Located to the north of Changning County, Tian Tang Mountain is part of the southern range of the Bi Luo Snow Mountains. Stretching approximately 30 kilometers north-south and 20 kilometers east-west, it is the source of three major rivers in Changning – Youdian River, Datianba River, and Olive River. Spanning across the Nujiang and Lancangjiang river systems, the forest area covers 5,560 hectares with a forest coverage rate of 98.1%. From the peak of Songzi Mountain, which stands at an altitude of 2,875.9 meters, one can see the original forest belt that follows the mountain ridge, where wild Tea trees naturally thrive and continue to grow.
“Due to the vast and dense forest, we cannot accurately determine the exact number of wild tea trees in Tian Tang Mountain. The information we have comes from occasional discoveries by forest workers and forest rangers during their patrols. From what we know, there are over a thousand large trees, all growing naturally in the thick forest. The largest one found so far is located in the forest near Red Bean River, where many such trees have been discovered,” said Zhao Zhiyou, director of the Tian Tang Forest Farm, explaining to us.
Under the guidance of Wang Dehai, deputy director of the forest farm, Lan Kaixiang, a forest ranger at the Red Bean River station, and Qiu Guoxin, a forest ranger at Liangdong station, we drove towards Red Bean River. In the summer, various mountain flowers have moved from the trees into the forest, and as we passed by, we were surrounded not only by lush green trees but also the poetic beauty of nature.
“During this season, when we enter the mountains, we must go in groups because it's now the breeding season for black bears, and wildlife activities are frequent, making it dangerous for individuals to venture alone.” Approaching a familiar wild tea tree, Wang Dehai explained while walking through the dense forest: “Tian Tang Mountain is not only a paradise for plants but also for animals. Within the forest, 66 species of mammals, 140 species of birds, 24 species of amphibians, and 28 species of reptiles have been identified. In recent years, we have monitored several Class I protected animals, including forest musk deer, black-necked pheasants, red-bellied pheasants, Silver pheasants, white pheasants, muntjacs, black bears, yellow civets, macaques, bear macaques, and king cobras, among others. Additionally, we have observed various Class II protected animals, such as ring-necked pheasants, badgers, leopard cats, civets, porcupines, and wild boars.”
“Watch out!” Without warning, Wang Dehai shouted loudly and waved his stick. With the sounds of adult birds alarming and young ones crying, a flock of birds flew deeper into the forest. After safely passing by the nest of an unknown bird species and disturbing its peaceful life, we finally came upon the first large wild tea tree in the Tian Tang forest area. The tea tree blends seamlessly with the surrounding forest, and if not guided by someone familiar with the area, one might walk past it several times without noticing it. Indeed, it was “hidden away, unknown to the world,” and fortunate to be discovered by a forest ranger by chance.
“The wild tea trees in our forest area are scattered individually, both large and small. They rarely grow in clusters, mainly due to the steep slopes and dense forests. The seeds of tea trees struggle to concentrate in one spot to germinate, and even after germination, very few survive. This leads to a large number of tea trees in the forest but distributed widely and challenging to find,” Wang Dehai explained.
Continuing towards Red Bean River, our guide changed from Wang Dehai to the experienced forest ranger Lan Kaixiang. Along the way, Lan Kaixiang occasionally introduced the various plants he encountered and shared stories about the forest and tea trees. Under a large tea tree with a beehive hanging nearby, the glossy new leaves under the umbrella-like canopy of the tea tree and the distant silent mountains silently narrated the vastness and mystery of Tian Tang Mountain. Lan Kaixiang said, “I discovered this tea tree by chance during one of my patrols. Its new leaves resemble those of the local red-leaf tea. There are a few smaller ones nearby. Because the forest here isn't too dense, this is not the largest tree I've seen, but it has the best-developed trunk.”
Leaving the umbrella-like tea tree behind, we continued our journey towards the source of Red Bean River. Along the way, Lan Kaixiang pointed out various tea trees growing alongside other trees. When we reached a withered tree on the edge of a hillside, he climbed up for a closer look and said, “This is also a wild tea tree. It was still alive two years ago, but it seems it couldn't compete with the neighboring trees and died. The wild tea trees we discover grow and die naturally, following the natural laws of the wilderness.”
After nearly two hours of traveling through the dense forest by car and on foot, we finally arrived beside the “King of Tea” mentioned by Zhao Zhiyou. In the forest, a large tree split into four main trunks at its base soared skyward, reaching a height of more than 15 meters. The new leaves on its crown sparkled in the sunlight filtering through the forest. Two people holding hands struggled to encircle its base.
As it was early summer, we could not see any fresh sprouts. The new growth did not resemble the common cultivated ancient tea trees or the wild tea trees known as red-leaf tea. Climbing up the tree, Wang Dehai observed the leaves and said, “The wild tea trees discovered in the Tian Tang forest area do not look alike; each place has its own unique characteristics. We cannot determine whether this is due to differences in varieties or environmental factors like soil and water. This requires further investigation by experts.”
Leaving the “King of Tea” on the west side of Red Bean River, we traveled a considerable distance before changing guides to Qiu Guoxin, heading to a location on the eastern slope of Red Bean River known as “City Gate Cave.” Petals fallen from the trees formed a “flower path,” and different wildflowers bloomed under the shade. Looking at the blooming orchids, Qiu Guoxin said, “These are called shrimp spine orchids, which bloom every May. They are also medicinal Herbs. Places with these flowers usually have yellow waxy orchids as well.”
After about half an hour of trekking through the forest, we arrived at the ancient tea trees growing in a dense forest on a small hill. The two ancient tea trees were less than a hundred meters apart, and according to Qiu Guoxin, they were the closest two large tea trees he had ever seen. The trunks and branches of the tea trees were covered with lichens, resembling people wearing straw raincoats guarding the forest.
Compared to the tea trees we had seen earlier, the leaves of these trees were smaller and yellower, lacking the usual gloss and sheen. Qiu Guoxin said, “I have known about these two tea trees for over ten years and visit them every year. They always look like this, and I believe they are different from the others in terms of variety.”
“Following this slope, we have discovered several other wild tea trees, none as large as these two. This can be considered a small cluster, but it would take at least an hour to inspect all these trees,” Qiu Guoxin said. In this area, they also found species like begonias, indicating a rich biodiversity.
Walking through the forest, a few red “fungi” along the roadside caught our attention. “These are not fungi but a type of grass called stag heart grass, belonging to the family Balanophoraceae. They are also medicinal herbs,” Wang Dehai explained while consulting reference materials. “We often say in Yunnan that sitting down anywhere reveals three medicinal plants. In Tian Tang Mountain, you might step on three medicinal plants. Medicinal plants like these are everywhere in our forest. Wild tea trees are like these medicinal plants, a gift of nature bestowed upon these mountains and waters.”
“Wild tea is an integral part of the biological diversity in the forest area and an important resource for us. It is crucial for studying the origin and development of tea,” Zhao Zhiyou stated. The forest farm will always prioritize protecting these wild tea resources, continuously exploring, discovering, and preserving them to maintain genetic resources intact, awaiting further exploration and research by experts and scholars