Dehong Hosts a Conference on the Identification of Ancient Tea Tree Varieties

　　On January 23, Professor Cai Xin, a senior expert at the Tea College of Yunnan Agricultural University, and Associate Professor Gao Jun, at the invitation of the Dehong Prefecture Tea Administration, conducted an identification of the varieties of ancient tea tree resources in Dehong Prefecture.

　　To carry out a thorough survey of the varieties and resources of ancient tea trees in Dehong Prefecture, technical staff from the Dehong Prefecture Tea Administration, the Tea Technology Station, and the tea administration and technology stations of each county and city undertook the work over a period of more than one year, from December 6, 2013, to January 23, 2015, completing the first, second, and third phases of the survey. Yang Tao, deputy director of the Dehong Prefecture Tea Administration, stated: “To accomplish tasks such as locating individual ancient tea trees and entire stands, collecting specimens, and taking photographs, our technicians visited every tea-producing village and traversed the steep, remote mountain valleys where these ancient trees grow. To survey just two ancient tea trees in Daguangpo, a state-owned forest in Chuntoutang Village, Yousongling Township, Yingjiang County, they had to hike for more than eight hours. Often setting out before dawn and returning home after dark, the technicians found that seeing each tall, stately ancient tea tree thriving with lush branches and leaves turned their fatigue and hardship into joy and excitement. In total, they have completed the registration and cataloging of 91 specimens of ancient tea trees across Dehong Prefecture.”

　　At the identification meeting, Cai Xin, Gao Jun, along with professional technicians from the Dehong Prefecture Tea Administration and the Tea Technology Station, meticulously compared and analyzed each specimen of ancient tea trees and cross-checked relevant records. Following the experts’ assessment, the species catalog for the 91 specimens was promptly finalized, revealing that they primarily belong to the Dali, Pu’er, and the Dehong‑specific Dehong varieties. After completing the identification of the ancient tea tree specimens, the experts also conducted a field visit to Hualachang Village in Jiangdong Township, Mangshi, where they examined a thousand‑year‑old ancient tea tree, and traveled to Yiwanshui in Hongmichang Village, Jiangdong Township, to assess the growth conditions of extensive stands of wild ancient tea trees.

　　Through identification and on-site inspections, experts conducted a thorough analysis and discussion of the directions for developing and utilizing Dehong Prefecture’s ancient tea tree resources. They unanimously agreed that: First, ancient tea trees and wild tea trees are widely distributed throughout Dehong, primarily concentrated in extensive mountainous areas at elevations between 1,400 and 2,200 meters; the region boasts a rich diversity of varieties, including the unique Dehong-specific cultivar “Dehong Tea.” This abundant legacy of ancient tea trees provides an exceptional foundation for fostering the tea industry in Dehong and helping mountain‑area farmers achieve prosperity. Second, Dehong’s ancient tea tree resources are highly valuable, vividly reflecting the prefecture’s long history of tea cultivation, the evolution of its tea industry, and its time‑honored tea culture. Historically, Dehong was home to the Pushe people, an early ethnic group widely recognized as among the first to utilize and cultivate tea. The existing ancient tea trees and historic tea gardens in Dehong were all planted by the Pushe. Moreover, according to the earliest proposed routes of the “Tea‑Horse Ancient Road,” two major branches passed through Dehong, providing compelling evidence that tea tree communities had already been established here more than two millennia ago. Third, in safeguarding and harnessing Dehong’s ancient tea tree resources, priority must be given to conservation, with moderate development undertaken only on the basis of effective protection. By excavating and studying Dehong’s profound tea culture and implementing protective yet sustainable utilization of these ancient tea resources, we can infuse Dehong’s tea brands with cultural depth, enhance both the quality and market value of the “Dehong Tea” brand, and inject lasting momentum and positive energy into the growth of the local tea industry. Fourth, in advancing Dehong’s tea industry, great emphasis should be placed on “green ecology.” Leveraging the prefecture’s natural advantages in this regard, every stage—from selecting suitable sites for tea plantations, choosing and cultivating tea varieties, managing tea gardens, harvesting leaves, to processing the finished product—must adhere to green, eco‑friendly principles, thereby building a truly ecological tea industry in Dehong.