On September 17, good news came from Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia: The 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee adopted a resolution to inscribe China's “Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape of Pu'er Jingmai Mountain” on the World Heritage List!
This is the world's first tea-themed cultural heritage site and China's 57th, Yunnan Province's 6th entry on the list.
What is it about Pu'er Jingmai Mountain that captivates the world? What value does it hold that has earned it the favor and recognition of the World Heritage Committee? What experiences have been had since the application process began in 2010, over these 13 years?
All these questions can be distilled into one: Why Jingmai Mountain?
A Book of Mountains:
What is the Ancient Tea Forest of Jingmai Mountain?
The Ancient Tea Forest of Jingmai Mountain is located in Lancang County, Puer City, covering a total area of 19,095.74 hectares, with 7,167.89 hectares designated as the heritage zone. It encompasses two villages, Jingmai and Mangjing, in Humin Town, Lancang County. Five ethnic groups reside here: Dai, Bulang, Hani, Wa, and Han.
Before the arrival of the Bulang and Dai peoples, Jingmai Mountain was covered by dense primeval forest, where wild tea trees grew. From before the 10th century to the present day, the evolution of the Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape of Jingmai Mountain can be divided into several historical stages based on the formation of villages and tea forests and the development of human-tea relationships. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the ancient tea forest has been effectively protected at all levels of government, and the surrounding forests have gradually recovered. Although the scale of village construction has increased, recent village planning and environmental improvements have clearly defined requirements for the size and appearance of the villages. The scale and landscape of the ancient tea forest are well-preserved, and the overall Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape of Jingmai Mountain has entered a period of steady continuity.
The elements included in the World Heritage nomination for the Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape of Jingmai Mountain consist of five ancient tea forests, nine traditional villages, and three protective forests. The universal value criteria include providing unique or at least special testimony to a living or vanished civilization or culture, being an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land use, or maritime utilization, and representing an interchange of human values over time within a cultural area of the world.
The Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape of Jingmai Mountain is a typical example of the under-forest tea planting tradition continued by indigenous peoples in southwestern China. The indigenous governance system, unique tea ancestor worship, local Tea culture centered around harmony, customs and traditions that promote mutual respect and love, and the strong spiritual connection between people, tea, and nature ensure that this tradition remains vibrant even after a millennium. The nominated site exemplifies how indigenous peoples protect and utilize mountain and forest resources sustainably. Using traditional knowledge systems, including site selection, construction techniques, and vertical land use technology, they have created a wise mountainous living environment where tea grows in the forest, villages are nestled among the tea forests, and agricultural activities take place outside the tea forests. This is an outstanding representation of a sustainable mountain forest agriculture cultural landscape.
Professor Chen Yaohua, Director of the World Heritage Research Center at Peking University, suggests that the Ancient Tea Forest of Pu'er Jingmai Mountain is an ancient tea forest with a long history of tea cultivation and old tea tree ages, serving as a living testament to Chinese Tea. Additionally, it is a wise, ecological, and vibrant ancient tea forest, featuring four traditional protection mechanisms: traditional belief systems, governance systems, tea culture, and knowledge systems. It represents a tangible example of traditional “under-forest tea planting” practices preserved before the widespread adoption of modern tea plantation techniques. It is also an exemplary green agricultural production model and living environment integrating production, life, and ecology, embodying the ecological ethics and wisdom of harmony between humans and nature and among humans themselves. Its concepts of sustainable development and coexistence of diverse cultures hold significant implications for contemporary civilization.
A Path to Nomination:
What has been experienced along this path?
President Xi Jinping has provided guidance for the nomination and protection work, emphasizing that it should highlight the historical and cultural values of Chinese civilization, reflect the pursuit of the Chinese spirit, and demonstrate a comprehensive and authentic ancient and modern China to the world. This guidance has charted the direction for the nomination, preservation, and management of the heritage and provided a fundamental basis for action.
The nomination process for the Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape of Pu'er Jingmai Mountain as a World Heritage Site started in June 2010. Over the 13-year journey, leaders from the National Cultural Heritage Administration have provided on-site guidance, while provincial and municipal leaders have conducted numerous field surveys. The Yunnan Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau has dispatched dedicated personnel and teams to Jingmai Mountain to participate in specific tasks, offering precise oversight, professional guidance, and practical demonstrations.
Ancient Tea Forest of Jingmai Mountain (Photo by Lu Lei)
In September 2012, the ancient tea gardens and tea culture system of Pu'er were designated as a pilot project for Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In November of the same year, the Ancient Tea Forest of Pu'er Jingmai Mountain was successfully included in the Tentative List of China's World Heritage Sites. In March 2013, the ancient tea gardens of Jingmai were declared a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit by the State Council. In March 2017, the nomination document was formally submitted to the National Cultural Heritage Administration. In June 2019, the National Cultural Heritage Administration convened an expert review meeting for the 2021 World Heritage nomination projects, recommending the Ancient Tea Forest of Jingmai Mountain as China's nomination for 2021. In September of the same year, the National Cultural Heritage Administration officially replied to the Yunnan Provincial Government, agreeing to recommend the Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape of Jingmai Mountain for nomination as a World Heritage Site in 2021 and submit it to the State Council for approval. In October, the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the provincial government jointly hosted the “International Symposium on the Conservation of Tea Cultural Landscapes and Sustainable Development.” In January 2021, the State Council formally approved the nomination of the Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape of Pu'er Jingmai Mountain as China's official nomination for 2022, completing the submission of the nomination documents in May and passing the format and content review by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). From September 6 to 11, 2022, ICOMOS experts visited Pu'er to conduct a field assessment of the Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape of Jingmai Mountain's nomination for World Heritage status. On September 17, 2023, during the 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a resolution was passed to inscribe China's “Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape of Pu'er Jingmai Mountain” on the World Heritage List.
Since the start of the inspection preparation work for the nomination in 2020, the leading officials of the Puer Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government have frequently led inspections on the front lines, with divisional leaders stationed there to participate directly. They have led by example, setting standards for others to follow, ensuring effective implementation of the nomination work. A command center for the nomination inspection preparation, headed by the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and the Mayor, was established, integrating the strengths of administrative units at the municipal, county, town, village, and group levels and relevant departments at the municipal and county levels