On September 17, 2023, the 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, passed a resolution to include China’s “Jingmai Mountain Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape” in the World Heritage List. This increased China’s total number of World Heritage sites to 57, and the “Jingmai Mountain Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape” also became the world’s first tea-themed World Cultural Heritage.
In Memorial to the Retired Official, Ouyang Xiu wrote: “In the wild, flowers bloom with a subtle fragrance; in fine trees, lush shade grows. The purity of wind and_frost, and the emergence of stones as waters recede—these are the four seasons of the mountains.” There are four seasons in the mountains, and a year has four seasons. From last September’s golden autumn to this same time of year, we have followed the footsteps of the seasons, carefully savoring the natural beauty and cultural charm of Jingmai Mountain throughout the year, taking in all the “scenery” of Jingmai’s year into our eyes and hearts.
Autumn in Jingmai Mountain: Visiting Villages
In autumn, nothing is more suitable in Jingmai Mountain than visiting the villages. In the autumn of 2023, due to the success of the World Heritage bid, visiting the villages took on a different significance.
When the autumn wind rises, Jingmai Mountain remains lush and green. Along the winding mountain roads, we weave through the well-arranged villages, each one a moving painting. Wengji Ancient Village, renowned as a thousand-year-old Blang ethnic village, is home to the oldest Buddhist temple on Jingmai Mountain at its northern end—Wengji Ancient Temple. Overlooking Wengji Ancient Village from the ancient temple, the traditional stilt houses appear primitive and warm under the autumn sun. These two-story bamboo houses are used for living on the upper floor, while the lower floors have been converted by villagers into tea shops, coffee shops, ethnic costume experience shops, and more.
Meanwhile, the nearby Mangjing Shangzhai and Xiazhai offer a different scenery. The two villages sit closely together, with a massive banyan tree serving as the boundary. While walking through Mangjing Shangzhai, we passed a tea shop where the owner, Wei Danan and his family, warmly greeted us: “Come in for some tea.” The tea shop has no doors and is decorated with natural elements; small gourds sway gently in the breeze, and large beans hang leisurely. Tea tree roots are arranged artistly alongside fire pits. A sign reading “Beautiful Courtyard Demonstration Household” is prominently displayed outside the shop. Such exquisite, family-run tea shops are common throughout Jingmai Mountain.
Continuing forward, as the autumn wind brushes past, the rustling leaves interweave with the distant sound of drumming to create a melodious rural symphony. Drawn by the drumbeats, we couldn’t help but praise, “Your drumming and singing are so beautiful.” The tea shop owner, Nahai, smiled shyly and said, “I am still learning. Almost every tea shop owner in the village knows how to play the zither and drum. Whenever night falls, everyone gathers around the fire pit to roast tea while singing and drumming; those are our happy times.”
Turning toward Nuogang Ancient Village, this is the village with the most distinct and well-preserved traditional Dai ethnic landscape on Jingmai Mountain. Elders chat leisurely or weave bamboo baskets in their courtyards; children run and play freely through the village; many out-of-town tourists visit small shops run by villagers to experience ethnic costumes, taste the local unique roasted milk tea, or enjoy a cup of coffee at their leisure.
In Jingmai Mountain, nine villages—including Nuogang Ancient Village, Jingmai Dazhai, Manghong, and Wengwa—are included in the “Jingmai Mountain Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape.” Each village possesses its own unique and profound ethnic culture, offering a distinct charm.
Winter in Jingmai Mountain: Watching the Clouds
In winter, Jingmai Mountain loses some of its bustle and gains a sense of tranquility. At this time, the mountains are shrouded in mist and fog, much like a fairyland. It is particularly worth mentioning that “seven-colored auspicious clouds” can often be seen in Jingmai Mountain; this is not only an ultimate display of natural beauty but also a symbol of good fortune for the local residents. Whenever the clouds and mists fill the sky, the entire mountain is dyed with a mysterious and magnificent layer of color.
The beauty of the sea of clouds in Jingmai Mountain has long gone “viral” online, becoming a landscape longed for by countless people. Nan Ta, a villager from Mangheng Village in Jingmai Mountain, uses her Douyin account “Jingmai Mountain Local Tea Farmer Miss Nan” as a window to show the world the infinite transformations of the Jingmai sea of clouds. Whether it is the majestic momentum of the surging clouds at dawn or the gentle moment when the sea of clouds intertwines with the sunset, it attracts the eyes of countless tourists who flock there to capture the moment and experience this magnificence and mystery from nature.
As online popularity continues to rise, the best locations for watching the sea of clouds in Jingmai Mountain have gradually emerged, becoming popular spots for tourists to visit. Locations such as the Wengji Viewing Platform, Jinta in Jingmai Dazhai, and the rooftops of guesthouses run by villagers have become the best choices for viewing the sea of clouds due to their unique geographical positions. Standing here, as the sea of clouds surges and mountain peaks or tea forests appear and disappear, one feels as if they are in a fairyland, leaving them refreshed and lingering with enchantment.
Additionally, visitors can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the sea of clouds while tasting ancient tea, experiencing the unique charm brought by the fusion of tea and clouds.
Spring in Jingmai Mountain: Tea Picking
Spring returns to the earth, and all things revive. The spring of 2024 is the first spring after the successful World Heritage bid for Jingmai Mountain, and it is also the busiest tea-picking season.
In the early morning, when the first rays of sunlight pierce through the thin mist to shine upon the lushly green tea mountains, the tea farmers set out on their tea-tasting journey.
In the ancient tea forests of Pa’ailing Mountain and Dapizhang, villagers, with tea baskets strapped to their waists, weave through the tea trees, skillfully picking the tender green buds. As they pick, they discuss this year’s tea growth and picking techniques, filling the tea forest with laughter and joy. Yue Pa Xian, a villager from Jingmai Village, said: “Every tea leaf carries nature’s gift and the wisdom of our ancestors; the villagers treat the tea leaves with great reverence.”
To ensure the quality and taste of the tea, villagers also follow traditional tea-making processes. After the freshly picked leaves undergo processes such as withering, fixing, rolling, and drying, they are transformed into spring tea that is fragrant, fresh, and sweet. This spring tea is not only popular in local markets but is also exported domestically and abroad, bringing significant economic income to the villagers.
Summer in Jingmai Mountain: Festivals
In the heat of summer, Jingmai Mountain brings a touch of coolness to visitors through its unique ethnic customs and culture. During this season, Jingmai Mountain hosts colorful festival activities, such as the Blang Shangkang Festival and the Dai Water Splashing Festival.
The Shangkang Festival is the Blang New Year; at this time, people dress in festive attire to sing and dance, with laughter and joy filling the entire valley. Speaking of the Shangkang Festival, Su Xinghua, an inheritor of the Blang knife dance on Jingmai Mountain, happily shared with us: “During the festival, we also perform the Blarg knife dance to express our respect for our ancestors and our longing for a better life.”
Furthermore, the Tea Soul Sacrifice Ceremony inspires deep reverence. In Mangjing Shangzhai, villagers gather in front of the Tea Ancestor Temple while performing dances. Subsequently, everyone carries paper flowers and holds wax sticks, walking through the primary forest and passing through the ancient tea forests to reach the flat ground at the summit of Pa’ailing Mountain to pray for blessings and perform rituals, and they prepare a “Hundred-family Banquet” to eat together, symbolizing “eating from the hundred families to receive the blessings of the hundred families.” Now, with the success of the World Heritage bid, more and more tourists are participating. In these mountains full of stories, every step echoes with history, and every scene is imbued with the profound charm of ethnic culture.
