About Our Story
Jingmai Mountain: A Leaf Through Millennia, Tea Aroma Transcending Time
Vast expanses of ancient tea forests loom faintly amidst the clouds and mist, the songs of elderly Bulang people echo through the mountains. This is the homeland we have protected for generations, and it is also the treasure of tea culture that I want the world to see.
In the early morning, Jingmai Mountain is shrouded in thin mist. In the thousand-year-old tea forests located in my hometown, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County, Pu'er City, dewdrops slide down the veins of tea leaves, and the air is filled with a refreshing, heart-stirring tea fragrance. This is the smell most familiar to me since childhood, and it is also a cultural memory I wish to help more people understand.
On 17 September 2023, the "Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er" was approved for inclusion in the World Heritage List, becoming the world's first World Cultural Heritage site with tea as its theme. As the place of origin for the world's tea trees and an important node on the Ancient Tea Horse Road, it is now showcasing the unique charm of Chinese tea culture to the world with a new posture.
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01 The Tea Ancestor's Behest: Origins of the Millennia-Old Tea Forests
"The mountain has spirit, the tea has soul." My neighbor, Grandfather Yankan, often sighs while gazing at the tea forests. The story of how the Bulang ancestors discovered wild tea trees here is a bedtime story every child on Jingmai Mountain has heard.
In Bulang legend, the tale of ancestors discovering tea leaves in the forest, which healed and saved people, is not just a beautiful myth; it is the starting point of our connection with tea. The bequest left by our ancestor Yan Leng: "If I left you cattle and horses, they might fall ill and die. If I left you gold and silver treasures, they too might be spent. Instead, I leave you these tea trees, so that your descendants will have an endless supply." These words have been infused into our blood, becoming a spiritual creed for generations of guardianship.
02 Forest-Tea Symbiosis: The Crystallization of Millennia of Ecological Wisdom
In my childhood memories, the happiest thing was following my grandfather to the tea forests. He would always point at those tall camphor trees and say, "Look, these big trees are friends with the tea trees; they have lived together for over a thousand years."
We, the people of Jingmai Mountain, have understood the principle of "forest-tea symbiosis" since ancient times. This ancient ecological wisdom not only created high-quality organic tea leaves but also built a complete ecosystem. Today, we must pass on this wisdom and let more people understand this sustainable farming model.
03 Tea Aroma Characteristics: The Unique Profile of Jingmai Pu'er
I remember the first time I brought a friend from outside the region to taste tea; he exclaimed in surprise, "This tea has the taste of the great mountains!" Yes, this is the unique characteristic of Jingmai Mountain tea – a strong, wild, mountain energy and a lasting orchid fragrance.
Our Jingmai Mountain tea has a distinct and persistent sweetness. The tea soup is sweet upon entry, with low bitterness but noticeable astringency. Resistance to multiple infusions is another major characteristic, often lasting up to 20 steepings. These unique features stem precisely from Jingmai Mountain's distinctive natural environment and cultivation methods, making them impossible to replicate anywhere else.
04 Tea Processing Techniques: From Ancient Methods to Modern
Every spring, the entire mountain village is permeated with the fresh scent of tea leaves. I still remember the nervousness of my first time learning "fixation in hot pots" – my hands flying through the hot wok, needing to ensure even temperature while keeping the tea leaves intact.
We must combine this traditional skill with modern technology, introducing modern equipment to ensure stable quality while preserving the essence of the ancient methods. Let every leaf of tea from Jingmai Mountain maintain the most authentic "Jingmai taste."
05 Ethnic Fusion: Tea Culture Protected by Multiple Ethnic Groups
On Jingmai Mountain, the Bulang, Dai, Hani, Wa, and Han ethnic groups coexist harmoniously, forming a unique tea culture microcosm. Each ethnicity has its own unique tea drinking customs and tea ceremonies, yet they have also blended together through a millennium of exchange.
We need to systematically organize and display these rich and varied tea cultures, allowing visitors not only to taste authentic Jingmai tea but also to experience the feast of multi-ethnic tea culture.
06 Rural Revitalization: The Tea Industry Ushers in New Vitality
Today, more and more young people are returning to their hometowns, opening tea houses like Ai Yong, or establishing tea clubs like Shi Zhengqian. We are exploring a new path of integrating tea and tourism, allowing visitors to personally experience the joy of picking and making tea.
We aim to develop Jingmai Mountain into a comprehensive demonstration zone integrating tea production, cultural experience, and eco-tourism, making the tea industry a true pillar industry for rural revitalization.
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Today, as I stand atop Jingmai Mountain, watching the millennial tea forests beneath the rolling sea of clouds, my heart is filled with both pride and responsibility. This precious heritage left by our ancestors requires our generation to protect it wholeheartedly and develop it innovatively.
I want the world to know that deep in the mountains of Yunnan, there lies a magical ancient tea forest. There, not only is the best Pu'er tea produced, but it also contains the fascinating story of millennia of ecological wisdom and the blending of diverse ethnic cultures.
Fragrant tea fears no distant, rugged paths; culture needs inheritors. I am willing to be that inheritor, carrying the scent of Jingmai Mountain's tea to places far beyond.
Thus, the Jade Leaf Teas brand was born, carrying a dream of hometown.