On September 17, 2023, the "Pu'er Jingmai Mountain Ancient Tea Forest Cultural Landscape" was adopted at the 45th session of the World Heritage Conference, becoming the world's first tea-themed world cultural heritage.
Looking at the present, tea has been widely cultivated all over the world, China, as the homeland of tea, has many tea mountains and tea gardens, why is Jingmai Mountain successfully inscribed?
Because Jingmai Mountain has "three good". Good resources, Jingmai Mountain is located in Huimin Town, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County, Puer City, Yunnan Province, with an ancient tea forest area of 28,000 mu, more than 3.2 million ancient tea trees, and has nearly 2,000 years of tea planting history, which is currently the largest, best preserved and oldest artificial cultivated ancient tea garden found so far; Good ecology, Jingmai Mountain ancient tea forest cultural landscape is the best example of "human-tea-forest" symbiosis, high on the mountain is a forest, conserving water to maintain the water and soil of the entire mountain range, in the middle is an ancient tea forest and village, below is cultivated land and farmland, is a masterpiece of local ethnic groups to conform to nature and rational use of land; Well protected, the local secular people respect nature, and from the earliest discovery of the use of tea, they have warned their descendants to protect the tea forest like they protect their eyes, so such a complete and harmonious ecosystem has been passed down to this day.
As the world's first tea-themed world cultural heritage, what are the far-reaching practical significance behind the success of Jingmai Mountain?
First of all, this will attract more domestic and foreign tourists to visit and study. Tourists can witness the magnificent scene of tea trees and appreciate the breadth and depth of tea culture. This will promote the development of tourism in Pu'er City and drive the prosperity of the local economy.
Secondly, the inclusion on the World Heritage List will enhance the popularity and reputation of Pu'er tea. As one of the traditional famous teas in China, Pu'er tea is famous for its unique quality and history and culture. The World Heritage recognition will further cement Pu-erh tea's status as a highly sought after and valuable brand in the international tea market.
Most importantly, the inclusion on the World Heritage List will promote the inheritance and protection of Pu'er tea culture. This will attract more people's attention to Pu'er tea culture and stimulate tea farmers' enthusiasm and innovation for traditional crafts. At the same time, the government and relevant institutions will also increase support for the Pu'er tea industry and promote the research and dissemination of Pu'er tea culture.
Behind the success of Jingmai Mountain's application for the World Heritage Site, it also reflects China's importance and protection of tea culture. As the homeland of tea, China has a rich tea cultural heritage, and by inscribed Jingmai Mountain on the World Heritage List, China has demonstrated to the world its determination to inherit and protect tea culture. This is not only conducive to the dissemination and promotion of tea culture, but also provides examples for other tea producing areas to learn from. Of course, while this "paradise" has received more attention, it will also face more challenges brought by tourism, and how to rationally use it on the basis of effective protection is a new topic left to the local management department.
Note: The copywriting and accompanying pictures are generated by AI and produced by Hailong Intelligent Editing Toolbox.
Poster News Editor Ma Wanying