UNESCO Recognition Transforms Tea-Farming Village in Yunnan Province, China

Deep in Pu'er city, southwest China's Yunnan province, lies the ancient Jingmai Mountain, where tea farmers have cultivated tea sustainably for over 1,000 years. In 2019, the Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er was added to the World Heritage List, marking the world's first cultural heritage site dedicated to tea. The recognition not only transformed a remote agricultural region into a tourism destination but also preserved traditional farming practices. The Blang ethnic hamlet of Wengji in Mangjing village now thrives on tea production, with 90 households and 346 residents depending on it for their livelihood.

Key Takeaways:

• The Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er was added to the World Heritage List in 2019, becoming the world's first cultural heritage site dedicated to tea.
• The designation covers 15 villages populated mainly by Blang and Dai communities, with Wengji village depending almost entirely on tea for its livelihood.
• Wengji village has 90 households and 346 residents working in the tea industry, with families tending individual tea plots ranging from 20 to 200 mu (1.3 to 13 hectares).
• The village has 45 guesthouses operating, with many frequently booked to capacity, and Zhang Guangming's restaurant generates monthly net profits of 50,000 to 60,000 yuan ($6,900 to $8,300).
• Villagers maintain strict conservation rules preventing overharvesting and practice agroforestry, growing tea beneath the forest canopy while selectively clearing undergrowth.
• UNESCO recognized Jingmai Mountain as representing a unique integration of tea cultivation, forest conservation, and cultural heritage, validating the ancestral home of Wengji and surrounding communities.

Statistics:

• 850 years of tea cultivation on Jingmai Mountain
• 1,200 tea trees per mu (approximately 1.3 hectares)
• 45 guesthouses operating in Wengji village
• 80% capacity of Zhang Guangming's homestay compared to 40-50% before UNESCO listing
• Annual tea production in Wengji village (not specified)
• Monthly net profits of Zhang's restaurant: 50,000 to 60,000 yuan ($6,900 to $8,300)
• Number of residents in Wengji village: 346
• Number of households in Wengji village: 90
• UNESCO World Heritage List additions: 2019 (Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er)

Sources:

• China Internet Information Center (September 19, 2025) - http://www.china.org.cn/2025-09/19/content_118087091.shtml