GLOBAL EA HUT Tea & Tao Magazine 國際茶亭 March 2018

Tea Travels Mengsong勐宋 GLOBAL EA HUT ContentsIssue 74 / March 2018 Tea & Tao Magazine Swirling薄霧繞 Mist

This month we are traveling back to Yunnan, the birthplace of all tea, to start our new “Tea Journeys” series, where we explore the history, Love is folklore, tea and tea culture of a single moun- changing the world tain in depth, taking you all with us on our trips. Of course, we’ll also be drinking some bowl by bowl great tea as we travel. Features特稿文章

15 Mengsong: The Roof of 天 Xishuangbanna 堂 By Luo Yingyin (羅英銀) 的 47 —The Villages of Mengsong— 階 25 Baotang (保塘) 梯 By Chen Mingcong (陳明聰) 31 Nanben (南本) By Li Yunyun (李昀耘) 35 Bameng (壩檬) 39 21 By Li Yunyun (李昀耘) 39 Da’an (大安) By Zhang Yaoyue (張耀月) 45 Da Manlü (大曼呂) By Yan Jie (顔婕) 49 Banggang (蚌崗) By Zhang Yaoyue (張耀月) 55 Banglong (蚌龍) By Luo Yingyin (羅英銀) Traditions傳統文章 37

03 Tea of the Month “Swirling Mist,” 2004 Sheng Puerh 薄 © 2018 by Global Tea Hut Mengsong, Yunnan, China All rights reserved. 霧 No part of this publication may be re- 43 Special Puerh Offer produced, stored in a retrieval system 繞 or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, pho- tocopying, recording, or otherwise, 61 TeaWayfarer without prior written permission Kristen Fix, USA from the copyright owner. n March,From Taiwan starts to warm up and the weatherthe is the participants, butEditor we will also be devoting a whole issue spectacular, bringing smiles to guests and residents at to Anxi Tieguanyin and Master Chen, the amazing farmer the Center. We start drinking lighter teas, tasting last we will stay with there. Then, later in the year, we will also year’s sheng puerh to notice the changes and prepare devote a whole issue to Phoenix Mountain Dancong oolong Ifor this year’s harvest. Our trips to the hot springs are over, as well, offering a more in-depth look at this amazing tea, but the Center’s farm starts providing more abundantly. I its history, processing and lore. We are also working hard on always notice the meals that have our veggies in them, as annotating this year’s offering in our Classics of Tea series, it feels great to eat home-grown food. There’s nothing like which will be from the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). This a warm spring morning of good sheng tea and some nice will be an exciting year of Global Tea Hut, indeed! veggies grown in the Center’s garden. One of our goals for the coming years is to dive more As some of you know, we got a new office for Global Tea deeply into coverage of specific tea-growing regions, offering Hut, which expanded out of its old location. We turned the a more comprehensive exploration of the people, processing old office into a tea space and living quarters for permanent and history. Along with some nice, local tea to taste, this is residents, which we have chosen to name “Morning Dew an exciting way to travel through the cup to the Nature that (甘露).” The new office is about three times bigger, offering made the tea. We also want to include information about the so much more space for guest servers, packing this magazine farmers, their culture and history to provide more context and Light Meets Life tea. This move has really put some wind for the teas we share. This kind of journalism is one of the in all our sails, as it feels like a big step upwards as this com- main goals of this magazine moving forward and a testament munity grows closer and closer to building our permanent to what we can provide distant tea lovers who cannot always Center, Light Meets Life. We are inspired and grateful to be make the journey to these remote locations. a part of all your lives. You make all this hard work worth- Mengsong is one of Yunnan’s oldest tea-growing regions while! May we continue to grow and explore tea together. and one of its highest. It was one of the first mountains I ever Soon we will be leaving for our fifth annual Global Tea visited in Yunnan, and I have been back several times, as I Hut trip, which will be amazing this year. We will be guiding like the area, the villages and the people. There is a rich her- a large group of tea lovers through the clouds of the black itage of tea culture there, with beautiful gardens of ancient dragon. This year’s trip will be an amazing chance to learn trees. Over the years, I have learned a lot from the people of about oolong tea and gongfu tea preparation. We will study Mengsong, and I am very excited about this issue. It feels both ball and striped oolong, traveling to amazing sites in great to take you along with us on this amazing journey to Anxi to see Tieguanyin, Phoenix Mountain to see Dancong one of Yunnan’s richest tea-growing areas, drinking a beau- tea and then Chaozhou to learn more about the history tiful sheng puerh together as we explore the tea heritage and and preparation of gongfu tea. We will visit ancient tea trees, history of Mengsong. dance in the forest, meditate, have discourses at night and learn a ton about tea processing, history and lore. We will then wrap up with two fun-filled days in Hong Kong. I spent ten days walking our path and making arrangements, tuning the trip to a fine melody, and I believe this will be the best trip ever. Each day, I grew more excited as beautiful con- Wu De nections, opportunities and glorious individuals stepped up in perfect alignment with what we hoped for! I was amazed at the interstellar providence, and awed at how easily things have unfolded and how fortuitously the connections I made just fell into my path, offering us some of the rarest tea ex- periences I have had in my decades of tea travel. We are –Further Readings– heading off the beaten path and into some hidden spots of unexpected beauty, culture and glory. I am thrilled, actually, This month, we recommend re-reading the Sep- and cannot believe some of what is in store, as it far exceeded tember 2014 issue, which is one of the most com- my expectations... prehensive guides on puerh tea ever published in This trip will present some amazing opportunities for you the English language. It will help contextualize all to learn with us. This year, we are going to expand the this trip through Mengsong, which will be more coverage of the trip in a way. We will have an issue devoted rewarding if you know a bit about puerh tea as we to the trip itself, as we do every year, with accounts from travel. Past issues are on our website.

2 of the

ver the course of this month, stand why Chajin of the past chose to stand the three kinds of tea gardens in we will be on a tea journey, categorize tea trees in this way, because Yunnan. Again, there is no standard- 茶 traveling once again to the once the leaves are fully grown, large- ization in this, so we have to create our Obirthplace of all tea, Yunnan, to explore leaf trees have much larger leaves than own. Different authors and vendors, puerh tea. We hope to offer more of small-leaf trees. Another way to think however, will describe and label these such tours around tea-growing regions about this is to say that the large-leaf kinds of gardens in their own way. But in future issues. This magazine will trees are able to produce much larger once you have a basic understanding of then become a ticket to remote places leaves. these three, you will be able to navigate where we can explore tea culture, tea Another way of categorizing large- the discussion. We call the three kinds history, processing and lore in specific leaf tea is to call it “chou mu (喬木),” of gardens: plantation, eco-arboreal places, zooming in on the geography which means there is a single trunk, and forest. of a region to learn more about the which grows up around a meter before Plantation tea is grown in rows, tea culture there, and bring value and branching. Though there are varietals with tea propagated by cuttings all respect to the people who preserve the of large-leaf that branch lower down, planted close together, usually in lower traditions there. This month we are there is still always a thick trunk, so altitude, more accessible places, though traveling to Mengsong, in the south- the separation can be useful. Small- plantation tea can be grown anywhere. ern part of Xishuangbanna Prefecture, leaf tea branches immediately, like a The dangers of plantation tea are that which is the most active of the four bush. (Again, the “dancing” varietals this is where conventional farming is tea-growing prefectures in Yunnan. of large-leaf tea trees are an exception, most predominant, which means the Before our bus to Mengsong leaves, though their trunks are still thick just tea often is not organic and grown in- though, let’s review the basics of puerh. beneath ground-level.) dustrially. As such, this tea is rarely as We have to start with an under- To determine the age of a large- healthy for people and most certainly standing of the two main, most gen- leaf, chou mu tea tree, you have to look not for the environment. It also lacks eralized categories of tea trees: small- at the thickness of the trunk, not the sustainability. Such tea is not what and large-leaf. The original, ancestor height. Tea can grow tall very fast. we call “living tea.” Living tea has six trees in the birthplace of tea, which Even in ten years a tree can be several characteristics. Living tea is seed-prop- is Lincang in Yunnan, were large-leaf. meters tall. You determine the age by agated, as opposed to cuttings. The tea Separating the kinds of tea trees by the thickness of the trunk. The girth of trees have room to grow—upwards to the leaf size can be tricky, though, be- the trunk is also relative to the varietal, produce large crowns, and between cause the size of any given leaf won’t but in general real old-growth trees trees, allowing the plants to organize tell you whether it is from a small-leaf have thick trunks. If the trunk has a themselves. Living tea is grown in or large-leaf tree. Large-leaf trees also diameter of two hands, you can be sure full biodiversity, surrounded by nat- produce buds, which start out tiny, it is more than one hundred years old, ural ecology. Living tea is, of course, and small-leaf bushes also have leaves and certainly old-growth. Over time, grown without the use of any agro- that grow up, so any given small-leaf as you see more trees, you will get bet- chemicals (the Terrible Trio: pesticides, tree’s leaf maybe bigger than one from ter at determining their age based on herbicides or chemical fertilizers). The a large-leaf tree, in other words. How- appearance alone. relationship between the farmer and ever, standing back and looking on at After the distinction between small- trees is one of respect and reverence, the garden from afar, you will under- and large-leaf, it is important to under- giving and receiving on both sides.

3 Swirling Mist (薄霧繞)

Yunnan, China 普生 2004 Sheng Puerh 茶

Lahu Aboriginals 洱

~1500 Meters Tea of the Month Within the character for tea is the rad- Yunnanese villages aren’t so bad to live that all his or her tea is of this variety, ical “human,” as Tea is a relationship just outside of, as many are still clean when very little of this kind of tea ac- between Nature and Man. Finally, no and in healthy balance with the envi- tually exists anymore. You could hike irrigation or fertilizer of any kind (even ronment. Not all eco-arboreal tea is into the forest and pass right by such organic fertilizer) is used in living tea. clean, though. There is rarely ever any a garden if you didn’t know what to This allows the trees to be indepen- pesticide use with such tea, but some look for, since the tea garden would dent, developing strong and deep roots farmers do use weed-killers around the look just like all the other jungle you and connecting to the energy of the trees and/or chemical fertilizers to in- had passed by on the way there. These mountain. crease yield. In areas where these trees natural, forest gardens are what “bring The second kind of garden, which are surrounded by other crops, they Nature to society.” This is where the we call “eco-arboreal,” is composed of can also be cross-contaminated if the sounds of the forest can be found in living tea planted or growing wild right local farmers are using agro-chemicals the bowl. near the edge of the village. The trees on those plants. grow up in biodiversity and live in a The final kind of garden is a forest healthy environment, but not in the garden. These can be wild or planted Processing forest. These trees are just outside the by people. These are gardens in the village, and sometimes surrounded by forest, often protected parks. The tea To begin with, we have to start other agriculture. These trees are more grows naturally and in a full and nat- by dividing puerh into “sheng (生)” convenient to care for and harvest ural ecosystem. Obviously, this rep- and “shou (熟).” Sheng means “raw” since the farmers do not have to hike resents the best of what puerh tea has puerh; it’s the greener, more astrin- to get to them. They are still quite hap- to offer. Sadly, almost every puerh ven- gent kind of puerh, which can be py and healthy, and as of now, small dor in the world gives the impression enjoyed when it is young and fresh

Puerh Production

5/ Swirling Mist (薄霧繞) The Processing

of Maocha Plucking採摘

Withering萎凋

De-enzyming殺菁

Rolling揉捻

Sun-drying晒干

or aged to ferment naturally over is processed fully (dried) and then sent want control over the finishing steps time. On the other hand, shou, which to a factory to be blended, compressed like blending, choosing sheng or shou means “ripe,” is artificially fermented or made into shou. And even back in and also deciding what size or shape to by humans, so it is darker to begin the day when the final steps were done compress the tea into. But before we with. The words “sheng” and “shou” at farm, they were still done at a later get to the factory, let’s understand what are used in Chinese to discuss food date (sometimes months later) so the maocha is. as well, referring to “raw/uncooked” term “maocha” was still relevant. In Puerh maocha is harvested, with- versus “cooked” meals. The terms also oolong, it is the roasting, which is done ered out and indoors depending on describe the ripening of fruit as well. later, or traditionally at the shop rather the place/tradition and the weather, Understanding this distinction is im- than the farm. The reason the finishing fired (sha qing, 殺青) to arrest the portant for exploring puerh, and more steps in these teas are completed later oxidation of the withering and de-en- specifically shou puerh, more deeply. is because the farmers have to focus on zyme the tea, rolled (rou nian, 揉捻) Like many genres of tea, puerh starts processing the harvested tea on the day to shape the tea and further break with “maocha (毛茶),” which means it is plucked or the quality will suffer. down the cells and then sun-dried. “rough” or “unfinished” tea. You’ll hear And since there is freshly-picked tea The two defining steps that make this term discussed most often with coming in every morning during the puerh unique are the firing and dry- regards to the genres of oolong and harvest season, they have little time ing. The de-enzyming of tea is done to puerh, as they traditionally have “fin- to sleep, let alone finish the tea, which stop the withering and also to remove ishing” steps that occur later and/or at can be done later. These days, with green enzymes that make the tea bitter a different location from where the tea regards to puerh, almost all maocha and astringent. Like most teas, puerh is initially processed. In puerh, the tea is sent to be finished at factories who is fired in a wok (often wood-fired),

6 Tea of the Month

but it is done at a lower temperature ideal to finish the tea at source, since The most distinguishing steps in and for a shorter duration than most the water and micro-ecology will be puerh production are the sha qing (kill- kinds of tea. This, along with the va- unique for each place, but that rare- green) and sun-drying phases. The fir- rietal of puerh, is why young sheng is ly happens nowadays. The tea is then ing, or “sha qing,” comes after wither- so bitter and astringent. Puerh is fired blended or left single-region and com- ing. It is done to arrest the oxidation in this way to allow the heat-resis- pressed into various shapes of cakes as begun in the withering and to “kill” tant spores to survive the processing, sheng puerh, which can then be en- certain enzymes in the tea that make since they will be paramount in the joyed young or aged for later. The tea it bitter, which is why it may also be post-production fermentation process. is steamed, compressed and dried on translated as “de-enzyming.” In puerh The sun-drying is what also separates racks (often with fans, but traditionally tea, the de-enzyming is done at a low- puerh from most kinds of tea, and it in the sun) before being wrapped indi- er temperature for a shorter duration is done for the same reason, since sun- vidually in paper and then in bamboo because some of these enzymes are im- light and heat are just what the spores skin called a “tong (筒).” But if the tea portant for the fermentation of the tea, need to start colonizing the tea again. is to be shou, it has a whole other jour- which happens post-production (ei- After the maocha is dried, it leaves ney to travel. (We spoke of that last ther naturally or artificially). This also the farm for the factory. However, it is month and in November of last year.) ensures that heat-resistant spores will

