Jingmai Mountain: A Hidden Indigenous Life in the Clouds

Forgotten by 99% of tourists, this secluded ancient village lies amidst the misty tea mountains of southern Yunnan. If it hadn't been listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site under the theme of "Tea Culture," even fewer people would know about it. This is Jingmai Mountain in Yunnan. Wake up to a sea of clouds outside your window in the morning. Cobblestone paths connect households filled with the aroma of tea. Elderly members of the Blang ethnic group sit under the eaves, roasting tea leaves, and the air is filled with the glutinous fragrance of Pu'er tea. Ancient banyan trees, standing for millennia, protect the generations who have lived here. The thousand-year-old ancient village hidden in Jingmai Mountain feels like it has been forgotten by time. Hike through vast ancient tea forests, follow tea farmers with bamboo baskets across the Tea Soul Terrace, and marvel at the 2,300-year-old King Tea Tree that still sprouts new leaves. Visit in April to experience tea picking and processing, and even press your own Pu'er tea cake. Guided by the Blang tribe's high priest, wander through the misty ancient tea forests, chant the "Ancient Tea Planting Song" under the Tea Soul Tree, and immerse yourself in intangible cultural heritage by writing on palm leaves. In the evening, gather around the Blang tribe's fire pit, brew a pot of strong "Liao Tiao Tea," savor a special family feast featuring sour and spicy fish, and listen to the elders recount stories of "how a single leaf became a belief." In Jingmai Mountain, time seems to stretch and soften by the warmth of the fire. The tea smoke by the fire pit and the carvings on palm leaves are like ancient ethnic poems written for the world. If you're tired of rushed, superficial travel, this place will make you fall in love with the romance of "taking it slow" all over again.