Exploring the cultural heritage of Yunnan: "three teas", how many flavors of life are there?

Text, picture, video / Yangcheng Evening News all-media reporter Qi Yaoqi

In July 2021, the "BMW Chinese Culture Tour yunnan visit" project was officially launched under the guidance and support of the Yunnan Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center.

With the theme of "Exploring the Ancient Yunnan Canghai sea, a spiritual homeland of diversity and integration", and the cross-border integration of "intangible cultural heritage + tourism" as the carrier, the visit activity helped support the local improvement of the level of research and development of intangible cultural heritage by publicizing the excellent traditional culture of various ethnic groups in Yunnan, and attracted more tourists to visit and experience the colorful, unique and diverse national cultural charm of Yunnan.

In Dali, the "Bai Three Teas" is a tea art culture that has been popular in the local area for hundreds of years. It was originally used by the Bai people as a wish from the elders to the younger generations when they were studying, learning art, doing business, and getting married. The philosophy of "one bitter, two sweet, three aftertastes" that means life has now become a tea ceremony for Bai folk weddings, festivals and hospitality.

The first "bitter tea" among the three Bai teas is roasted tea, which is to put the sun-dried green hair tea in a sand pot and simmer it, let the tea leaves roll in the sand pot, and when the young stems of the tea leaves are foamed, they can be drunk by pouring into boiling water.

The second "sweet tea", on the basis of roasted tea, adds milk fan slices, walnut kernels, sesame seeds, brown sugar and other ingredients to the tea soup, implying that the happy life of happiness and harmony is not easy to come by.

The third "aftertaste tea" is to add a little minced cinnamon, a few peppercorns, a few slices of ginger, a few drops of honey, and a little brown sugar to the tea water. It means life and career, and we must often reflect and reminisce about the way forward

In November 2014, the "Bai Three Teas" was listed in the fourth batch of representative items of national intangible cultural heritage announced by the State Council.

Source | Yangcheng Evening News Yangcheng Pie

Editor-in-charge | Mo Jinrong