7/ Swirling Mist (薄霧繞) survive and flourish, as the bacteria from the Masterpiece (1949–1972), to the tea’s fermentation, and ideally and mold are the source of the fermen- Chi Tze (1972–1998) and Newborn also the spiritual and cultural rituals tation. The sun-drying also facilitates (1998–present) eras of puerh. Some- that surround harvest and production. and encourages fermentation by reac- times, teas from different regions, or As for what we mean when we call a tivating the microbial worlds that live even the same region, enhance each puerh “old-growth,” for us it means in the leaves, going about their days in other beautifully. All teas are techni- that the tea leaves were harvested from Horton Hears a Who style. cally blends, since different sides of trees that are at least one hundred years Puerh production may seem com- the same tree will produce different old. We think that when you start plicated at first, but it really isn’t that leaves, let alone different parts of the talking in centuries, it’s definitely “old- difficult to understand. We hope that same forest. Still, there is something growth.” the basics we’ve covered in this article to be said for single-region puerh since When drinking maocha, there are will help simplify the process for you that was the way that all puerh tea was many criteria for finding the right tea and increase your understanding of traditionally produced. All the teas to make into cakes: you can drink with the more linear aspects of puerh tea. from the Antique Era (pre-1949) were an eye towards aging (in which case By including other articles about the single-region. The terroir of a place, you will have to have had a lot of expe- energetics of puerh in this issue, as including the culture of how to process rience drinking aged and aging teas at well as past and future issues, we hope the tea, will then be homogeneous. various stages), learning about regions, to fulfill you in a more balanced way. This includes the genetic heritage or creating cakes that can be enjoyed Thus, our understanding of puerh will of the trees, the climate and soil, the young. The best teas will be great when be more holistic, including its history, microbial environment so important young, middle-aged and vintage. production methodology and other informative approaches along with a spiritual and vibrational understand- ing of this amazing tea. Puerh processing is a very old and simple methodology. Different genres of tea have different measures of qual- ity based on a ratio of raw material Living Tea to processing skill. Cliff Tea, like the I. Living Tea is seed-propagated, as opposed to cut- one we sent last month, for example, is measured at least as much in the tings. processing as it is in the trees/leaves. But puerh is different. With puerh, the quality is much more in the trees/ II. The tea trees have room to grow—upwards to leaves, with tea from older trees having produce large crowns, and between trees, allowing more breadth, wisdom and medici- the plants to organize themselves. nal juju. Mountain, location and age of the trees will all play a large role in the price and quality of a puerh. Be- cause of that, there is a lot of confusion III. Living Tea is grown in full biodiversity, sur- and dishonesty surrounding regions rounded by natural ecology. and age of trees in the puerh mar- ket, with young, plantation-tree tea (台地茶, tai di cha) being mixed into IV. Living Tea is, of course, grown without the use of old-growth raw material, or tea from any agrochemicals (the Terrible Trio: pesticides, her- one region being brought to another and sold under false pretenses. This bicides or chemical fertilizers). means that you have to have some ex- perience tasting teas, knowing if it is organic or not, young or old-growth V. The relationship between the farmer and trees is and from which region (at least rela- one of respect and reverence. Within the character tively). It also helps to have trusted for tea is the radical ‘human’, as Tea is a relationship sources like we do at the Hut. Nowadays, there is also a lot of between Nature and Man. confusion about blended versus sin- gle-region tea, as well as what defines “old-growth” puerh. It is good to have VI. No irrigation or fertilizer of any kind (even or- some clarity on these issues, at least in ganic fertilizer). This allows the trees to be indepen- terms of what we are writing about in the pages of Global Tea Hut. As for the dent, developing strong and deep roots and connect- first issue, there are great blended teas ing to the energy of the mountain.

8 Tea of the Month Mengsong The Mengsong tea-growing area ket. If you’re looking for a robust tea Mountain across the Liusha river. If we is located 25 kilometers from the with a distinct aroma, it’s hard to get trace the origins of the Mengsong tea Menghai county seat. It is primarily around the fact that puerh prices can mountain carefully back through his- inhabited by people of Dai and Lahu be very high. One of the most out- tory, we find that the earliest available ethnicities. The elevation of this area standing areas is the Blang tea region records date back to the Qing Dynasty. is between 870 and 2,219 meters. It with its shining star, the Lao Banzhang At that time, Mengsong and Nannuo has a southern subtropical, monsoonal brand from Mount Blang, which both fell under the jurisdiction of an climate and a yearly average tempera- fetches higher and higher prices each administrative division called Che- ture of 18 °C. It has plentiful rainfall passing year. Those who are partial to li Xuanweisi (車里宣慰司); during and sunshine and a long frostless sea- the delicate, graceful flavor of moun- the Republic of China era in the ear- son. Combined with the rich fertile tain teas need look no further than the ly 1900s, this was changed to Cheli soil, this area has excellent conditions Mengsong tea region, whose Naka tea County (車里縣). for growing tea trees. Along with the has been widely acclaimed in puerh tea Any discussion of the Meng- Nannuo tea-growing area, Mengsong circles for some time. The unique to- song tea region can’t help but revolve is one of the areas of Xishuangbanna pography, soil and climate of the area around that famed peak that tow- with the longest history. Today its old give this tea its distinct character and ers into the clouds: Huazhu Liangzi tea gardens cover nearly 4,000 mu. its glowing reputation as “the king of (滑竹梁子), whose name means They are primarily distributed in Da’an Mengsong teas.” “smooth bamboo rafters.” This moun- Village, Nanben Old Village, Naka Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous tain peak in Mengsong is the highest in Village, and Baotang Old Village. New Prefecture, in Yunnan Province, is the Xishuangbanna at around 2430 meters tea gardens cover over 40,000 mu. The homeland of puerh tea. Within this above sea level, giving it the nickname area has a yearly tea output of nearly region lies the Mengsong Tea Moun- “the roof of Xishuangbanna.” As well 1,000 tons. tain (勐宋茶山), an ancient high-alti- as its great height, Huazhu Liangzi’s All tea lovers dream of visiting the tude tea garden within the borders of latitude means that it has a subtrop- mountains and villages famed for their Mengsong Village in Menghai County. ical climate, well suited for growing puerh tea. Each mountain and village Mengsong merges into Jinghong City tea. A warm, nurturing gift from the has its own unique local flavor, and to the east, while to the south it meets heavens, this stretch of alpine forest is each has its own following in the mar- Gelanghe Village, and it faces Nannuo enveloped year-round by clouds and

9/ Swirling Mist (薄霧繞) 勐宋

mist, the abundant humidity and sun- Naka is home to around 108 fam- needs. So, what was to be done with all light providing moisture for all living ilies, most of whom belong to the these old trees? Enter the Dai people: things and nourishing the thick vege- Lahu ethnicity. The name “Naka” is a known for their industrious nature, tation. On this soil, ancient tea trees transliteration from the Lahu language they arrived in Naka and developed a have also put down sturdy roots and and in Chinese is most often written good relationship with the Lahu peo- unfurled their twigs and leaves. Al- using the characters 那卡 (naka), but ple, setting up mutually beneficial though the tea made here comes from sometimes also 納卡 (naka) or 臘卡 enterprises that allowed most of the old-growth trees, it displays no aggres- (laka). The tea garden stands at an alti- tea produced there to be sold outside sive or overpowering notes; the moun- tude of around 1740 meters above sea the area and establishing Naka tea as tain mists of Mengsong produce a tea level and is situated to the northwest a steady presence in the market. If you that is delicate, fragrant and sweet. Of of Mengsong Village, where it borders ask the locals, they’ll tell you that al- all Mengsong’s teas, Naka tea garners with Mengwang Village. It falls under most anyone in the area with a larger the highest praise. the administration of Manlü Village house and more apparent financial re- (also called Da Manlü) and is located sources acquired them through busi- 那卡 about five kilometers away from the ness connections with traders from Naka ( ) Da Manlü basin. Here, yearly pre- outside the region. Naka is the first and most im- cipitation can reach up to 1900 mil- Although the Lahu people are not portant village on our trip through limeters, and the soil is good quality, especially known for their friendliness Mengsong. It is the most well-known well-draining yellow sandy soil, suited or hospitality toward outsiders, they village in Mengsong because the tea to growing tea and many other crops. have an endearing frankness. They from there is special. Our Tea of the Ancient tea trees, stretching out are very warm to those they know Month is also from Naka. We will visit over more than 66 hectares of land, well, and willingly put a lot of effort the other villages throughout the rest are the hidden treasure of Naka. And into friendships. For example, on the of this issue. Each has its own rich yet, the local native Lahu people never day we first arrived at the village, we heritage and unique tea, but Naka rep- sought to make a profit from the tea had a chance encounter with a wom- resents the region in the mind of most trees; living life one day at a time, they an who was picking tea with a bright tea lovers. only sought to cover their basic living smile in the old mountain garden.

10 Tea of the Month Although she was a bit unapproach- There is a lush layer of symbiotic plants resulted in a great improvement in the able at first, as we muddled along try- growing on the tree bark and the forest lives of the people of Naka, evident in ing to communicate with our differing floor, displaying the flourishing vitality the new road construction and reno- languages, she began to open up, re- of the garden and the rich biodiversity vations visible throughout the village. vealing a lovely, good-natured smile, created by the topography and climate. So, with stable tea prices and new- and had soon invited us to share in the All these gardens full of old tea ly-opened roads, this time when we local picnic lunch there in the tea gar- trees growing peacefully on the moun- visited Naka we could see signs of re- den. We happily sat down on the grass tainsides impart a unique charm to cent construction (see the photographs and put down our travel gear, and con- the bamboo tube tea that is produced on the previous page), like traces of the tributed the rations we had brought up here, and for many years now Naka tea plastic sheeting that had been spread the mountain to add to the tea picker’s has fetched the highest price among over the newly-laid concrete. Accord- lunch, a Dai-style dish called “nami all Mengsong’s teas. In 2003, it even ing to the locals, the new cement road (納咪);” it made for a hearty shared outpriced the famous Banzhang tea that led away to the left had only been meal. Nami is made using a local yel- from Mount Blang, a testament to its open for three months. low-flowered vegetable; after the flow- great popularity on the market. So, As the attention of tea lovers has ers have wilted, they remove the petals what other factors have combined to focused on Naka, the difficult lives and and add water and boiled glutinous make Naka tea’s fragrant, sweet flavor inconvenient transport of earlier times rice, then leave it to ferment for fifteen float up to stand out above the masses, have slowly receded into the past; days. Then they filter out the dregs and and make Naka the first name on any Naka, this pearl of puerh hidden deep simmer it for a few hours. Once it’s Chajin’s lips whenever Mengsong tea in the mountains, is truly beginning to ready to be used, they add garlic and is mentioned? This is the mystery that shine. With that glow will come all the some hot water to soften it up, plus our research team was most hoping to difficulties that such a spotlight brings, whatever seasonings they like. Out unravel when we arrived in Naka. including changes to tradition and cul- here in the wilderness where resources Compared to the aggressive vig- ture as well as the need to focus on en- are scarce, who wouldn’t savor such a or of Blang Mountain tea or the vironmental protection and the pres- delicacy? soft, smooth sweetness of Yiwu tea ervation of the old-growth trees that (易武茶), Naka tea displays a refined have brought this attention here in the sweetness without lacking in stamina, first place. We hope that this issue of A Former Tribute Tea and has a bitter base note yet plenty Global Tea Hut, and the awareness we of energy. It is beloved of tea drinkers are raising, can help out in a small way. If we look back in time to the Qing everywhere and is particularly highly At least, we can all drink this month’s Dynasty, Naka tea already enjoyed a regarded in Guangzhou. tea and raise a bowl to Naka and its good reputation. At that time, all the Mr. Chen from the Mengsong people! tea produced here was sent as a tribute Village Administrative Office told us to the local government (in charge of that at the time of the puerh tea mar- Cheli Xuanweisi, the former adminis- ket crash in 2007, the prices of Naka trative region we mentioned earlier). tea also plummeted to rock bottom. According to historical records, the As a result of his efforts to find a way bamboo tube-packaged tea produced for Naka tea to weather this predica- in Naka was even officially designat- ment, he came across the well-known ed as tribute tea by the Burmese king, Chensheng tea company (陳升號). so we can see that it already enjoyed The Chensheng brand was established wide recognition abroad, too. Even to- in 2007. They purchased the local tea day, the people of Naka carry on the leaves at a guaranteed price, which tradition of making bamboo tube tea; standardized the quality of the tea and the locals told us that they would take provided the local tea growers with a tubes of tea to the neighboring villages stable income, significantly improving to trade for alcohol or everyday goods, their standard of living. In 2012, only or bring it along as a gift when visiting 24 of Naka’s household tea-growing Naka’s tea trees propa- old friends. enterprises received outside orders for gate via sexual reproduc- Because of its long history, al- tea; in 2013, following the successful tion; signs of the evolution of though the old village of Naka itself example of Lao Banzhang, Mr. Chen the tea plant population can doesn’t cover a very big area, it has seized the opportunity of involving the be seen everywhere, from more than 66 hectares (or 1000 mu) Chensheng Tea Factory, and produced the differences in leaf sizes of old-growth tea tree gardens, situated eighteen tons of maocha (semi-pro- from tree to tree to muta- at an altitude of around 1740 meters cessed leaf) to send them as a sample. tions in leaf color, often with above sea level. On close inspection, The people at the Chensheng Tea Fac- purple-bud varieties. The the leaf size of the tea trees is on the tory were stunned by the outstanding seeds here are ripe and full small side of small-to-medium; al- quality of the Naka tea, and a partner- of living energy, contribut- though the trees are old, they have ship was thus established. This injec- ing to a natural and health naturally spreading, twisting branches. tion of capital from the collaboration ecology.

