September 17, 2023, was the most glorious moment for Jingmai Mountain. On this day, the \u201cJingmai Mountain Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape\u201d was successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List. This ancient tea mountain, famous worldwide because of its tea, is not only a living witness to \u201cChina’s tea history,\u201d but also conveys to us the ecological ethics and human wisdom of the harmonious coexistence of man and nature, and man and man.
One year later, as we step into Jingmai Mountain again\u2014entering this unique mountain landscape composed of \u201cpeople, land, tea, and forest\u201d\u2014we once again reflect on the thousand-year perseverance and heritage of the residents on this mountain, explore the changes in Jingmai Mountain over the past year, and attempt to outline a beautiful vision of the people of Jingmai Mountain moving toward new heights.
Ascending the high mountains, listening to the language of the mountains.
With an average altitude of 1,400 meters, Jingmai Mountain is inherently a natural high mountain; the fact that the Jingmai Mountain Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape filled a \u201cvoid\u201d in the theme of tea within the field of World Heritage makes it a cultural high mountain as well.
Over the past year, upon this \u201chigh mountain\u201d with its dual meaning, the people of Jingmai continue to strictly follow the legacy of their tea-planting ancestors, Pa’e Leng, listening to the language of the mountains, thinking and developing like the mountains themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, as more tourists come to Jingmai Mountain, not only has the villagers’ income increased, but infrastructure is constantly being improved, village appearance is continuously upgraded, and the quality of life for villagers has significantly improved,\u201d said Yan Sailan, Party Branch Secretary and Village Committee Director of Jingmai Village, Huimin Township, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County, with emotion when discussing the changes in Jingmai Mountain. \u201cThis is the most significant change in the year since the successful World Heritage listing, and it is also the best gift brought to us after the success.\u201d<\/p>\n
Walking through Jingmai Mountain, the chirping of insects, the singing of birds, the patter of raindrops, the sound of the wind, the laughter of villagers in the settlements, or the melodious Blang tunes and Dai songs remain as they ever were, together composing the unique \u201cVoices of Jingmai\u201d atop the high mountains, immersing both the local indigenous residents and those who visit in the warmth of the \u201cLanguage of Jingmai.\u201d
The way the people of Jingmai interact with the high mountains demonstrates the profound wisdom of the villagers in following nature and protecting the mountains. Today, in addition to \u201ccherishing the ancient tea forest as if protecting their own eyes,\u201d their spontaneous participation and awareness of protection are also continuously increasing, with their sense of gain and happiness in the protection and utilization of the heritage site steadily growing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the past, we thought more about our own family’s development, and there were undesirable behaviors such as unauthorized construction. Now that the World Heritage listing was successful, every household knows that every plant, tree, brick, and tile of Jingmai Mountain is protected,\u201d said Sha Kan, a villager from Wengji Ancient Village, Mangjing Village.
Now, as villagers encounter more and more external tourists every day, they will do their best to request that visitors do not litter or discard cigarette butts and remind them to respect local culture and customs; they will pay more attention to the hygiene of the village, voluntarily tidying up their own homes and the surrounding environment; and they will spontaneously organize various celebratory activities, trying in every small way to protect Jingmai Mountain even better.<\/p>\n
Liu Kunpeng, the head of a design company in Beijing, had been thinking about visiting Jingmai Mountain ever since he heard of its successful World Heritage listing last year. After touring the various villages and the ancient tea forest cultural landscape, he told reporters meaningfully: \u201cThe local villagers possess a very vibrant spirit and are naturally capable of interacting with the great mountains\u2014man and mountain are seamlessly integrated. What I see here is not just scenery, and also the inspiration that the language of the mountains provides for my design inspiration.\u201d
Entering the clouds, viewing the mountain scenery.
As autumn arrives, Jingmai Mountain presents the spectacle of a sea of clouds.
The tea forests, villages, forests, and mountain ranges either appear faintly nestled within or float and wander beneath the feet of the people of Jingmai, much like entering the clouds. This allows traveling tourists to embark on one mountain journey after another, as if placed in a fairyland, which is truly magnificent.<\/p>\n
Over the past year, bolstered by the brilliant calling card of being a World Cultural Heritage site, the \u201cgreen flow\u201d of Jingmai Mountain has continuously increased, with more and more tourists entering Jingmai Mountain to taste fine tea, enjoy delicious food, and behold beautiful scenery.
La Long \u00b7 Yun Qi Xiao Zhu is a guesthouse in the Manghong Villager Group of Mangjing Village, where guests can admire the magnificent sea of clouds while lying in their rooms. Since the successful World Heritage listing of Jingmai Mountain, the 15 rooms of this guesthouse are almost fully booked every holiday. Even during the low season, there are tourists checking in every day.
\u201cIt is precisely because we have ridden the wind of the successful World Heritage listing that the fame and reputation of Jingmai Mountain have risen rapidly, attracting a large number of domestic and international tourists. The rooms for this year’s National Day are already fully booked, and some tourists have even reserved rooms for next December,\u201d said Dao Yanliang, the proprietor of La Long \u00b7 Yun Qi Xiao Zhu, with a smile.<\/p>\n
During the year, Jingmai Mountain also established a catering association and an_accommodation association, utilizing association autonomy to further strengthen internal cooperation within the guesthouse and catering industries, promoting harmonious industry development, and providing better culinary enjoyment and service quality for a wide range of tourists. \u201cThe annual turnover of my guesthouse and catering business has reached over 4 million yuan,\u201d said Zhang Guangming, the person in charge of Jingmai Balang Chahun Guesthouse.<\/p>\n
Nuogang Ancient Village is a Dai village on Jingmai Mountain. It preserves rich Dai culture and primitive characteristics; it is also a must-visit landmark for those traveling to Jingmai Mountain, with a continuous stream of tourists every day.
