Pu'er Jingmai Mountain Ancient Tea Forests
Synopsis
Overview
The Ancient Tea Forests of Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er, located in Huimin Town, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County, Pu'er City, Yunnan Province, China, is an ancient cultivated tea garden with a planting history of nearly a thousand years. It is not only one of the largest, best-preserved, and most representative ancient tea forests in the Lancang River basin but also a significant cultural heritage for the local Bulang ethnic group...
Overview
The Ancient Tea Forests of Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er, located in Huimin Town, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County, Pu'er City, Yunnan Province, China, is an ancient cultivated tea garden with a planting history of nearly a thousand years. It is not only one of the largest, best-preserved, and most representative ancient tea forests in the Lancang River basin but also a crystallization of the millennia-old agricultural civilization wisdom of the local indigenous ethnic groups such as the Blang and Dai peoples. In 2012, the Jingmai Mountain Ancient Tea Forests were listed as a pilot site for the "Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems" (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). On September 17, 2023, its core value, the "Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er," was successfully inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming China's 57th World Heritage site. This place is not only a pilgrimage site for tea enthusiasts but also an excellent destination to experience the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature and to explore ethnic minority cultures.
History
The history of tea cultivation on Jingmai Mountain can be traced back to the ancestors of the Dai people around the 10th century AD. According to the Blang epic "Bayan Leng," their ancestral leader, Bayan Leng, domesticated wild tea trees on Jingmai Mountain and left a testament: "Leaving behind gold, silver, and treasures will eventually be exhausted; leaving behind cattle, horses, and livestock will eventually die. Only by leaving these tea gardens and tea trees for you can future generations have an inexhaustible source." Since then, the Blang, Dai, and other ethnic groups began the millennia-old tradition of understory tea cultivation here. They adopted a unique "understory tea" planting technique: clearing limited open spaces within the primary forest to plant tea trees while preserving the forest ecosystem and utilizing biodiversity for pest control, forming a unique cultural landscape of "tea in the forest, villages in the tea." This ancient tea forest bears witness to the history of tea's spread as a commodity along the Ancient Tea Horse Road to the northwestern inland regions and Southeast Asia, making it a living agricultural heritage.
Main Attractions
- Millennium Ancient Tea Forests (Thousands of Acres): The core landscape features ancient tea trees interwoven with the primary forest. Many tea trees are over a hundred years old, with some exceeding a thousand years. Visitors can stroll through the area, experiencing the tranquility and vitality of the ancient tea gardens.
- Traditional Villages: Jingmai Mountain has several well-preserved ethnic villages, with Nuogan Ancient Village (Dai) and Wengji Ancient Village (Blang) being the most famous. These villages feature simple and natural stilted architecture, and the villagers have made a living from tea for generations, maintaining traditional customs and religious beliefs.
- Tea Ancestor Temple: Located in Mangjing Village, it is an important site for the Blang people to worship the Tea Ancestor Bayan Leng, reflecting the profound culture of tea ancestor worship.
- Ancient Cypress Trees: In some areas of Jingmai Mountain, ancient cypress trees can be seen coexisting with tea trees. They are regarded as sacred trees and are part of the local nature worship.
- Sea of Clouds Landscape: On early mornings during autumn and winter, Jingmai Mountain often presents a spectacular sea of clouds covering the valleys. Villages and tea forests appear faintly visible within the clouds, creating a fairy-tale-like scene.
- Tea-Making Experience: Many villagers open their homes for visits, allowing tourists to personally experience the traditional Pu'er tea production process, from picking, spreading and withering, fixation (kill-green), rolling, to sun-drying.
Practical Information
The following information is compiled from publicly available sources. It is recommended to verify before traveling.
| Item | Specific Information |
|---|---|
| Admission | There is no main entrance fee for the Jingmai Mountain Ancient Tea Forests themselves. However, entering some core villages (e.g., Wengji, Nuogan) may require a small environmental sanitation management fee or resource protection fee (approximately 10-20 RMB). Fees are subject to change; please refer to announcements by the local village committee. |
| Opening Hours | Open 24/7 (natural landscape areas). Village visits are recommended during daylight hours, typically 8:00-18:00. Respect villagers' living habits and avoid disturbing them late at night. |
| Best Time to Visit | October to April of the following year. During this period, the weather is clear with less rainfall, making it easier to see the sea of clouds. It is also an important time before the spring tea harvest. The spring tea season (March-April) and autumn tea season (September-October) offer opportunities to experience tea picking and making. |
| Transportation | - By Air: Fly to Pu'er Simao Airport or Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport, then transfer by car (approximately 2-3 hours drive). - By Road: Take a bus from Pu'er City or Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna, to Lancang County or Huimin Town, then hire a car or take local rural transport to various villages on Jingmai Mountain. Self-driving is a more convenient option, but note that the final uphill section is a cobblestone road designed to protect the ancient tea forest environment; drive slowly and carefully. |
| Accommodation & Dining | There are several homestays and inns run by villagers in ancient villages like Wengji and Nuogan. Conditions are simple but characteristic. Meals can be taken at homestays or small village restaurants, offering local specialties like tea leaf fried eggs and Pu'er tea stewed chicken. |
| Important Notes | 1. Protect the Environment: Do not damage ancient tea trees and do not litter. 2. Respect the Culture: When entering villages, temples, or villagers' homes, please observe local customs. Do not take photos of people or indoor scenes without permission. 3. Fire Prevention is Paramount: All open fires in the wild are strictly prohibited within the scenic area. 4. Road Conditions: The cobblestone road can be challenging for vehicle tires; it is recommended to drive a vehicle with higher ground clearance. |
References
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) official website introduction to Jingmai Mountain:
http://www.fao.org/giahs/giahsaroundtheworld/designated-sites/asia-and-the-pacific/jingmai-mountain-ancient-tea-plantation/zh/ - UNESCO World Heritage Centre inscription page for the "Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er":
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1665 - Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism official information platform introduction to Jingmai Mountain (providing basic tourism information):
https://www.ynta.gov.cn/Item/7295.aspx
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