11/ Swirling Mist (薄霧繞)

Tea of the Month 茶 Swirling Mist薄霧繞 Tasting Mengsong maocha, the delicate fragrance has a profound im- pression on you. The tea liquor is sweet to the taste with very little astringency; when swallowed it leaves a slight bitter taste in the throat, which dissipates as you swallow and evolves into a sweet aftertaste with a long-lasting fragrance. There’s an old Chinese saying that “each place creates a different sort of people;” it follows, then, that the wild elegance of this land of graceful, swirling mists and lofty exuberant moun- tain ranges manifests itself in the cups of tea Mengsong offers, with their endlessly lingering aroma. Swirling Mist is a 2004 cake from Naka, Mengsong. We wanted to offer the best Mengsong has to offer—this is Global Tea Hut, after all! We wanted to share a Mengsong tea from old trees and with all of the qualities that make Mengsong tea special. Our Tea of the Month is a private order, pressed by a dear friend who went to Naka himself and made this cake from old trees in the nearby forest. A lot of what makes the flavor and energy of Mengsong unique is the environment, like the old Chinese saying about how different places create different people. It is only when the tea trees are left pristine, grown by Nature, without too much interference and without agrochem- icals that we have a just representation of what makes that place unique. As Wu De always says: “The leaf is an expression of the tree’s relationship to its environment.” This is one of the best sheng puerh teas we’ve ever sent you. The good news is that we will be offering a small number of whole cakes as well (see p. 43 for details). Beyond just finding a tea that we were sure was clean and from old trees, we love the way Naka tea ages. In just a decade, the tea turns sweet, thick, syrupy and very patient. We find this tea incred- ible to drink and well worth aging for longer. The storage on Swirling Mist is clean and bright. The tea has just started to make its first shift from a young to an aged tea and tastes of sweet, spicy fruit punch with a lingering aftertaste that coats the throat and mouth. There is still some astringency, but this is a good thing, as it means that this tea has the strength to be a great candidate for long- term storage. This is a great tea to taste the stages that puerh goes through as it ages. We find that puerh pass- es through a stage every five to seven years, depending on the storage. This tea has passed through the green stage to the stage where the tea is brown, astringent and spicy to the third stage where the spiciness and astringency start to mellow out as the tea makes its way into the aged flavors of Chinese herbs, plum and ginseng. The energy of this tea grows more Yin with each passing year. It descends and centers us, as it is very grounding indeed. We recommend enjoying this tea in the late morning, after a nice breakfast and before the day begins; or perhaps early on a lazy afternoon. Of course, no delicious tea is as good alone as it is shared with other Chajin who know and love tea! Why not use the Global Tea Hut app and invite some friends over for tea?

Gongfu Sidehandle

Water : spring water or best bottled This is a stunning tea, Fire: coals, infrared or gas and we would recommend Heat: as hot as possible, fish-eye, 98 °C brewing it gongfu if pos- Brewing Methods: gongfu or sible, which will bring sidehandle (they make different brews) out the best in a magi- Steeping: longer, flash, flash, then growing cal tea like this and (you can only get one flash) provide many Patience: twenty steepings more steepings.

13/ Swirling Mist (薄霧繞) Brewing Tips his month’s tea can really be brewed any way: either Gongfu tea is about sensitivity and skill. We brew T leaves in a bowl, sidehandle or gongfu, but we pre- gongfu tea to bring out the very best qualities in any tea. fer the latter two. If you are interested in learning more In this brewing method, we honor Tea by using all of our about the tea and tasting some of the subtleties of Meng- patience and skill, cultivated over years, to help the tea song tea, we would suggest gongfu brewing. But if you fulfill its potential—shining forth in aroma, fragrance wish to enter a more meditative, ceremonial space, then a and energy. Gongfu tea is about attention, focus on details sidehandle into bowls will be better, allowing for a deep- and concentration; it’s about practice, honing our skills: er heart connection with Swirling Mist and Mengsong as everything from the amount of tea to placing the tea in well. Perhaps this month, by way of brewing tips, we can the pot, from pouring to lifting hot cups. Gongfu tea uses review the most significant differences between bowl tea fine muscle groups like finger joints and tips, helping us and gongfu tea. to be more mindful and focused on details. We move from Bowl tea is about meditative stillness and ceremonial the gross to the subtle, zooming in on all the details of the space. It is about creating a sacred space that helps us to session, becoming more present. Through gongfu brewing calm down and find our truth. We honor the tea by open- we learn how to evaluate tea and teaware, improving our ing our hearts to it. By holding a bowl of tea, we remem- ability to source fine tea, teaware and brewing methods ber to take the time each day to connect with ourselves, as we cultivate our skills (and ourselves) over the years. with Nature and with each other. There are no brewing These two brewing methods work best in coordina- parameters in bowl tea; it isn’t about quality. We strive tion, knowing when to sharpen and hone, using skill to to let go of the evaluative mind that seeks to approach the fulfill a tea and when to relax, let go and open into a more tea or teaware with preferences and judgments like “too soothing approach. There is a wisdom and skill needed to bitter” or “too hot,” and instead relax into a peaceful ac- determine when to choose a bowl tea session and when ceptance of whatever the tea is, letting it communicate to gongfu. Knowing the tea, the occasion and the guests us. Bowl tea uses larger muscle groups, as all the pouring, helps us to decide which of these methods to use. Over decanting and drinking is done from the core, using the time, we develop a greater gratitude for the magnificent whole of the hands and arms. This also encourages us to way that these methods cooperate in the life of a Chajin, step back, let go of details and relax into the experience. facilitating tea wisdom.

勐宋 Mengsong The Roof of Xishuangbanna 17 Mengsong is a name that is familiar to all puerh lovers, yet people are often hazy on the details. In terms of the teas pro- duced here, tea companies know Mengsong (勐宋) as a large tea repository in the Menghai tea region, and teas from the larger Menghai area are sure to have some leaf from Mengsong as their base. As industry insiders know, tea from this region has a sweet aroma, a smooth energy and tea from its vast old- growth gardens is superior to that of other tea regions in terms of quality-to-price ratio. So why is it that this area, right next to Menghai, has the charm of vast old tea gardens, yet no one is clear about its history, or about the character of its tea? It seems this is due to two factors that have limited the growth of Meng- song, namely the transport conditions and the characteristics of the people who live there. In this issue, we will travel deep into Mengsong, exploring its geography and people. We will visit the Lofty mountain ranges villages of Baotang, Nanben, Bameng, Da’an, Da Manlü, Bang- gang and Banglong. But first, let’s introduce the region itself. A fresh tea fragrance Native spirit Guards ancient treasure 茶人: Luo Yingyin (羅英銀)

ith its title “the roof of Menghai County—this settlement is Xishuangbanna,” it’s no classified at the administrative level surprise that the terrain of of a “town,” so it’s generally known as WMount Huazhu Liangzi is steep and “Big Mengsong” or simply Mengsong. rugged. People from many of Chi- The other Mengsong is a village within na’s different ethnic groups live here, the jurisdiction of Menglong Village including the Lahu, Hani (sometimes within the bounds of Jinghong City; called Aini), Han, Dai and Blang Dai it’s at the “village” administrative lev- peoples. (The ancestors of the Blang el and is usually referred to as “Little Dai were people of Blang ethnicity who Mengsong.” The Mengsong tea region settled among the Dai people and were that we refer to in this special issue is influenced by their culture; they are “Big Mengsong” within the border ethnically Blang but do not have their of Menghai County; it is bordered own language, and are locally known by Jinghong City to the east and Ge- as Blang Dai.) The steep slopes of this langhe Village to the south, and looks land are home to all these peoples, across the Liusha river toward Nannuo making Mengsong an abundant and Mountain. It forms part of a group of diverse region. Spring brings the green mountains along with Nannuo, Nan- of tea leaves, autumn brings the yellow jiao, Jingmai, Blang and Bada, that of rice ears; the terraced fields descend are collectively known as the “New in layers down the mountainsides, and Six Great Tea Mountains.” (The tradi- the wheat fields sway gently in the tional “Six Great Tea Mountains” are wind. We saw water buffalo swaying Manzhuan, Manghzi, Mansa, Yibang, along by the roadsides—a sight that is Youle and Gedeng.) becoming rarer as time goes on. In the There’s a well-known saying that Hani villages, we even saw large groups goes: “Each mountain is its own world; of water buffalo. Looking out at the each tea has its own flavor.” Nannuo beauty of Mengsong’s mountain land- Mountain is home to Banpo Village, scape, it really is just like a painting. world-renowned for its superior culti- There are actually two places vated tea trees; Jingmai is known for named Mengsong in Xishuangban- being home to an ancient Blang mi- na. One is Mengsong Township in nority village (see the July 2016 issue);

18 Mengsong Blang Mountain has been able to sup- with barely any green in sight. Even port half the puerh tea market for the though it was already the middle of past few years with the forceful char- spring, the earth was still a swath of acter of its famous Banzhang tea. So, dusty grey; the terrain on this moun- what is it that makes Mengsong wor- tain ridge wasn’t even suitable for pine thy of its place among these six famous forests to grow, let alone broad-leaf for- tea regions? The answer lies in the fra- ests. As we gradually descended to the grance and sweetness that is particular areas below 2100 meters, tea gardens to the medium-leaf tea trees and the that had been developed during the high elevation at which they grow. mid- to late-1970s came into view. The The tea gardens of Mengsong are tea tree communities up here largely remote and hard to reach, and are in- consist of Yunnan large-leaf varietals, habited by several of China’s ethnic which propagate via sexual reproduc- minority groups, often viewed as enig- tion, planted in rows. The endless matic by the outside population. Be- green leaves of the tea trees spread out cause of these factors, the old-growth across the earth, mirroring the white tea of Mengsong didn’t attract the at- clouds that floated across the pure blue tention of the outside world until the sky, the sort that you only see at this late 20th century. The Global Tea Hut high an altitude. Contemplating this team (via Wu De) first set foot in the scene of Mengsong in springtime was hidden world of Mengsong’s tea gar- just like being transported into an im- dens in 2002, criss-crossing deep into pressionist painting. its mountains and forests and discover- Continuing onwards down the ing the ways that tea provides a liveli- mountain, the terrain becomes green hood for the people there. The follow- with diverse vegetation; the different ing article is a field report detailing the shades of green and widths of leaves impact that tea has had on the culture and branches lending a many-layered of the Lahu, Hani and mountain Han depth to the mountainsides. This is the ethnic groups living in the area. It also zone where most of the old tea trees contains an investigation of the unique grow; the forest brandishing its fresh- character of the tea produced from the ly-dressed green twigs with the posture medium-leaf tea trees that grow on the of a leading actor on the stage. Meng- steep slopes of Mengsong’s high-alti- song still has more than 200 remaining tude gardens. Over the years, increas- hectares of old-growth tea gardens, the ingly convenient transportation and a twisted roots and branches of the an- surge of interest from the tea market cient trees entwined together, clinging have revealed Mengsong tea to the to the steep sides of Mount Huazhu world in all its refined, enchanting Liangzi. The mountain slopes give life grace. to three communities of ancient tea trees, spreading across the land like ar- Mengsong is one of the oldest tea teries. In the southeast there is Sanmai, regions in Menghai. Most of Meng- High-Altitude Gardens: which faces across toward Nannuo song’s ancient gardens were planted Mountain and leads on to Nanben and by people of the Lahu ethnicity, and Situated within the Xishuangban- the old village of Da’an. Extending to the gardens all have old Lahu Villag- na Dai Autonomous Prefecture of the southwest are Old Baotang Village, es attached to them. The larger Han Yunnan Province, Mengsong is home New Baotang Village and Bameng, Chinese settlements of Nanben, New to swaths of high-altitude old-growth while villages such as Da Manlü and Baotang Village and Da Manlü were all tea gardens. Mount Huazhu Liangzi Naka occupy the north. established by Han people drawn there (滑竹梁子), or “smooth bamboo raf- In terms of longitude, the location by the tea. It’s said that by the time of ters,” at over 2400 meters, is known as of Huazhu Liangzi means that the tea the Qing Emperor Guangxu, Han peo- “the roof of Xishuangbanna.” The an- trees receive plenty of light and mois- ple had already settled in Baotang and cient tea trees cling to its sides, lending ture every year, unfurling their twigs Nanben to trade in tea leaves. During a unique posture to their branches and and shoots around the mountain like the Qing Dynasty, Mengsong, along a distinctive character to the gardens. a wreath. If we want to theorize about with Mount Nannuo, formed part of We followed the bumpy dirt roads in the history of Mengsong, we can in- an administrative district called Cheli our car, rounding the craggy mountain fer from the several hectares of tall, Xuanweisi (車里宣慰司), which be- ridges, the landscape around us chang- thick-trunked ancient tea trees that re- came Cheli County after the Republic ing with each bend and dip. Once we main today at Baotang Village that the of China was formed. About 20 years climbed higher than 2200 meters, al- ethnic minority peoples of Mengsong into the Republic (around the 1930s), most everything in our field of vision have just as long a history tea as those Han traders such as Chen Xi (陳璽) was a wilderness of stones and gravel on neighboring Nannuo Mountain. and Chen Bi (陳碧) came over from

19/ Mengsong: The Roof of Xishuangbanna Yiwu in Mengla County and settled an area of nearly 500 square kilome- (台地茶, tai di cha). The biggest differ- in Mengsong, where they opened tea ters. More than sixty percent of the ent is that the latter is a product of tea shops and made compressed tea. In population makes a living from tea. trees that reproduce asexually, planted 1941, the Fohai Tea Factory (佛海 The whole township is made up of 11 to increase competitiveness and sustain 茶廠) set up a tea processing plant in village committees, of which 9 (com- a stable production volume. The tea Mengsong, as well as a tea purchasing prised of 114 small groups) are en- trees in Mengsong, on the other hand, station. The factory director at the gaged in growing tea. There are about are grown from seedlings descended time, Fan Hejun (範和鈞), also sent 500 hectares of large-leaf tea trees, from the community of ancient large- envoys to purchase tea bricks from while medium-leaf varietals such as leaf trees that reproduce sexually. This Chen Xi’s privately-owned tea busi- those found in Naka cover about 200 means that each tree has its own unique ness. Records indicate that the old tea hectares. As the economy has stimu- genes, just like the old tea trees plant- gardens of Mengsong still covered an lated a boom in the tea industry, many ed by hand a hundred years ago whose area of more than 330 hectares at that more tea trees have been planted over branches now cast their shade on the time. the past few years, mostly as seedlings. mountainsides, and whose full-bodied Seeds are selected from high-quality tea is the main reason behind puerh old-growth trees, then cultivated into tea’s popularity. This is one of the main Sexual Propagation seedlings before being transplant- advantages of the Mengsong gardens. ed to the mountainside. Nowadays, Yunnan’s wild tea tree commu- According to Mengsong’s village although this tea is still regarded as nities are mostly found growing secretary, Li Hairong (李海榮), the “small tree tea,” it is still different from throughout the southern and western township currently has a population the ordinary tea commonly known mountainous regions of the province, of around 23,000 people and covers as “tableland” or “plantation” tea mostly in the forests outside villages.

