, Su Xinghua gathers them together for consolidated learning.
Currently, more and more Jingmai Mountain villagers are joining the ranks of cultural heritage transmission, with 21 intangible cultural heritage inheritors already identified, including 1 at the provincial level, 13 at the municipal level, and 7 at the county level, covering various categories such as Blang customs and etiquette, traditional dance, Dai dance, and the traditional tea processing techniques of Jingmai Mountain.
At the same time, the local government also actively supports the cultural heritage work of Jingmai Mountain.
On the mountain, by deeply excavating the cultural connotations of the Jingmai Mountain ancient tea forest and improving the three-level heritage interpretation and exhibition system (for heritage sites, administrative villages, and natural villages), more than 200 protection signs and explanatory placards have been added to comprehensively showcase the outstanding universal value of the heritage; a team of 52 professional and part-time guides has been formed, gradually creating a good atmosphere ranging from expert explanations to everyone’s participation in guiding; through hosting events such as the Pu’er Cultural Landscape Protection and Development International Academic Symposium, the Jingmai Mountain World Heritage Success Celebration series, the Lancang 2024 Kuota Festival (Spring Festival) traditional folk series, and the Jingmai Mountain Spring Tea Harvesting Festival, more people are learning about and falling in love with the culture of Jingmai Mountain.
Below the mountain, the Pu’er Jingmai Mountain Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape Heritage Center has been constructed, serving as a window to showcase the culture of Jingmai Mountain, including daily necessities, ethnic costumes, agricultural tools, and musical instruments.
Artistic Heritage
Ethnic songs and dances continue endlessly
Artistic works carry the emotions and memories of a place. The melodious singing and lively dancing on Jingmai Mountain showcase the passage of time, carrying the beautiful vision of the harmonious coexistence of man and nature.
As night falls, nine villages including Jingmai Dazhai, Wengji Ancient Village, and Mangjing Shangzhai on Jingmai Mountain become an ocean of song. Villagers and tourists sit around warm hearths, holding freshly roasted fragrant tea; songs such as “Cherry Blossoms Bloom All Over Jingmai Mountain,” “Today is a Good Day,” and “Thinking of That Place” flow out like clear springs, like strings of brilliant pearls, connecting the beautiful memories of Jingmai Mountain, lingering among the villages for a long time.
The melodious singing on Jingmai Mountain is inseparable from the local emphasis on cultivating the artistic talents of young people. They know well that only by continuously injecting fresh blood can this precious cultural heritage regain new vitality and vigor. Er Ken, a villager from Mangjing Village, says: “Although I am not an intangible cultural heritage inheritor, the village still invites teachers to teach us songs, dances, and musical instruments based on what we like and are good at.”
It is precisely based on the love for ethnic songs and dances that on September 17, 2023, at the 45th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Er Ken showcased the unique charm of Jingmai Mountain’s songs and dances to the world with exquisite skill. Meanwhile, in the Blang-flavored restaurant carefully managed by Er Ken, guests can not only taste authentic Blang cuisine but also feel that unique charm and cultural depth from Jingmai Mountain amidst the lingering tea fragrance and melodious singing.
These warm and beautiful scenes are undoubtedly the best interpretation and witness of the artistic heritage and development of Jingmai Mountain.
At the same time, to showcase the unique charm of Jingmai Mountain from all-round and multi-angle perspectives, a series of excellent artistic works have emerged. The original musical “Jingmai Has Fine Trees,” created by Pu’er City, shone brilliantly on the stages of the Kunming Theatre and the Pu’er Grand Theatre, winning high praise and enthusiastic responses from all sectors of society. Works such as the book “Jingmai Mountain: A Tour of the Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape,” the poem “Imagining Jingmai Mountain,” the prose “Jingmai Dazhai,” and the painting “The Fragrance of Jingmai Tea” lead the audience through time and space, strolling through Jingmai Mountain to personally experience the profound ethnic cultural heritage and the intricate, unbreakable bond between humans and tea.
Today, as a World Cultural Heritage site, Jingmai Mountain is continuously strengthening its work in cultural heritage protection and utilization, allowing it to radiate new vitality and shine with new brilliance in the new era, attracting more people to enter Jingmai Mountain and experience that unique cultural charm and humanistic sentiment.
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Author: Lam Sam (LamSam), the Old Tea Head
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