For the ethnic minorities in Pu'er, the fire pond is an indispensable place for them to move. In ancient times, the fire pit was the most important place in the family, because all the activities of people, cooking and boiling water, worship of the gods, marriage and funeral, and food culture were directly related to the fire pit. This makes the fire pond a unique culture, and the roasted tea culture has also developed, and it is reflected through the fire pond, becoming a special folk custom of Pu'er.
Pu'er long-burning fire pond culture
The wildfires that originally burned in the mountains and fields gradually formed a colorful fire pond culture after entering the small square inch of the house. In the former Sip area, almost every household had such a fire pit, and to this day, the fire pond still exudes a unique cultural atmosphere.
The fire pond is the core of the family life of ethnic minorities, a tool for cooking food, a source of light and heat for heating and lighting, and a place for emotional exchange and cultural inheritance. The most primitive fire pit was dug into a small pit in the house, made of stone, and put firewood in the middle as fuel for the fire, and later generally switched to an iron tripod, but the function and nature are similar.
These ethnic minorities cook food in the fire pit, eat by the fire pond, warm by the fire pond, drink tea by the fire pond, entertain guests by the fire pond, and meditate by the fire pond. In their eyes, the "fire pit" has a special meaning, a sacred symbol.
"Old Friend Fire Pond" on the Tea Horse Trail
Tibetan compatriots have a long history of selling tea to Simao. At that time, the tea sold by Simao to Tibetan compatriots was "tight tuan tea", that is, today's "cow heart tea", which was shaped like a large cow heart, and the bottom would leave a small tail when using cloth bags of tuan tea. These "tight balls of tea" are packed in baskets woven from bamboo and driven back by horses.
The Tibetan horse gangs in Diqing prefecture in Western Yunnan and Tibet who come to Simao carry medicinal herbs and leather when they come, and carry the necessities of life - Pu'er tea when they go. After arriving in Simao, these Tibetans did not live in Madian in the urban area, but instead drove the Ma gang to stay in the wasteland Caoba (near the present-day Xima River in the northeastern suburbs) east of the Simao Tongshang Bridge. There, they set up tents, lit bonfires, made fine butter tea from new Pu'er tea, and invited local residents to drink and sing while singing, becoming a scene of Simao in the spring and autumn. Locals in Simao call these Tibetan compatriots "old friends."
These Tibetan compatriots are bold and straightforward, and they are very able to mingle with the Simao people. They come to sell tea every year, bringing the local people the goods they need and huge profits. Everyone always calls old friends when they meet, and over time, "old friends" have become synonymous with Tibetan compatriots called by Simao people, and "old friends fire pond" is a witness to the long-term mutual communication between Tibetan compatriots and the people of Sipu area.
Fire pit roast tea, thriving in the direction of home
(Hani roasted tea)
Along with the development of the fire pit, there is also the fire pit roasted tea. For many people with fire ponds, the more prosperous the fire pond, the more prosperous the family, and the direction of the fire pond is the direction of the home. Earthen pots, tea leaves, family, around the fire, drinking roasted tea. This is not only a daily life pastime, but also a remembrance and inheritance of tradition. In the flickering fire and the aroma of tea, the past and the present seem to overlap.
(Lahu roasted tea)
In addition to the clear air of grass and trees, the most respected feature of the "fire pond roasted tea" tea soup is the thick tea aroma at the entrance, and the thick back to the sweetness that other tea drinks cannot match. According to the experience of the elderly, the roasted tea does not hurt the stomach, but also has the effect of clearing the throat and refreshing the throat, refreshing the body, and the body is warmer after drinking, refreshing and energetic.
(Yi roasted tea)
(Dai roasted tea)
"Roasted tea" not only condenses the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancient working people, but also a culture passed down from generation to generation. Huotang is a symbol of heaven and earth and people, and Huotang culture is an enduring inheritance and a bridge connecting people's hearts!
(Wa roasted tea)
No matter how the fire pit evolves
Its warmth always remains in the depths of people's hearts
Wen | Zhu Zheng
Figure | China Pu'er Tea Expo Garden, Pu'er Magazine, Fire Pond Boiling Water is provided