20 Mengsong

Tea thrives in places along the mid and Tea Factory (陳升茶廠) began buy- the landscape, and the wind slices be- lower stretches of the Lancang River ing Lao Banzhang tea at a guaranteed tween mountain ranges, eroding the including Xishuangbanna, Lincang, price in 2008; in 2013, they also ad- soil to create a unique geological en- Baoshan and Dehong. According to vanced into Naka and began buying vironment. preliminary figures, they are most- old-growth tea. At the same time, ly found in high-elevation mountain the Yulin Company (雨林企業) was forests; some grow in large contin- building a facility for the initial stages Mengsong Terroir uous patches while other individual of tea processing at the old village of trees can be found growing on their Nanben as well as undertaking a large- The nutrients that nurture the old own. While in Mengsong, we noticed scale construction project in the dense tea trees as they mature infuse the tea that tea trees could be found scattered forest to build an impressive puerh tea shoots in each region with their own throughout the whole tea region; for processing plant. As well as these two, unique charm, giving rise to the say- example, there were traces of them numerous other companies could be ing “every mountain has its flavor.” growing all throughout the stretch of seen building tea processing plants or Bameng Village, for example, is situ- land from Sanmai to Da’an Village. In heading to the mountains and villages ated in the mountain pass of Huazhu the vicinity of Banglong Village, we to buy tea; these included companies Liangzi; the tea here grows at a high also saw tea trees growing sporadically such as Jin Dafu, Yangpin Label, Lao altitude, and comes mostly from throughout the old-growth forest, even Tongzhi, Yibang Tea–Horse Trading medium-leaf, tree-shaped old-growth up to the high-altitude mountain wil- and Quan Zhenwei. tea trees. They produce a tea with a derness at an elevation of 2100 meters. Layered mountain ranges wind delicate liquor, a floral aroma and a away endlessly on all sides, and white refreshing sweetness; it’s highly sought clouds gently float between the ver- after by those in the know. Several Tea Companies dant peaks and valleys; the old-growth years ago, a tea merchant once took mountain tea gardens are covered in me to visit the old-growth tea garden Mengsong is hailed as the “Roof clouds and mist all year long, resplen- at Old Baotang Village; just as the tea of Xishuangbanna,” with almost ev- dent with unique scenery that can’t be trees at Lao Banzhang are known for ery tall mountainside covered in old- found in Xishuangbanna’s other tea their large size, the trees in this gar- growth forest. On top of this, it has gardens. As the mountain breeze blows den can only be described as ancient. several hundred hectares of old tea trees the clouds aside, the hillside tea gardens While the old-growth tea trees on nestled against the slopes of Mount gradually reveal their elegant greenery; Mount Nannuo are known for being Huazhu Liangzi, forming a serene tea the humidity of the mountains really tall and straight with thick trunks, the forest; all these factors have naturally creates a rich, luscious environment for trees in this garden each have their attracted the attention of tea industry the tea trees to grow. Overlooking the unique shape, tall and unyielding. If professionals. The famous Chensheng Lancang River, the ravines snake across you smell the tea liquor before tasting

21/ Mengsong: The Roof of Xishuangbanna Mount Huazhu Liangzi is steep and rugged with simple dirt roads traveled by many different kinds of people and vehicles. People from many of China’s different ethnic groups live here, including the Lahu, Hani (Aini), Han, Dai and Blang Dai peoples. The steep slopes of this land are home to all these peoples, making Mengsong an abundant and diverse region. People dress in a combination of modern and traditional clothes, even as they make tea by hand, which is symbolic of the changes happening here in general. it, you can detect a delicate hint of fra- Blang is upheld by the aggressive vig- reason is that the transport condi- grant nectar; it’s an easily recognizable or of its Lao Banzhang tea, Naka in tions influenced the development of tea with a mellow quality and a faint Mengsong is known as the home of the whole area. Tall mountain ranges bitterness that fades into a lingering puerh “rock tea.” Some people say that and ancient forests make it difficult sweet aftertaste. Naka tea is the signature tea of Meng- to build roads. Traveling to any tea In the old village of Da’an, the most hai, because its character is the most mountain generally means driving up important village in the area where unique of all the teas from this group rugged, bumpy mountain roads, and Mengsong Township meets the moun- of mountains. Those who have tasted being thoroughly shaken about is only tains, the old tea trees intertwine their Naka tea are enchanted by its hon- to be expected. But accessing Meng- roots and branches to form a continu- eyed fragrance, recalling clouds float- song’s tea mountains in the early days ous blanket of forest. Here, the tea is ing among winding mountain ridges, meant encountering hairpin bends sweet with a hint of bitterness; the final and by the fine, lingering aftertaste of and slippery dirt roads when it rained. aftertaste is long-lasting with a some- its liquor, with its distinct “rock tea” Especially if you wanted to drive into what vigorous stimulating effect on charm. If we explore the reasons for the old-growth forests, it really was a saliva production. In the southwestern this unique flavor, we find there are case of “one step forwards, three steps villages of Sanmai and Nanben, mean- several: this tea region has unique geo- backwards,” with perils at every turn. while, the old-growth tea trees stretch logical features, with the old tea trees The deteriorating transport conditions endlessly from mountainside to moun- growing out of cracks in the rocky posed a significant obstacle to the de- tainside; the elevation is high and the peaks; the tea trees are a unique, tree- velopment of the whole tea region. trees are very old. In the early spring shaped small-leaf varietal; the high-al- To stimulate economic development, sunlight, their dappled blanket of fresh titude environment provides plenti- the village administration oversaw the emerald green sways to the rhythm of ful moisture and nourishment. All of construction of a mountain road cir- life. The tea is sweet and smooth with a these factors contribute to Naka tea’s cling Mount Huazhu Liangzi within mellow fragrance, the aftertaste as fine fragrant, rock tea flavor. Anyone who a timeframe of three years, most of it and serene as a mountain ridge. is familiar with Naka tea considers it sealed with cement. This year when we Exploring the mountain peaks among the “royalty” of puerh teas. visited Naka, it was a smooth drive up and ridges, savoring the essence of the the mountain. As transportation be- Mengsong old-growth tea gardens, is comes more convenient, we can expect truly a memorable experience. Step- Mountain Roads to see more and more tea lovers’ gazes ping into the clouds in the verdant diverted from Mount Blang’s famous rocky valleys of Naka’s old-growth tea The old-growth tea gardens of Lao Banzhang tea toward Mengsong’s gardens truly fills one with the joy of Mengsong have stood for hundreds of fragrant alpine tea forests. Will that be the wilderness that all tea lovers hope years, yet have only recently attract- a good thing or will it be the cause of to find. Just as the reputation of Mount ed much attention. Why? The main more environmental issues?

22 Mengsong Aside from the influence of trans- Blang ethnicity have also come to the ing free to choose their own roman- portation, the local ethnic groups have villages and married locals; this has tic partners—unlike the Dai people, also played a part in the development gradually led to a change in the Lahu among whom marriage is arranged by of Mengsong’s tea industry. The old- custom of marrying within one’s clan the parents. If you visit a Hani village, growth tea trees in Mengsong were and has brought diversity into the you’ll notice that a lot of the houses originally planted by people of Lahu local gene pool. As times have pro- have a small cabin built outside the ethnicity, so anywhere in the moun- gressed, the Lahu people’s sphere of main dwelling; it turns out these are tains that you can find old-growth tea life has gradually extended outward built for young lovers by the young trees, you’ll also find Lahu villages. The beyond the mountains; nowadays, man’s family so that the couple can live Lahu people tended to live simply and teenagers head down into the towns there together before getting married. didn’t have a very developed econo- and villages to go to middle school. Once married, however, the custom, my; they lived year-round deep in the It takes them about six hours to walk quite unusually, is that the husband mountains and had no contact with down the mountain from the village of and wife sleep in their own rooms; in the outside world. Their traditions of- Naka; when they head down, they take traditional Hani houses you’ll see that ten involve expressing their gratitude bamboo tubes of homemade tea with there are separate rooms for the man to the earth: each year when the new them to trade for basic supplies. Come and woman, and sometimes even sep- grain is harvested, they boil up a fra- the weekend, they walk from dawn till arate staircases to get to the second grant batch of rice; the first bowl of dusk once more to return home. Ac- floor. Traditionally, Hani people were rice is respectfully presented to the god cording to the village teachers, Lahu forbidden from marrying members of Esha as an offering. This is followed children often find it difficult to stay the Dai ethnicity; it’s said that this is by a lively celebration that marks the sitting inside a classroom during les- because of a curse laid by the ances- “New Rice Festival,” the most import- sons and are always running outside. tors, which means that intermarrying ant festival of the year for the Lahu At bedtime, the teachers often have to will bring death or misfortune to one people. go looking for the students, as they ar- of the spouses. In reality, there were en’t used to sleeping in concrete rooms some couples who fell in love and got and will often light a fire somewhere together despite this, about whom the Economy & Change outdoors and fall asleep lying under village people will tell story after story, the stars, unafraid of darkness or mos- none of which have very good endings; With their unassuming and op- quitoes. It seems they really are “chil- listening to these stories, you feel your- timistic nature, the local mountain dren of the earth!” self gradually gaining a new reverence people haven’t always had a good un- for the local culture. derstanding of finance; on top of that, The native people are the guardians entertainment is scarce in the moun- Bamboo Tea of the old tea tree communities; when tains, and people are used to enter- you visit places such as Baotang, Da’an taining themselves by drinking and Speaking of bamboo tube tea, and Naka, you are struck by the feel- gambling. It’s not uncommon to see a Mengsong’s Naka tea has been widely ing that tea really is supposed to be this bottle of spirits traded for a plot of tea acclaimed since early times. It’s said tranquil, and human life this simple. trees. So, over a long period, it’s been that it enjoyed widespread fame during Although some say that the develop- difficult for the Lahu people to break the Qing Dynasty and was sent every ment of tea in Mengsong was inhib- out of poverty. The population in these year to the local Cheli Xuanweisi gov- ited by the transport conditions and mountain communities is also not very ernment as a tribute tea. According to the characteristics of the people who large, so they have become increasingly historical records, the king of Burma live here, if you look at it from another vulnerable and have found themselves also designated “Naka Bamboo Tube perspective, it was exactly those factors at the edges of society; a difficult social Tea” as a tribute tea. Naka tea, with its that allowed Mengsong’s ancient tea phenomenon. Old Baotang Village, distinctive fragrance, has always been mountains to exist in such peaceful where we saw a row of simple, low one of Yunnan’s famous teas, and its seclusion. Perhaps the difficult access houses that were home to more than name is well known to those who are and reclusive customs of the local peo- 20 families, paints the best picture. A familiar with Menghai’s tea. ple were, in fact, the best path to pro- bit further down the mountain is New Almost everyone in Mengsong de- tecting this piece of ancient mountain Baotang Village, a Han settlement that pends on tea for a living; this includes forest. houses more than a hundred families; not only the people in the Lahu villag- in terms of the standard of the build- es, but also most of those in Hani set- ings and daily life, it presents a clear tlements such as Banggang, Banglong, contrast to the old village. Bameng and Sanmai. While the Lahu In recent years, thanks to stimula- people are known for being simple tion from the tea trade, the tea villages and unassuming in nature, the Hani have been quietly changing. In Meng- people, on the other hand, are known Life is still very tradi- song, the old tea trees were originally for being lively and full of emotion. tional in rural Yunnan, de- planted by the Lahu people who lived The Hani ethnic group are tradition- spite the growing economy nearby. As the local tea economy has ally more open when it comes to love and changes just over the taken off, young women of Hani and and courtship, with young people be- horizon.

23/ Mengsong: The Roof of Xishuangbanna

Baotang保塘 Ticket in hand, we hop on the rickety old bus that will take us up and down bumpy mountain roads that twist and turn through Mengsong the gorgeous scenery of southern Yunnan, Xishuangbanna. Just near the border, we’re exploring the villages of Mengsong one by 勐宋 one, learning about the people and tea culture there. We start our journey with Old Baotang Village, where people have lived with the leaf for centuries, their lives written in its veins as it courses through theirs...

茶人: Chen Mingcong (陳明聰)

ollowing the mountain road, tea liquor with a flavor that is all its Han culture and became part of the our research team rounded own. With old-growth tea trees, most agricultural economy. These days, they Mount Huazhu Liangzi and of the leaves won’t look very lush in mainly rely on tilling the land by hand, Farrived at the historic village of Baotang appearance, but the tea trees are well- with grains such as rice and corn form- (保塘). Situated on the mountain’s spaced thanks to their straight, thick ing their main crops. They also raise southern slope at an elevation of about trunks, so each leaf receives ample nu- water buffalo in the villages. In 2009, 1760 meters, the ancient tea garden trients and grows to be full and a glossy the first time we visited the region, we at Baotang has one of the best natu- dark green in color. ate lunch at the home of a local Lahu ral environments in the puerh tea- Baotang tea is one of the most recog- family. Because they didn’t have the re- growing region. Baotang is inhabited nizable of Mengsong’s old-growth teas. sources to buy plates, we each ate out by the Lahu people, who have made The tea liquor of the finished product of a banana leaf cupped in our hands, their livelihood from planting tea since is a clear golden yellow; before drink- sitting around together in a circle. Al- ancient times. Today, perhaps because ing the tea, you’ll notice it giving forth though we visited many tea gardens on of the difficulty of mountain life, there a rich aroma of nectar. The liquor is our journey, that meal was the most are only around 20 families still living smooth, with fine-quality teas display- unforgettable of them all, and we still in the Lahu settlement, which is now ing a hint of bitterness and astringency hold fond memories of it to this day. known as “Old Baotang Village.” Fur- followed by a subtle, long-lasting sweet In Lahu culture, it’s forbidden to ther down the hill is a larger Han town- aftertaste; it has a detailed, evolving eat dog meat; legend has it that one of ship—it’s said that many Han Chinese flavor profile. Although it’s not pro- their ancestors was once rescued by a people were drawn here to trade in tea duced in large quantities and doesn’t dog. Since then, the Lahu people have more than a hundred years ago and have a complicated refining process, seen dogs as “man’s best friend.” It’s formed a settlement, nowadays known these factors do nothing to dim the not only taboo to kill a dog or eat dog as “New Baotang Village.” brilliance of Baotang tea. meat; dogs are treated just like people, Across the mountain’s sandy yel- sharing the same food and dwellings. low soil, the ancient tea trees grow Even though the Lahu people don’t scattered throughout the forest. The Old Baotang Village have a lot to spare, they’ll happily share rich biodiversity of the area provides their own food with their dogs. an excellent habitat for the old tea Around twenty Lahu families make The very first time we set foot in trees; many different tree communities their homes in Old Baotang Village, a Lahu village, our first impression grow up alongside the tea trees, sub- which stands at an altitude of rough- was that the Lahu people weren’t very tly nurturing the enchanting flavor of ly 1800 meters. The name of the Lahu easy to get along with, and we started Baotang tea. For the past century, the (拉祜) people means “tiger hunters.” to doubt whether we’d be able to es- old tea trees in the Baotang tea region They are descended from ancient no- tablish enough of a connection with have lived in symbiosis with the forest madic people of the Qiang ethnicity them for our visit to have a worthwhile plants; they don’t grow very densely who originally lived in the provinces outcome. It wasn’t until later that we and have been free from human inter- of Gansu and Qinghai, and gradually realized that the Lahu people are actu- ference, flourishing naturally on the moved further south. They were even- ally very kind, warm and hospitable, as earth, rain and sunlight to produce a tually assimilated into the majority one would expect of a Yunnan tribe;

26 Mengsong

The local government came up with a policy entitled “a television for every home,” but none of them have ever been watched. They don’t even have power in most homes. Such is “modernization!”

