Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er Historical Site

Address: Jingmai Mountain tea forests, Pu’er, Yunnan Province, China

Website: https://whc.unesco.org

Hours: Open access (landscape)

Admission: Varies (some tea garden areas may charge guided-tour fees)

The Cultural Landscape of the Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain is a mountainous tea-growing area in Yunnan province, southwestern China, recognized for its continuing traditional tea agroforestry centred on ancient tea trees.

The landscape features forested slopes planted and managed for tea, including groves of long-cultivated tea trees and shaded agroforestry systems. Cultural practices related to tea production, processing and local tea ceremonies are an integral part of the landscape.

Tea cultivation on Jingmai Mountain has evolved over many generations as local ethnic communities developed methods of managing forest tea trees and associated vegetation. The area has been linked to regional tea trade and the production of Pu’er tea for centuries.

Jingmai Mountain lies in Pu’er prefecture in southern Yunnan, within a subtropical montane forest zone characterized by steep slopes and a humid climate suitable for tea.

Jingmai Mountain is south of Pu’er city. From Pu’er, take regional roads toward Jingmai; local minibuses and hired drivers reach trailheads. The terrain is mountainous, and journeys may require several hours depending on start point.

• Visit early morning to see tea-pickers at work; the fog and light create memorable photographs.
• Bring a botanist or experienced tea guide if possible - some trees here are centuries old and identification enriches the visit.
• Combine tea forest visits with sampling sessions in nearby Pu'er town to taste aged leaves and learn processing differences.