Provincial People’s Congress Standing Committee
Research Team Visits Lancang County for Legislative Research on Ancient Tea Tree Protection
Yunnan Provincial Pu-erh Tea Association
Yunnan is the province with the richest biodiversity in China and is also the place of origin and a center of differentiation for many species. It has long been known as the “Kingdom of Animals,” the “Kingdom of Plants” and a “gene pool of species.” Ancient tea trees are unique in China and the world; they are an important natural and cultural heritage with significant scientific, cultural and economic value. In recent years, ancient tea trees have suffered from inadequate management, over-picking and severe deterioration of the natural ecology around ancient tea mountains. The death rate of ancient tea trees has been rising year by year, making their protection an urgent priority.
From October 11 to 13, 2022, Li Pei, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Yunnan Provincial People’s Congress, led a research team to Lancang County, Pu’er City, to conduct research on the current state of ancient tea tree resources and issues of legislative protection. Participating in the research were Zhang Ling, Director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Provincial People’s Congress Standing Committee; Xu Shaozheng, Deputy Director of the Legislative Affairs Commission; Sheng Jun, former President of Yunnan Agricultural University; Dong Sheng, President of the Yunnan Provincial Pu-erh Tea Association; He Qingyuan, Director of the Tea Research Institute of the Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Vice President of the Yunnan Provincial Pu-erh Tea Association; and Wang Yun, Deputy Director of the General Office of the Provincial People’s Congress Standing Committee. Wang Hongbin, Director of the Standing Committee of the Pu’er Municipal People’s Congress, accompanied the research.
On October 11, Li Pei and his team went deep into Bangwai Village, Fudong Township, Lancang County, to conduct on-site research on the protection and management of the Bangwai transitional ancient Tea King tree and the state of ancient tea tree protection work. During the research, Vice Chairman Li Pei pointed out that Yunnan Province has done a good job protecting both wild and cultivated ancient tea trees. On the other hand, protection work still needs further improvement; we must continue to thoroughly assess the situation of ancient tea trees so that we have a clear picture in mind. To protect ancient tea trees well, we must also plan ahead and safeguard the precious resources left to us by our ancestors, while actively mobilizing forces from all sectors of society to participate in protection together.
From October 12 to 13, Li Pei and his team first arrived at Lancang Ancient Tea Co., Ltd., a council member unit of the Yunnan Provincial Pu-erh Tea Association, to learn about the company’s development. “Tea Mama” Du Chunyi personally received them and held a discussion and exchange session.
Afterwards, without pausing, the research team went deep into Jingmai Village of Huimin Town, the Dapingzhang ancient tea forest on Jingmai Mountain, the Wengji Blang ethnic ancient village in Mangjing Village, and the “Four Centers” of the World Heritage application project in Huimin Town, conducting on-site research on the protection and management of Jingmai Mountain’s traditional villages, comprehensive environmental improvement, ancient tea forest protection and management, and the construction progress of the “Four Centers” World Heritage application project.
During the research, accompanying personnel reported in their briefings that Jingmai Mountain is the world’s largest contiguous, best-preserved and oldest artificially cultivated ancient tea garden, home to 1.2 million ancient tea trees. For thousands of years, the Blang, Dai, Wa and other ethnic minority compatriots living here have lived in harmony with this tea forest — singing with tea and dancing because of tea — cultivating and managing this thousand-year-old, ten-thousand-mu ancient tea forest generation after generation, making it a model of symbiosis and shared prosperity between human existence and the natural ecology.
Vice Chairman Li Pei carefully observed and inquired about the growth habits and environmental conditions of the ancient tea trees, as well as the scale of the tea industry in the Jingmai Mountain tea area. He fully affirmed that the local Party committee and government attach great importance to ancient tea tree protection and have achieved remarkable results, and he hoped that all levels and departments would continue their efforts. At the same time, he affirmed the phased achievements of Jingmai Mountain’s World Heritage application work. He emphasized that the Cultural Landscape of the Old Tea Forests of Jingmai Mountain is China’s only World Cultural Heritage nomination project for 2022. The application work must focus on the theme, highlight key points and follow sound logic, organically integrating tea culture, village culture and human history, and earnestly carrying out the protection, management and supervision of the cultural landscape.
During the research trip, Dong Sheng, President of the Yunnan Provincial Pu-erh Tea Association, and He Qingyuan, Vice President, reported to Vice Chairman Li Pei on specific matters including the characteristics, overall scale and industrial development of Jingmai Mountain’s ancient tea trees.
This research has laid a foundation for scientific legislative protection and for promoting the effective protection and sustainable utilization of ancient tea tree resources.
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Author: Lam Sam (LamSam), the Old Tea Head
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