On the road to Baotang, it was even difficult for two vehicles to pass each other; inconvenient transport made the village hard to reach.

The government built a row of concrete houses for the Lahu people, but no one ever moved into them. The Lahu people live in bamboo houses that they’ve built themselves, which are cool—concrete houses just cannot compare.

it’s just that this side of their personal- built themselves, which were cool and it afterwards, we weren’t even sure if ities is reserved for their “own people,” well-ventilated—concrete houses just the village had a power supply; so why in other words, close friends or family, couldn’t compare. Living in the con- would they have a television? It turns those considered to be insiders. If they crete jungle of big cities, as so many of out that the local government had see you as a stranger, the Lahu people us do nowadays, we can’t avoid using once come up with a policy entitled “a tend to remain closed off and keep a air conditioning in summer and heat- television for every home;” so, to en- respectful distance. But after you’ve ing in winter; whereas the Lahu people act the policy, they arranged for a load interacted enough to be considered a live in a natural forest—and rely on of TVs to be delivered and put one in friend, they cast off this detached ex- the natural forest. Shutting themselves every house. But none of those TVs terior, revealing a genuine, unpreten- up in a concrete building would run had ever been watched; in fact, it was tious warmth. totally counter to their customary way most likely not even possible to watch Sitting in one of the Lahu fami- of life. them. If you think about it, this scene lies’ bamboo houses, we asked them After our meal, the Lahu family of “modernization” is certainly unex- about the row of concrete buildings took us to look at their empty concrete pected, but you can see how it came that we’d seen in the village, which had house. The main room was completely to be; in the city, a television is seen made us quite curious. We found out deserted; the only furniture was a small as an ordinary everyday item, while up that a few years ago, the government wooden cabinet against one wall with here in the village, all it can do is sit had built this row of concrete houses a television sitting on it. We were very there being ornamental, doing nothing for the Lahu people, but no one had curious about this TV, as we hadn’t except fulfilling a policy. ever moved into them. The Lahu peo- noticed any of the Lahu people using In the Lahu village, almost ev- ple explained that they were used to electrical appliances since we arrived ery item people use is homemade living in the bamboo houses that they in the village. When we thought about out of bamboo, from their tea-dry-

27/ Baotang (保塘) The old tea trees in Baotang have lived in symbiosis with the forest plants; they don’t grow very densely and have been free from human interference, flourishing naturally on the earth, rain and sunlight to produce a tea liquor with a flavor that is all its own.

The Lahu people of Old Baotang Vil- lage are all expert tea pickers, easi- ly climbing the tea trees without any equipment. Their thick soles allow them to stabilize themselves on any foothold. They find themselves a secure position, then let the tea leaves fall to the ground as they pick them. Later, they gather them up in baskets.

ing platforms to the houses they live but are generally quite big and tall. a good half-day; it’s almost as if they in. When entering a Lahu house, the If any of us wanted to climb up one, become one with the tree. While stay- most eye-catching feature is probably we would definitely need the help of ing in the village, we would quite often the indoor fire pits. Most houses have a ladder—and even with a ladder, we walk under a tea tree, oblivious to the two fire pits; one for the elderly family would still have to climb up slowly fact that there was someone picking tea members to use, and one for cooking and cautiously, one step at a time. It’s right above our heads! You sometimes the family’s meals. The hearth is the quite possible we wouldn’t make it all get the feeling that it would be impos- heart of a Lahu household, and is as the way to the top, and even if we did, sible to separate the Lahu people from sacred as a shrine. It’s forbidden to we might get stuck swaying around the tea trees they live among. It’s al- spit into the fire, or to sit on top of up there, unsure how to safely climb most like they are family, companions the pit, or to step over it, and it’s even down! But the Lahu villagers, on the peacefully co-existing in this corner of more important not to step on the tri- other hand, all seem to have a natural the world and depending on each oth- pod-shaped cooking frame or the stone talent for climbing trees. They easily er for survival. that pots are set upon. scale the tea trees without any equip- In 2009, the first time we visited ment, relying on the strength of their Old Baotang Village, we chanced upon arms and legs. Their thick soles allow an elderly tea picker as we were stroll- Living a Life of Tea them to stabilize themselves using any ing through the forest. As we wandered foothold the tree might offer, big or along, admiring the old tea trees grow- The Lahu people of Old Baotang small. Once in the tree they find them- ing freely all around us, we suddenly Village are all expert tea pickers. The selves a secure position, then let the tea noticed something shadowy and in- old-growth tea trees differ in height leaves fall to the ground as they pick distinct moving in one of the trees. and breadth depending on their age, them. They’ll often stay up in a tree for When we went up for a closer look,

28 Mengsong it turned out to be one of the village into a hearty, joyful laugh. Clapping pleasures life has to offer, when really, elders, nestled up in the tree busily his hands and rocking back and forth, we can find happiness in the simple harvesting tea. Although we’d stopped he chuckled to himself for quite some things; just like this elderly tea picker, beneath the tree, the old man showed time, then took a silver pipe out of who didn’t need fancy technology or no sign of having noticed us; it was as his pocket, lit it with the flame, and luxurious surroundings to find joy and if in his world, nothing else existed but puffed away contentedly. It turns out satisfaction in life. himself and the tea tree. that he kept the pile of ashes there so After some time, the elderly tea that he could easily light his pipe each picker seemed to come to a pause in time he took a break from tea picking The Han Village his work and easily slipped down onto without having to start a new fire. See- the ground. Following his movement, ing all this, we were surprised that an Further down the mountain from we noticed a pile of smoking ashes off inconspicuous pile of ashes could con- Old Baotang Village, at an elevation of to one side. The old man picked up a ceal such ingenuity; aside from this, it about 1600 meters, is the Han town- twig and stirred the ashes a few times; also gave us a sudden insight into the ship, home to 120 families of the ma- when he saw a flame emerge, his face, true meaning of being content with jority Han Chinese ethnicity. The Han which up until that moment was calm what you have. These days, people village is about one kilometer away and expressionless, suddenly broke are always busy chasing after all the from the old village, with old-growth

The Lahu people are frank about their feelings. If they see you as a stranger, they tend to remain closed off and keep a respectful distance. But af- ter you’ve interacted enough to be considered a friend, they cast off this detached exterior, reveal- ing a genuine, unpretentious warmth. They always want to share some tobacco or tea with you once you break the ice and begin chatting with them. If you smile enough, they will even invite you to their home for tea and a meal, like Mr. Zhou to the far right, whom we met on the road in the Han village. He invited us home with him and started a fire, offering us tea and a meal. His hospitality left us wondering if the reserved stares we met were a modern change there.

29/ Baotang (保塘) tea trees covering the whole area be- gle-story houses that you can see along where the tea grew; everywhere in the tween the two settlements. During the the roadsides are all built out of neat, village you can see people making tea, reign of the Qing Emperor Guangxu, uniform red bricks. Last year marked drying the leaves on homemade bam- many Han people were drawn here by our second visit to Baotang, with the boo platforms that extend out from the tea trade and settled in the area. Han village being a major stop on our the clifftops. Every day they lay out the The township has existed for more itinerary. We had lunch at the home of leaves to dry, and gather them in again; than a hundred years; according to the Mr. Zhou, a 46-year-old resident who and so life goes peacefully on in the an- local Han people, their families have chatted to us about his family and their cient village. now lived here for five or six genera- tea. We all sat down in Mr. Zhou’s tions, all relying on this stretch of old- main room around a square table and growth tea forest for their livelihood. shared a plentiful meal of meat and Down in the Han village, the sur- vegetable dishes. roundings are quite different from The tea trees surrounding this vil- those in the old Lahu village. The lage are ancient and majestic, situating most noticeable point of difference is the people and their culture in an en- the red brick houses that are particular vironment older than their memory. to the Han people. The walls and sin- Baotang village was built according to

30 Nan南本ben The trip to Baotang was worth the long bus ride, and with a bel- ly full of tea and some new friends, we hop onto another old bus Mengsong and pull out of Baotang, waving at the aboriginal children who love us. We are now on our way to Nanben. The jungle passes by, reminding us of the vibrancy of Yunnan. The changes we see 勐宋 everywhere we travel are a bit disconcerting, and we wonder about the future of puerh tea and the people who produce it as we pull up to our second stop...

茶人: Li Yunyun (李昀耘)

anben, which belongs to The Lahu people are known for be- time to pay for their children’s educa- the Sanmai Village district, ing quite blunt and direct. However, tion, as they place a lot of value on the is situated in the southeast- after you’ve shared the companionship power of education to open up new Nern mountain region of Mengsong that comes with drinking together, possibilities for the future. in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna. they will usually let down their guard One of the locals we met on our The population is not very large, and and see you as a friend. When it comes visit, Wang Xiaohui (王曉暉), is a is made up of 70 families belonging to their outlook on life, they tend to good example of someone who places to three different ethnic groups: Han, live in the moment. In the village of a lot of value on education. Yet, as he Lahu and Aini. In the past, it was very Nanben, it’s said that in the past, Lahu told us, after completing his degree in difficult to reach the old village of people would often trade a mu of land Education Studies at the University of Nanben (南本) from the city, so its (about 670 square meters) for a bot- Kunming, he chose to return to the name was largely unknown in puerh tle of alcohol from the Han people. If village and contribute to developing tea circles. It wasn’t until 2010, when you observe the Lahu people, they are the tea industry. Even with a universi- a road was built connecting Nanben to candid and honest in nature, and take ty degree in Education, with the many the outside world, that people had the their word seriously; it’s not hard to restrictions in the education system chance to slowly draw aside the myste- imagine that there may be some truth and society’s subtle resistance during rious veil that had concealed Nanben behind those stories. the period after he graduated, it was for so long. When they did, it revealed In the past, the Lahu people in still quite difficult to establish himself a blanket of beautifully preserved old- Nanben owned a large area of tea gar- in the education system and become a growth tea forest, stretching all the dens, but nowadays most of the land teacher. way to Sanmai. From that day forth, is owned by Han people. It makes Because of these types of limita- the name of Nanben slowly ventured one wonder if this really was a result tions that were prevalent at the time, out from among the mountain mists of those lively banquets of years gone the tea garden started to see highly and made its way into the wider world by, whether the friendly comradeship educated people returning home. This of puerh. of the Lahu people unconsciously end- influx of knowledge contributed to Nanben is home to a rich ecosys- ed up benefiting others, and all those advancements in all areas of the in- tem, with a great diversity of plants acres of tea garden really did change dustry, be it marketing, operations or living together in peaceful symbiosis. hands amid the clinking of cups and planting cycles. As this development In the village, things are much the the cheerful sounds of laughter. process continued, it also had the ef- same among the human population. fect of gradually establishing links with The seventy households that live here the outside world, which eventually belong to three different ethnicities: Educating the Future allowed large tea brands to come into Lahu, Aini and Han. Although these contact with Nanben. three ethnic groups are known for The Aini people are generally quite having quite different characteristics rigorous in matters of finance. They and traditions, they have all put down have one of the highest levels of edu- Simple and Lively roots here in Nanben’s soil. Over the cation among Mengsong’s ethnic mi- years, the generations have grown up nority groups and are quite industri- As the sky gets bluer and the air together, intertwined like the branches ous. According to the locals, the Aini gets thinner, you know you have ven- of the tea trees, to create a unique local people used to sell the tea trees to the tured further up the mountain, finding culture. Han people one individual tree at a more quiet and more tea trees as well.

32 Mengsong

Nanben’s ancient tea tree communities growing, whose fleshy root or “corm” combines with the fertile soil to pro- mostly grow at around 1700 meters; is used to make jelly and other foods; vide moisture to the rich diversity of in the past, traveling this high up the many-colored insects float unhurried- plant life. The forest plants are just like mountain was much less convenient ly about the forest, passing under the a group of children who all come from than it is today. The people who plant- generously spreading branches of the different environments; under the lov- ed and picked the tea up here had to Sphaeropteris lepifera, or “brush pot” ing care of mother nature, they help make do with limiting themselves to trees. Dendrobium orchids flourish el- each other to grow and thrive. These distances they could travel on foot, or egantly on the tree trunks; if you turn scenes all bear witness to the character with basic modes of transport. your head you can even see the side of of Nanben, embracing all living things The road leading into the old tea a steep cliff, where the dense and stur- in its simplicity and magnanimity. forest was not purposefully built; rath- dy roots of the great trees intertwine er, year upon year of footsteps have with the soil. All living things exist in worn a faint, secluded pathway into harmonious communion in this peace- Sanmai the mountainside. The abundantly ful corner of the world. green forest has an air of ancientness The higher up the mountain you The old-growth forest spreads all about it; we city dwellers, used to stew- go, the harder it was to reach in the the way to Sanmai. The people who ing in the hustle and bustle of the daily old days. The area around 2100 me- live here, with their origins in differ- grind, unconsciously began to absorb ters above sea level is where the largest ent places and environments, have the peaceful atmosphere. number of Nanben’s old tea trees grow come up with various planting mod- With every step we could feel the today, and it is the best preserved. Even els. For the past few years, the growers softness of the weeds, we could hear the with the much-improved road condi- of Sanmai have been extending their crackle of fallen leaves and the carefree tions of today, it’s still quite tough eco-garden. The eco-garden was de- sound of stones scattering freely across going once you get up this high. Al- veloped out of concern about over-ex- the ground. We got a feeling just like though the wild tea trees up here have ploiting the tea forest and represents an the total ease you experience when you not yet reached the age of old-growth effort to take steps toward sustainable return home after a long day and cast trees, this altitude used to be very hard harvesting in the ancient forest. The aside the mask you show to the out- to reach with old-style forms of trans- hope is that more efficient manage- side world; simple and unadorned. The port, so the wild tea trees grew natu- ment will also result in improvements forest gently accepted anything and ev- rally and were not planted by people. to both output and quality, and thus a erything into its welcoming embrace, This, together with the fact that the tea higher income for the tea growers. even the scattered footsteps of these trees reproduce sexually, means that Since the tea trees reproduce sexu- visitors from afar. the genes of these plants are especially ally, some genetic variation naturally If you stop and stand still for a rare. occurs in the diverse and abundant while in this exuberant forest and look If you take a deep breath, you can forest environment. The most well- around you, you’ll notice konjac plants feel the humidity in the air, which known variant is known as zi juan

33/ Nanben (南本) Factories don’t always produce the highest-quality tea, but they can pro- vide jobs for the locals and help im- prove their quality of life. We need to encourage them to preserve the pristine Nature found in Nanben.