Teachers and students from the Forest Ecotourism and Wellness major of the College of Tropical Crops at Yunnan Agricultural University use Nuogang Ancient Village as a study and research site. Student Yang Shuyue said: \u201cThe successfully listed Jingmai Mountain provides us with an excellent destination for study and research. Through our travels in Jingmai Mountain and visiting the ancient village to learn, we can better leverage our professional advantages and make our own contributions to the tourism promotion and human geography development of Pu-erh.\u201d<\/p>\n
Data shows that since September 2023, Jingmai Mountain has received a total of 402,000 visitor arrivals, a year-on-year increase of 33.52%, achieving a total tourism expenditure of 338 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 184%. At the same time, in Jingmai Mountain, the tourist attractions are continuously being improved, the variety of tourism scenarios and business formats is gradually enriching, customized tours and in-depth tours in Jingmai Mountain are being initially constructed, and reception services for over 100 research and study teams have been completed.
At the home of Ai Hua, a villager in Wengji Ancient Village, a renovation team is working intensively. With the increase in visitor numbers, the occupancy rate of guesthouses in the ancient village has reached 60%, especially during important festivals when demand exceeds supply. Seeing the business opportunity, and after a series of strict approvals, Ai Hua is preparing to renovate his house into five characteristic guesthouse rooms without changing the exterior appearance or main structure of his home, aiming to add a good source of income for his family.
Moving towards happiness, painting the mountain scenery.
The Jingmai Mountain ancient tea forest is the thousand-year tea garden of the people of Jingmai Mountain and an important source of their happy life.
Over the past year, the tea leaves in the mountains of Jingmai Mountain, permeated with the fragrance of the mountain forests, have given the people of Jingmai Mountain the confidence and foundation to take great strides toward a happy life, painting a green economic picture where \u201cgreen waters and lush mountains are gold and silver mines.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the residents who have lived in Jingmai Mountain for generations, almost every household has an ancient tree tea garden, and Yu Ban, who lives in the Banggai Villager Group of Jingmai Village, is no exception.
In 2014, after working as a preschool teacher in Kunming for two years after graduating from university, Yu Ban returned to Jingmai Mountain, the place that gave birth to and raised her. \u201cThis is my root,\u201d said Yu Ban.
To let more people outside the mountains know about Jingmai Mountain, and to let them know about Jingmai tea and the beautiful mountain scenery, Yu Ban began e-commerce livestreaming in 2022, becoming one of the first villagers on Jingmai Mountain to engage in e-commerce livestreaming. \u201cHello everyone, I am Yu Ban from Jingmai Mountain.\u201d This is her opening line every time she starts a broadcast; since the successful World Heritage listing, this sentence has made her feel immensely proud and confident.
\u201cWhen we first started livestreaming, there was almost no one in the livestream room. It has improved much more over the past year, with as many as several hundred people at peak times, and the turnover from selling goods through livestreaming has reached over 500,000 yuan.\u201d Yu Ban’s face was filled with happiness.<\/p>\n
Living in the same village, Yu Meng saw the positive development trend of e-commerce livestreaming and, under Yu Ban’s careful guidance, also started livestreaming two months ago. In these two months, she has earned a total of over 20,000 yuan. \u201cBeing able to sell our own tea leaves and local specialties right from home is much better than the traditional sales model. Although the start was somewhat difficult, I believe that as long as I persist, things will get better and better.\u201d Yu Meng is full of hope for the future.
Over the past year, a large number of villagers who went away for work have returned home to start businesses one after another; more than 100 returning young people have started internet livestreams, using e-commerce platforms to promote Jingmai Mountain and sell Jingmai ancient tea and local agricultural products across the country. Today in Jingmai Mountain, more and more villagers are enjoying the huge dividends brought by the successful World Heritage listing.<\/p>\n
Ms. Wang Xin, from Anhui, was captivated by Jingmai Mountain upon her first visit: \u201cThis place is far from the hustle and bustle of the city; the ancient villages are very charming, and the villagers in the many mountains are very simple and honest. Looking at the happy smiles on the faces of the villagers, I feel happy myself.\u201d
That’s right; for an entire year, the villagers of Jingmai Mountain and everything on the mountain have embarked on a new journey, opening a new chapter for the healthy development of the Jingmai Mountain heritage site.
Personal author.<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
Author: Lam Sam (LamSam), the Old Tea Head
ZENTEA MANOR
Alliance Supply Chain Services Limited
Unit 902-3, 9\/F, Mini Cube, 10 Sam Chuk Street, San Po Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
www.zentea-shop.com Email:info@zentea-shop.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
September 17, 2023, was the most glorious moment for Jingmai Mountain. On this day, the \u201cJingmai Mountain Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape\u201d was successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List. This ancient tea mountain, famous worldwide because of its tea, is not only a living witness to \u201cChina’s tea history,\u201d but also conveys to us […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-yun-tea-mountains-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zentea-shop.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14257","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zentea-shop.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zentea-shop.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zentea-shop.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zentea-shop.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14257"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/zentea-shop.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14257\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14367,"href":"https:\/\/zentea-shop.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14257\/revisions\/14367"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zentea-shop.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zentea-shop.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zentea-shop.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zentea-shop.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}