(紫娟) or “Purple Beauty” tea; as the ing methods, this method of picking built bamboo platforms around the name suggests, the leaves of the tea tea by climbing the trees still stands as towering tea trees for more efficient plant display a lovely, distinctive pur- firm and unwavering as the trees them- and convenient picking. They also be- ple color. Purple Beauty tea is planted selves as part of the history of Nanben. came more selective about harvesting, in many of the villages; to preserve the In the last couple of years before and implemented uniform product unique characteristics of this varietal the new road in and out of Nanben standards for the tea. Once they had and avoid them being lost through the was completed, there was a growing established these quality standards, same process of genetic variation that buzz on the tea market about these they slowly shifted their focus to in- created them, Purple Beauty tea trees pure, untouched old tea forests, which creasing output in response to market are generally artificially pollinated and naturally drew the gaze of tea mer- demand and Nanben’s sales volume. cultivated by the tea growers. chants and factories. Around 2012, Hearing about Nanben’s ancient a succession of tea companies started tea forests in the old days before the to arrive and set up factories. One of area opened to the outside, we were en- The Yulin Tea Factory the best-known of these was the Yulin chanted by the image of the pure, un- Ancient Tea House company (雨林古 touched forest. It was exactly this qual- In addition to the difficult trans- 茶坊)—“Yulin” meaning “rainforest.” ity that gave Nanben tea its reputation port conditions in the early days, har- Originally, the local tea farmers used on the tea market as a rare and pre- vesting tea from the sky-high trees was to harvest, dry and process the tea cious treasure, and attracted the gaze no easy feat, either. After weathering a themselves; gradually, this shifted into of so many tea lovers and merchants. millennium of seasons, and being nur- a business model where the tea facto- Yet, as all sorts of developments open tured by the fertile forest environment ry purchased the freshly-picked leaves up the area in the wake of this spot- to survive until today, each one of the from the local tea farmers and took light, will the untouched Nanben that ancient tea trees is thick of trunk and over the processing steps that followed. we treasured so much in the beginning towers into the sky. In the past, a whole As the market began to have some slowly fade away? How will Nanben day of harvesting yielded at most three expectations towards the quality of face all these new developments? What baskets of old-growth tea leaves; it was Nanben’s tea, the locals hoped to help sort of changes will it meet with? In intensive and time-consuming. None- the natural beauty of this tea stand out this period of transition, what sort of theless, this method of harvesting tea from the crowd even more, and not fall future will grow out of this meeting of by climbing up the old trees with bare into oblivion due to all sorts of lim- old and new? Will they be able to co- hands to pick the leaves still remains in itations imposed by the terrain. The exist for the prosperity of all? Looking the muscle memory of Nanben’s old- factories aimed to stabilize and even to the future, it’s essential that Nanben er generation of tea pickers. Although improve quality with each batch of and the outside world unite to tackle today many tea factories have estab- tea they produced, and to introduce a this problem together. lished a presence and have developed systematic management model. Once more efficient and convenient harvest- the factory had set up in Nanben, they

34 Bameng 壩檬 As we hop on yet another old bus, Nanben leaves us with the kind of questions all our trips to Yunnan Mengsong do: How do we reconcile the envi- ronmental issues Yunnan faces with 勐宋 an improvement to aboriginal life? And how do we, as puerh lovers, improve the situation, creating dy- namic markets that protect Nature and preserve traditional cultures while also providing the means for these people to develop their villag- es in healthy ways? Maybe Bameng will offer some answers...

茶人: Li Yunyun (李昀耘)

ount Huazhu Liangzi is the Steep Terrain: tallest peak in Xishuang- banna; standing tall like a Precious Old-Growth Tea Mroof beam above Mengsong, its name literally means “smooth bamboo raf- The village of Bameng (壩檬) is sit- ters.” Thanks to its high altitude and uated on the southern face of Mount well-suited climate, it is home to a Huazhu Liangzi. At an altitude of precious resource: old-growth tea tree around 1730 meters, it’s about halfway forests. Because of its remote location up the mountain. To the residents of and linguistic isolation, the area didn’t Bameng, the ancient tea forest behind open up to the outside world until the village feels like their own back- quite late; this allowed the natural eco- yard, familiar and comfortable. To us system of the tea mountains to remain outsiders, however, finding your way undisturbed. The large area where the into the forest requires quite an effort. ancient tea trees grow is situated on Reaching the main Huazhu Liangzi tea the middle slopes of Huazhu Liangzi; garden from the village means climb- people generally refer to this area as the ing uphill for three hours, often on “great Huazhu Liangzi tea garden.” The hands and knees, crawling or pulling puerh tea produced here has the sweet- yourself up depending on the terrain. ness of mountain tea and an elegant Every so often you have to cross one aroma, earning it a good reputation of the slippery streams that provide on the tea market. Clustered around moisture to the surrounding forest. It’s the middle reaches of Mount Huazhu almost as if Huazhu Liangzi has pur- Liangzi are a number of villages, scat- posely hidden the precious tea forests tered like stars around the moon. away at its summit. If you want to reach the high-altitude As our research team drove up the tea gardens, there are only a handful of mountain road that was established by old roads that will get you there, and later generations, we were surrounded they are all slow-going. One of these on both sides by old-growth forest and roads passes through the village of big tea trees. These old tea trees, who Bameng; because of this, Bameng has have stood apart from the world in become one of Huazhu Liangzi’s main secluded independence for more than hubs of communication with the out- a hundred years, were tree-shaped in side world. appearance, with medium-sized leaves.

36 Mengsong The tea they produce has a fine liquor, medium-leaf tea trees. They are mostly hectares of tea being planted in the clear and sweet with a floral aroma; about 60 years old and were planted by hopes of increasing production vol- these are the distinguishing character- the government around 1950. At that ume. istics of Huazhu Liangzi’s tea. time, in order to provide the hard-to- The tea trees here reproduce sexual- There are 85 families of Aini eth- reach villages that encircle Huazhu Li- ly; coupled with the unique character- nicity (a branch of the Hani ethnic angzi with an extra source of income, istics of the surrounding rainforest, this group) living in Bameng. You can also the government provided one to two creates a habitat rich in biodiversity. To see signs that Han people have settled hectares of land to the nearby villages, preserve the unique flavor of the old- here too, such as the orderly wheat including Bameng, for the tea growers growth tea, the tea farmers harvest the fields that line the roads. All the people to plant tea. seeds from the old trees and cultivate who live here rely on tea for their live- Thanks to its unique flavor, the tea them into seedlings before transplant- lihood—the whole village economy is produced on Huazhu Liangzi attracted ing them back to the mountainsides. inextricably linked to the tea gardens the attention of many tea lovers and In this way, they hope to prevent the of Huazhu Liangzi. merchants, and demand for it began tea’s unique style from disappearing The area extending from Bameng to rise. About three years ago, the area over time. to Baotang stands at an altitude of the tea garden on Huazhu Liangzi of 1900 meters and is covered in was expanded again, with another two

The village of Bameng is situated on the southern face of Mount Huazhu Liangzi. At an altitude of around 1730 meters, it’s about halfway up the moun- tain. The ancient tea forest spreads out behind the village like a big backyard. In Bameng, people’s lives revolve around tea; the whole village economy is inex- tricably linked to the tea plantations of Huazhu Liangzi. As the demand for tea rose, so did the demand for labor. To solve this problem, the local tea fac- tory at Bameng brought in outside tea workers to help, most of them Aini peo- ple from the Da Menglong area. Such a long commute would be inconvenient for the workers, so the factory provided a dormitory for the outside tea workers.

37/ Bameng (壩檬) A Changing Population As the tea from Huazhu Liangzi village of Bameng just didn’t have Bameng, which had long been fairly grew in reputation, market demand enough people power to keep up. To closed off and inaccessible, now had increased, which brought about a se- solve this problem, the local tea factory the opportunity for contact with the ries of changes in Bameng Village. This brought in outside tea workers to help, outside world. The ethnic makeup and included changes in the makeup of most of them Aini people from the Da culture of the village both underwent the local population, the economy, the Menglong area. Such a long commute visible changes, and economic activi- transport linking Bameng to the out- would be inconvenient for the workers ty expanded, too. So, with each wave side world, and the way the industry and would impact the amount of time of new workers flowing in and out, operated. they had available for harvesting tea, Bameng had the chance to discover The most obvious change arose so the factory provided a dormitory and benefit from new ways of life and from the surging popularity of Huazhu for the outside tea workers. As well as new aspects of human culture. Liangzi’s puerh tea. This resulted in a increasing efficiency, it also made life growing demand for labor to harvest easier for the workers. and process the tea, and it became This influx of people from outside increasingly obvious that the remote the region meant that the village of

38 D大安a’an Yet another rickety bus and more bumpy mountain roads to spend our time staring out at the lush jungles and try to reflect Mengsong on all that we’ve learned on our journey so far. One thing is certain: there is still hope in Yunnan! We have seen it in the preserved old-growth gardens and in the bright eyes of our ab- 勐宋 original hosts. The trees remind us of where we come from and some of the modern changes tell of where we may be heading if we aren’t careful...

茶人: Zhang Yaoyue (張耀月)

e set out from Meng- ethnic minority groups in China, the a sense of their warmth and humble song Township and begin Blang group and the Dai group, as hospitality. The local houses were plain to wind our way up the their origins come from both cultures. and unassuming both inside and out. Wmountain. Our car sways and bumps It’s said that their ancestors were peo- The walls were hung with corn, used along the craggy mountain road, the ple of Blang ethnicity who settled here for brewing liquor and feeding to the natural, unadorned landscape spread- in the early days after purchasing lo- livestock. Their simple kitchens only ing out as far as the eye can see. Simple cal residence permits or hukou (戶口) contained a few pans for firing tea and houses with black-tiled roofs are scat- from the local Dai people. The temples implements for making liquor. From tered across the densely forested hill- here combine Blang architectural ele- the kitchen equipment and the spaces sides, and pigs trundle leisurely back ments with Dai language, culture and on the roofs for drying tea leaves, it’s and forth across the dirt roads, for- religious tradition. Young boys in the clear that even though the locals live aging in the undergrowth. The whole area, upon reaching the fifth or sixth very simply, tea is an indispensable area has a relaxed and carefree feel to year of elementary school, go to live part of daily life. it. We have arrived at Da’an Village in a monastery for two years to learn Back in 2007, we had paid an ear- (大安寨) in the Mengsong tea region. about the local religion and culture. lier visit to Da’an Village and were Da’an Village is not a very economi- So, as well as conducting religious ac- welcomed warmly by the locals. They cally developed area, and the sur- tivities, the temples also take on the headed straight out to the tea garden, rounding environment is very much responsibility of educating the pop- where they harvested some tea leaves, in its natural state. Its residents, who ulation; religion is deeply present in twisted them briefly and skillfully, and belong to the Blang Dai ethnic group people’s lives and plays an important then roasted them over a charcoal fire. as well as the majority Han ethnicity, part in local society. Clumps of Bodhi After one or two minutes of roasting, live in simple conditions—perhaps trees, considered sacred to believers of the leaves are then put into a pot of it’s precisely this absence of the lure of Buddhism, are scattered throughout boiling water. This whole process is material wealth that has contributed to the village. Perhaps because of their called “cooking” the tea and has the the humble, unpretentious local cul- devout belief, the local people, though effect of reducing the “cool” nature ture. they tend to be quite shy and reserved, of the tea (in the traditional Chinese are also very warm and friendly. medicinal sense). It’s an ancient tea Our research team came to the drinking method particular to Yun- Lower Da’an village to meet with the local peo- nan’s native ethnic groups, and re- ple—although there was a bit of a sults in a tea with a robust fragrance Many of the inhabitants of Lower language barrier, they happily showed and full flavor. In just a few minutes, Da’an Village belong to the Blang Dai us around their houses and buildings. the lively aroma of tea began to waft (布朗傣) ethnic group. This name is We all muddled through partly under- through the air, touching the senses a joining of two officially recognized standing each other, and we really got and invigorating the heart and soul.

40 Mengsong We couldn’t wait to take a sip of the influence of tea culture from outside style red brick houses, and although steaming hot tea. As soon as we took the region was evident. Although the the tea gardens are similar to those of the first sip, we felt ourselves enveloped spiraling steam of roasting tea was now Lower Da’an Village, up here you’ll inside and out by an instant warmth, absent from the village, the mellow fra- see more farmland and water buffalo. our tired minds and bodies soothed. grance of the tea and the warm sincer- There are wet rice paddies for grow- From the strong tea liquor, we could ity of the people were the same as ever. ing white rice, dry fields for red rice, not only detect the pure and natural and terraced fields for both varieties. character of the tea, but even more so, The several dozen Han families who the simple, honest human warmth of Upper Da’an live on the mountaintop have diverted the people who made it. This year when water from a local dam to irrigate the we returned to the village for another Just five minutes’ drive up the fields. Although these local people are visit, the locals’ tea drinking methods mountain from Lower Da’an Village, of Han ethnicity, their residence per- had changed; the traditional custom you’ll start noticing subtle changes in mits or hukou officially say that they of “cooking” the tea was no longer the surrounding landscape. The tra- belong to Yunnan’s Lahu ethnic group. practiced, and they had even started ditional black-tiled roofs of the Dai There’s a theory that they are the de- using Taiwanese tea implements. The people are gradually replaced by Han- scendants of traders who arrived with

Natural, unadorned landscapes surround Da’an Village. Simple hous- es with black-tiled roofs are scattered across the densely forested hillsides, and the whole area has a relaxed and carefree feel.

To welcome our visiting party in 2007, the Blang Dai people headed out to the tea plantation to harvest and “cook” some tea leaves. This is an ancient tea drinking method particular to Yun- nan’s native ethnic groups. Despite the language barrier, the Blang Dai resi- dents happily showed us around their houses and buildings. We really got a sense of their warmth and humble hos- pitality.

41/ Da’an (大安) caravans; perhaps they headed up into labor was a reminder of the down-to- in the Blang Dai people’s traditional the mountains because business down earth lives of the locals, and the scar- custom of marrying within their own by the dam was poor and they could city of material resources. When we clan, and an increase in contact and ex- no longer afford the rent, or perhaps it passed by again ten years later, the way change between the different cultures. was because they were fleeing pursuers of life was still much the same, with The clothing and accessories of a few and sought refuge with the local Dai the local people planting rice and tea of the local people provide glimpses of people. Whatever the cause, they even- and raising livestock; returning to the the influence of capitalism and mod- tually settled down on the mountain- village, it almost felt as if those ten ernization that is gradually starting to top to live their lives in this secluded years had been rewound. However, appear in the village. Who knows how corner of the world. the rising price of tea in recent years this simple, unassuming mountain When we first came here ten years has brought about some change in the sanctuary will continue to change in ago, we saw a young girl of eleven or local culture and day-to-day life. The the next ten years? twelve carrying sack after sack of heavy improving economic conditions have rice, her small frame bent over with the attracted people of Hani and Lahu weight. The fact that even such young ethnicity to come to the village and residents needed to help with the farm marry locals, which has led to a change

遺 森 林 忘人 保 傳管 統

42 Swirling Mist 薄霧繞

Own a cake of this month’s beautifulOffer Mengsong tea!

wirling Mist is an amazing tea. terested in investing the time, effort and Our friend spent a few weeks in It’s one of the best sheng puerh money to hike into the mountain forests Mengsong and produced five different teas we have ever sent in Global to harvest and process this rare tea. But teas. He hiked with local guides deep STea Hut, and a great tea for drinking tea lovers are scrambling to find such tea, into the forests near the border to find and aging. It is a treasure that we are also and are always interested. old trees to harvest. Wu De has also aging towards a bright future of abun- Back in 2004, it was much easier traveled extensively in the Mengsong dance in aged tea. The strength that this to source amazing old-growth tea, and area, and has said that in the early 2000s tea demonstrates after almost fifteen many forests were much more pristine. the area was gloriously remote and un- years makes it an excellent candidate for A good friend of ours traveled to Naka, touched. Swirling Mist is our favorite long-term aging. But when we drank it Mengsong and spent a few weeks press- of the cakes our friend made, and we as a possibility for this month’s tea, we ing tea for himself and good friends. are very fortunate to get enough for the were also stunned at how wonderful it is None of the tea was branded in any way. Center to age some, to share it as the Tea now. This is a rare chance for you to get He pressed the cakes at the farm, as op- of the Month and now to offer you the a cake of this equally rare tea. posed to taking the tea to a factory to chance to get a cake of your own. These Our Tea of the Month is what we have it pressed. This has the advantage of cakes are phenomenal. They will age well call a “boutique tea,” which is what we using the same water to steam the tea for and are also very drinkable, as you will call a tea produced by a tea shop owner compression that the trees drank from. It see when you do get around to trying or small brand that loves tea. We call a also means that the micro-ecology of the this month’s tea. tea “boutique” when the owner travels steam room will be similar to the forest If you are interested in a cake, we to Yunnan and selects the tea personally, where the tea grew, whereas most puerh will have a very limited quantity up on offering a higher quality to tea lovers like teas are pressed in factories far away the website for sale. If you are interested, themselves—not to mention the trans- from the mountains they come from and we suggest expedience as the tea will be parency of visiting the site, meeting the therefore introduce new bacteria, fungi, offered on a first come, first served ba- farmers and bringing home a description mold, etc. in the pressing process. As a sis. These cakes are great candidates for of the geography, terroir and production result of being completely processed on long-term storage or for sharing with along with the cakes. Quality and quanti- the mountain, these teas don’t have an friends now. The storage is pretty clean. ty rarely go together. The best puerh teas inner trademark ticket (內飛, nei fei) or We would call it “mildly wet.” We have are almost always boutique, especially in even a wrapper. In those days it would certainly put some cakes aside for our- the modern era. The big factories pro- have been more challenging to take selves as well and are excited to see what duce in vast quantities that can only be such things with you to the mountain. you think of this special tea! supported by plantation tea, often with Anyway, since our friend was intending agrochemicals. To get puerh from the this tea to be for himself and friends, he old-growth trees grown in the forest, it didn’t need any packaging other than The cakes will be a mini- is always better to go with boutique tea. bamboo around seven cakes (筒, tong) Small groves of old trees only produce a to protect the tea. Wu De has offered to mum of $150 + shipping: small amount of tea each year, and the paint the wrappers in gratitude for your bigger factories are therefore rarely in- support. (www.globalteahut.org/swirlingmist)

43 薄

勐 宋 茶霧 山 繞 D大曼呂a Manlü We manage to score a ride from Da’an to Da Manlü, riding in the back of a truck with large white sacks of maocha. The Mengsong smell of the tea reminds us why we’re here in this remote part of the world: the birthplace of tea. Here by the border, we find that forest time matters more than our watches and weather 勐宋 makes a difference in our days, especially when you are riding in the open back of a truck. Reflection turns to present moment awareness when the locals riding with us burst into song...

茶人: Yan Jie (顔婕)

ur research team hadn’t been After our research team had made construction of a new house is com- driving for long in the direc- our way down the bumpy dirt roads pleted in the village, the owners will tion we’d been pointed in and arrived within the limits of Da hold a housewarming ceremony, and Owhen we caught sight of a dense mass Manlü, we were immediately drawn express their thanks by holding a ban- of black-tiled roofs joining together to to the carefree enthusiasm of this cor- quet and inviting their friends and rel- form one large village. We knew we’d ner of the world. Compared to other atives from throughout the village to arrived at Da Manlü. The village of villages, Da Manlü clearly has a big- come and celebrate together. Right at Da Manlü (大曼呂) is situated in the ger population; in earlier times, the the time we were wandering around Da southwest of the Mengsong tea region, government established a public grain Manlü, we noticed that just about the around five kilometers from Naka, management center here. (This was whole village all seemed to be out and and is home to around two hundred an administrative unit responsible for about, headed somewhere; it turned households. The village is made up of purchasing all the grain produced in an out that they were all going to one of 15 smaller groups, ten of which belong area; distributing grain staples, related these housewarming celebrations! The to the Lahu ethnic group, while four non-essential foodstuffs and oil to the women of the village, all dressed up, are of Blang Dai ethnicity and one is of population; issuing grain purchasing were all crowding into somebody’s Han ethnicity. Because of this mix of licenses to the residents; setting sales house—our curiosity piqued, we fol- ethnicities, several languages are spo- quotas; and processing residence per- lowed them, into what indeed looked ken here. The residents are also accus- mits for citizens who wanted to switch to be a brand new two-storied house. tomed to living near to larger Han set- from farming to non-farming permits.) As we entered the yard, we saw that tlements, so most people in Da Manlü The fertile soil of Da Manlü pro- the air was full of smoke; there were are fairly fluent in Mandarin Chinese duces plentiful crops, so the residents about a dozen stoves with pots noisily and are used to communicating with are well provided for. There are even bubbling and boiling, smoke curling the outside world. What’s more, it’s enough leftover crops to produce var- from the chimneys. The women had a convenient trip from Da Manlü to ious agricultural by-products. When slaughtered chickens and pigs and were the nearest big city, Jinghong, taking we visited the village, we noticed that cleaning them up for cooking while a only about two hours. With this ease many of Da Manlü’s residents are group of young men, not wanting to of communication and transport, plus equipped with their own set-up for be left out of the action, raised their the excellent quality of its tea, Da making maize-based alcohol; the locals voices in a lively song (whose mean- Manlü was one of the earliest-devel- are fond of brewing their own liquor. ing we couldn’t understand, since it oped tea centers in the Mengsong tea When good friends gather together, was in the Blang language). Our sens- region. Some people describe the tea they also like to jokingly challenge es were filled with the heat and noise from Da Manlü as “Close to the fra- each other to drinking competitions! of this lively moment; it was a rare grance of Naka; chasing the sweetness It’s said that the Blang people have opportunity to witness a local ethnic of Nannuo,” which gives us a good a tradition: if one family builds a new minority celebration. Because we had idea of its character and quality. (We house, the whole village turns up to a lot of places still to visit, we regret- heard this while there.) help. Because of this, whenever the fully declined the locals’ invitation.

46 Mengsong

If we’d been able to stay a bit later, we being harvested in large quantities, us that if we followed the road that could have watched everyone setting all the old tea trees in the area bear curved out of Da Manlü, we’d be able up iron stands at the host’s place and the marks of pruning, carried out to to circle around the peak of Huazhu lighting the fires, then gathered togeth- shorten them and facilitate more con- Liangzi and truly immerse ourselves er around the banquet tables, eating, venient picking. When we visited, we in the unique local environment that drinking and singing. It must surely noticed that the locals were very expe- gives life to the ancient tea trees. Af- be one of the most joyous and carefree rienced tea pickers, and almost all of ter some discussion, we decided that interludes to life up here in the moun- them were able to uniformly pick the our next stop would be the village of tains! tea shoots in the standard “one bud Banggang. We reluctantly said farewell and two leaves” configuration. With to this rich and plentiful land; with our the locals’ tea-making skill and the su- wheels sending up a cloud of dust, we Ancient Gardens perior quality of the leaf, along with its journeyed onwards, the beautiful old reasonable price, Da Manlü’s tea is a tea gardens of Mengsong beckoning us Da Manlü has access to the pre- favorite among tea lovers far and wide. to continue our exploration. cious resource of Mengsong’s ancient Da Manlü tea has a superior mouthfeel tea trees and was one of the earliest-de- and an exquisitely structured flavor, veloped gardens in the Mengsong tea similar to that of Naka and Nannuo region. Throughout the 1980s, the era teas. It has a unique, elegant aroma, of state-run tea gardens, the govern- which lingers in the mouth for several ment set up a tea-purchasing station in minutes after drinking the tea. Many Da Manlü, which was a considerable tea lovers eagerly vie to purchase it, affirmation of the excellent flavor of and it is praised on the market for its the local tea. Most of the tea trees in qualities of being “Close to the fra- Da Manlü are between one hundred grance of Naka; chasing the sweetness and three hundred years old, and grow of Nannuo”—a phrase we heard often at an altitude of about 1460 meters. while in the village. The yearly rainfall is stable and sun- At sunrise, as we were preparing light is abundant, creating a superior to leave, we gazed back on the hillside ecosystem perfect for the ancient tea of old tea trees, their green leaves rus- 茶 trees and the surrounding life to grow tling with flourishing vitality. A gust and multiply. of wind set them fluttering in the sun- Because the area went through a light, reflecting little points of light period where the local tea leaves were like rippling water. The locals told 活

47/ Da Manlü (大曼呂) The fertile soil of Da Manlü produces plentiful crops, so the residents are well provided for. There are even enough leftover crops to produce various agricultural by-products. But tea is still the main- stay, and we saw it drying everywhere in the vil- lage.

A local woman holds her newborn grandson, wel- coming the next generation into village life.

Whenever the construction of a new house is completed in the village, the owners hold a house- warming ceremony, inviting their friends and rel- atives from the village to a banquet to celebrate together. Our senses were filled with the heat and noise of this lively moment; it was a rare opportu- nity to witness a local ethnic minority celebration.

48 Banggang蚌崗 It was hard to leave Da Manlü! As so often happens when you travel off the beaten path, you find remote places you wish you Mengsong could spend more time exploring, or at least come back. But then you remember the festival they invited you to attend, hap- pening now as you drive away, and know that this place will 勐宋 never be the same again. The baby you saw will have grown. Will the tea still be as pure years from now? You hope that your writing on the bus will help make a difference...

茶人: Zhang Yaoyue (張耀月)

limbing the winding moun- cause of the foggy climate, it’s difficult esting reflection of their differing val- tain road, we drove past Man- for any tall or sturdy plants to grow ues and approaches to business man- duanla and through a stretch here. Because of this, some years ago agement. Cof dense and luxuriant old-growth for- the government began to divide up the Here on the mountain, the hard- est, before arriving at our destination: land to encourage people to cultivate it working Hani people grow crops such the township of Banggang (蚌崗寨). and grow cash crops. Under these cir- as corn, fruit and tea. If you go into Banggang doesn’t have a lot of land cumstances, the Hani people arrived in one of the sheds they’ve built and look resources, but all the people who live this wild place; after a difficult begin- up, you’ll see glistening yellow corn here work hard for a better life. Who ning, they finally established a steady hanging across the whole ceiling. It’s are these local residents? Many years and peaceful existence. a sign that the agricultural economy ago, around 200 families of the Hani The local people led our research up here has achieved some progress; ethnicity were the first to settle here; team on a tour of Banggang Ha. We despite the geographical limitations of the area where they live is known as noticed that a lot of village elders, this somewhat hostile environment, the “Old Village.” On the next hill, despite their white hair and stooped the Hani people have made themselves facing the old village, is another set- posture, seemed to be in robust good a peaceful and happy home. tlement, inhabited by Lahu people health, their wrinkled hands taking who migrated here not long afterward. on many tasks, their weathered faces Later still, Han people came to the area framing their pipes, carrying infants on Banggang La to make a living, so the place where their backs. It seemed that this was just they settled is called the “New Vil- life as usual. The houses were all dec- One hill over from Banggang Ha lage.” Altogether, there are about 400 orated very simply, but we saw quite is the village of Banggang La, named families living in these three villages. a few vehicles in the village. When we after the Lahu people who live there. The villagers belong to 11 smaller vil- enquired about this, we learned that Banggang La is very close to the old- lage groups: eight Hani groups, two because the villagers lived in a place growth forest; at the edge of the for- Lahu groups, and one Han group (also with underdeveloped transportation, est there’s a shrine to the mountain known as Banggang Han). they came to profoundly appreciate god, and nearby are several mu (a the necessity of having a means of few thousand square meters) of good transport. Whenever they were able to quality tea gardens. The tea trees are Banggang Ha save up some money, they prioritized about 100 years old, with some as old buying vehicles to allow them to trans- as 300 years. Most of the tea trees are The village where the Hani people port goods and keep their business medium-sized, with a handful of old- live is also called Banggang Ha. There running. By comparison, the Dai peo- growth tea trees. Although there aren’t aren’t too many old-growth trees here, ple, who live in more accessible places many old trees, because they are close with the mountaintop being almost near dams, tend to spend their money to the old-growth forest, they pro- completely covered in shorter tussock on building and renovating houses. So, duce excellent quality tea and a good and undergrowth. Whether because the ways these different communities quantity of fresh leaves are harvested the sunlight hours are too few or be- choose to use their money are an inter- each year, becoming fragrant maocha.

50 Mengsong

珍 山 葉 的 守 上 護 者 的 桃 花 源 朋 徑 友

Climbing the winding mountain road, we drove past Manduanla and through a stretch of luxuriant old- growth forest before arriving at the township of Banggang.

Here on the mountain, the Hani people grow crops such as corn, fruit and tea. If you go into one of their sheds, you’ll see glistening yellow corn hanging across the whole ceiling.

A lot of the village elders, despite their white hair and stooped posture, seemed to be in robust good health, their wrin- kled hands taking on many tasks, their weathered faces framing their pipes, carrying infants on their backs. It seemed that this was just life as usual.

51/ Banggang (蚌崗) 52 Mengsong

53/ Banggang (蚌崗) Thanks to its fine quality and mid- spring tea is more than 12 tons; clearly, In the village of Banggang, the range price, the tea produced here is tea is one of the area’s main cash crops. Hani, Lahu and mountain Han people good value and a favorite with tea mer- Strolling around the village of all work hard to make a living, stead- chants. In the past, the State Forestry Banggang La, you often catch glimpses fastly farming the land and bringing Administration used to lease this land of vibrant color, adorning the back- life and vitality to this once-deserted to chopstick manufacturers to grow drop of jade-green hills with lively corner of the earth. Banggang’s tea bamboo. But because of the difficult splashes. The Lahu people like to wear trees, once hidden in the depths of transport conditions, sales didn’t do multi-colored headscarves, or tradi- the old-growth forest, were thus made too well, so they later switched to grow- tional headdresses decorated with red known to the world. As the years go ing fir trees and small tea trees there in- flowers, and often wear simple silver by and the tea industry continues to stead. As we were passing through the jewelry on their wrists. From a dis- flourish, demand increasing with ev- area, we came across a primary tea pro- tance, their bustling figures look just ery passing day, perhaps this ancient cessing facility. The owner, surnamed like butterflies, fluttering from Ca- village will see even greater changes in Li, showed us around the factory. We mellia flower to flower as they gather the future. learned that their yearly output of nectar.

榮 另 一 個 化 耀 身 的 朋 友 的 茶 精 神

54 Banglong蚌龍 As the trip starts to draw to a close, you wonder at how the road has changed you. Seeing yourself through the eyes of an older Mengsong and deeper culture has been a catalyst for change. One thing is for sure: every pot, every cup of tea you drink from now on will taste different now that you know how much work has gone into 勐宋 it, and how much the Leaf means to the people who grow it. This trip has filled your cup with a bit more respect. The mountains will also seem closer with each and every sip...

茶人: Luo Yingyin (羅英銀)

f you travel along the south- The Aini people make their living dows, manage to keep our houses that western face of Mount Huazhu mainly from agriculture and harvest- dust-free?! Liangzi, somewhere between ing tea. The tea they pick is sourced Wandering around the village at I1700 and 2000 meters in altitude you from the old-growth tea trees that lunchtime, we met 84-year-old Mrs. will come to the village of Banglong cover the land surrounding Banglong Bian (邊娘), who was returning from (蚌龍). Banglong is one of Mengsong’s up to an altitude of around 2100 me- a morning of tea picking. Apparently, major tea-producing areas and makes ters. At the implementation of the she could pick about five kilograms of excellent quality tea. Thanks to its government, Banglong now produces tea leaves in a day, and even when she prominent sweetness and fragrance, it large amounts of wildly-grown red tea. returned to the village at midday, you represents very good value for money We interviewed 20-year-old Zhe San wouldn’t see her sitting down to rest and is quite popular among Chajin (折三), an expert in wild red tea pro- or eat and drink; instead she would be everywhere. duction. He told us that each time the turning over tea leaves in the hot mid- The residents of Banglong belong tea leaves are brought in from harvest- day sun and picking out the yellowed to the Aini ethnicity, which is a branch ing, they must first be set aside until leaves. We saw her from inside and of the Hani ethnic group. Although the stems have hardened to the point asked her concernedly if she wanted to the Aini people are not included on where they won’t snap, then the tea come inside for a drink of water and China’s list of 55 officially recognized leaves are rolled for half an hour. They some lunch before she continued her ethnic minority groups, and are count- are then packed into bags and stored work; however, she replied that she was ed as belonging to the Hani ethnicity, until the stems redden, and the leaves in no hurry to eat and would just come here in Banglong the people identify are then dried. inside whenever she got hungry. With themselves as Aini. When we paid a visit to Zhe San’s that, she turned back to her tea and Last year, with assistance from the home, his 83-year-old grandfather kept on working. Later, Mrs. Bian told government, the landscape of Ban- was sitting by the doorway, carefully us that she had seven children, three glong saw some significant changes. In mending a kettle. The Aini people are daughters and four sons. Three of her 2015, the Banglong village committee known for being frugal and industri- sons, however, had moved their fami- oversaw the laying of a paved road to ous; although they may not have much lies to Myanmar to make a living after bring an old-style look back to the material wealth, they value self-reli- getting married. It was much easier to village; each paving stone reportedly ance and apply their “do-it-yourself” make enough to get by in Myanmar cost 5 yuan. In 2016, a cement road spirit to everything from mending ap- than here in remote Banglong, cer- was added; although it was barely wide pliances and building houses to plant- tainly at least twenty years ago when enough for two cars to pass each other, ing, picking and processing tea. The they moved, but it meant that there it already represented a big step up in houses that we saw were kept spotless, has hardly been any occasions over the terms of ease of access. Back in 2012, without a speck of dust, even though years when the whole family has been all of Banglong’s tea processing was they had earthen floors. We asked our- able to reunite. She was sad, express- done by hand, whereas now the entire selves: how many of us, in our concrete ing how much she missed her sons and process is done by machine. houses with well-sealed doors and win- grandchildren.

56 Mengsong

Aini Culture: Tea, Gods & People

The Aini people’s faith plays a pro- (龍巴門), the main gate to the vil- glutinous rice cakes or nuomi baba found part in their lives. Their religion lage that protects those who live there. (糯米粑粑), the villagers like to eat a combines polytheism with the worship Items woven from bamboo play an im- variety of dishes and to drink alcohol. of ancestors, and they regularly give portant part in Aini religious offerings, This said, what struck us most about offerings to protective deities such as as woven bamboo is believed to ward the Aini food and drink culture was the gods of the sky, earth, dragon tree, off evil spirits, so you can see woven the omnipresence of tea in people’s village, and family or home. They also bamboo figures, such as birds and the lives. make sacrifices to restrain or drive 12 zodiac animals, tied to the village When we arrived in Banglong, we away spirits who might cause sickness gates. Many of the village’s young peo- saw that many of the households had or misfortune. The Aini people also ple don’t remember why these bamboo roof terraces, which were, of course, celebrate many religious festivals— figures were originally put there. covered in sun-drying tea leaves. The there’s generally about one festival per Aside from religious offerings and Aini people’s houses are siheyuan month. The Aini people have one more festivals, one of the other highlights of (四合院), courtyard houses with important sacrificial offering, made Banglong village is the unique food. four sides built around a central open to the “dragon gate” or longba men As well as the famous rice noodles and garden or space for withering tea.

57/ Banglong (蚌龍) 神茶 人

58 Mengsong

They have two smaller rooms on either of activity can take place there, mak- memorable and long-lasting like the side of the main hall—these are known ing these terraces an important hub of flavor of a fine tea. In daily life, many as erfang (耳房) or “ear rooms,” due activity for both working and playing. aspects of interpersonal relationships to their position. The erfang have flat In the daily life of the Aini, it seems can be expressed with tea, from mak- roofs with thick logs as the main beams that tea, gods and people are all inter- ing friends to entertaining guests. To and thatching made from finer sticks connected. From sacrifices and festi- the Aini people, one of the greatest and rice straw, and finally are tamped vals to weddings and funerals, tea is honors you can pay to your guests is to down with clay to make a platform involved in all important rituals and serve them tea. (these days, many people now use ce- occasions. In wedding ceremonies, the ment instead). These roof terraces or groom must bring tea when he goes to shaitai (曬臺) are used for sun-drying the bride’s family’s house to ask for her grain and hanging laundry, and also hand, and the dowry also includes tea, serve as a terrace for enjoying the fresh to signify the hope that the couple’s air, for children to frolic and women life together will grow richer with time to spin and weave. Almost any kind like a cup of tea brewing, and will be

59/ Banglong (蚌龍) 60 TeaWayfarer Each month, we introduce one of the Global Tea Hut members to you, in order to help you get to know more people in this growing international community. It’s also to pay homage to the many manifestations that all this wonder- ful spirit and Tea are becoming as the Tea is drunk and becomes human. The energy of Tea fuels some great work in this world, and we are so honored to share glimpses of such beautiful people and their Tea. This month, we would like to introduce Kristen Fix.

lived in Beijing and taught English nearly a decade and a half ago. I had just finished college earlier that year, trav- eled around the United States and came home to figure Iout where my path next led. I remembered an email a friend had sent me several months earlier about teaching in China, followed up on this, and less than a month later flew across the world to a foreign place I was to call home for the next year and a half. This spontaneous decision was sparked by a general interest to travel and see the world and China just happened to be the place. Unbeknownst to me at that time, this journey was surely guided by the gracious hands of destiny and it led me to one of the greatest treasures of my life, Tea. During the Chinese New Year, I traveled with a friend to visit her family in Fujian. Upon arrival, I was greeted with tea in the family’s living room. The tea, Tieguanyin, and the cer- emony of how it was served opened up my world and I fell in love right away. It was all completely new to me yet instantly felt so right. The Leaf reached out to me and held me in her folds and I have been here ever since. She came into my life and our relationship continues to flourish and unfold like the petals of a lotus flower. I returned home with a supply of tea and teaware. At first I would just drink tea here and there, but at some point She became a part of my daily practice. As I try to recall now when 茶人: Kristen Fix this was, the timeline eludes me as it seems I have been a part of Her and She a part of me for so long. In the beginning I more true. I grew up on a fruit farm that has been in my fam- was on my own, guided by the little bit of experience I had ily for more than 100 years. I am an organic farmer. I love to drinking tea in Fujian and in the tea markets of Beijing, and by grow healthy, nourishing food for others and myself. There is my natural love and respect of the Leaf. As happens along this such a sweet connection for me in putting my hands into the path, soon I came into contact with other tea lovers and could soil, smelling the aromas of the earth, reminding me of a dark share Her magic amongst friends. steaming bowl of shou puerh and the wise Yunnan trees and While living with one of these tea friends, Solala Towler, I terroir that birthed these delectable leaves. I love being in Na- picked up Wu De’s book from library shelf (The Way of Tea). ture, indeed. The teachings and reflections shared in these pages spoke to me I feel a beginner on the Way of this Life of Tea. A double in such a deep and profound way. Some years later while visit- leaf sprout two inches out of the ground. All that I said above ing Solala, he excitedly told me about the Global Tea Hut mag- about tea extending to all aspects of my life is a continual work azine. Again I felt such affinity and inspiration from the words in process. And this is beautiful and exciting because it means I was reading and soon after became a member of this amazing there is so much more ahead—new insights, new joys and community myself. This propelled my relationship with Tea to sadness, new challenges, new surprises always around the next new levels. Tea as Medicine, Ceremony, Tea as a way of life. I bend. As I continue to cultivate myself through a Life of Tea, can see that previously Tea had been all these things to me, but over and over again I am deeply humbled and in great grati- to encounter these living teachings and people that practice tude that She is a part of my life. this as a part of their daily lives as well, truly brought these Thank you, dear tea friends, for sharing this journey with ideas into focus and life within me. me. Thank you for being you. If you ever find yourself in Ne- For me, part of the magic of Tea is how Her influence ex- vada City, California, feel free to stop by for some tea, go for a tends beyond the tea table and into all aspects of my life. Part walk, swim in the Yuba river. I would be honored to meet you of my practice is to make this more and more so, more and and get to know you over a steaming hot bowl.

61/ TeaWayfarer Inside the Hut

Coming Soon to Global Tea Hut Magazine

茶主题: Boiled Tea 茶主题:Classics of Tea 茶主题:Chajin Stories/Biographies 茶主题:Tianmu Bowls

If you serve tea regularly and would like some We are considering hosting two Annual Glob- extra magazines or tea tins to give out to help spread al Tea Hut Trips in 2018: our usual spring trip to a the word about Global Tea Hut, please let us know. We tea-growing region of Asia and a second trip within are also looking to donate magazines to public places. Taiwan itself. Would this second trip interest you?

We are trying to expand by connecting with We have been looking at land for Light Meets podcasts, blogs, journalists and other communities. If Life. Help us make our new Center a reality by reading you have a suggestion, please email our PR point per- the “10kx2020” pamphlet and contacting us if you feel son, Emily Cross at: [email protected] there is any way you can help!

We shall revitalize our video content this year, bringing weekly videos to Instagram and YouTube, along with our live broadcasts. Help participate and let us know what you would like to see. Center News Before you visit, check out the Center’s We will be converting all the past issues to .html website (www.teasagehut.org) to read about shortly, which will allow you to search past articles by the schedule, food, what you should bring, etc. author and topic much more easily. We hope this refer- Make sure you apply early for courses as they ence is useful to tea lovers around the world. fill up fast (this is why we need a bigger, more awesome Center).

Take a picture of you and your loved ones open- We have just opened all the ten-day courses ing Global Tea Hut or drinking the Tea of the Month to service! This is exciting for those of you who and #tag us on Instagram. We will be selecting five peo- have already taken a ten-day course and want to ple who post their experience to receive free tea every come serve one. You can apply on the website. month from now on! This is also another way to visit if a course is full!

Our longer course for older students will be over the course of two weeks in late August. This course is for those who have been initiated March Affirmation into our lineage and will cover aspects of this practice in greater depth than we have ever gone. I am tolerant Contact us if you are interested in attending. Do I use my travels to grow in understanding and Dates will be announced soon. empathy? Do I allow the perspectives of others It is worth getting on a waiting list if the in? I change the way I see easily. I am freedom of course you wish to apply for is full. We often views. I grow compassion out of my understanding have last-minute openings for courses if you are of other people and ways of life. willing to fly last minute! www.globalteahut.org GLOBAL EA HUT The most traveled Tea magazine in the world! Tea & Tao Magazine Sharing rare organic teas, a magazine full of tea his- tory, lore, translations, processing techniques and heritage, as well as the spiritual aspects of Cha Dao. And through it all, we make friends with fellow tea lovers from around the world.