Page 4 - YunnanTourismCultureTimes (103)

03 VOICE | 声音

Cultural workers in the new era must be upright and enterprising enough to uphold fundamental principles and break new
ground, carry forward our cultural traditions, and write a splendid chapter for contemporary China.
—— Excerpt from President Xi Jinping’s speech at the Meeting on Cultural Inheritance and Development on June 2, 2023

新时代的文化工作者必须以守正创新的正气和锐气，赓续历史文脉、谱写当代华章。
——摘自中国国家主席习近平 2023 年 6 月 2 日在文化传承发展座谈会上的重要讲话

By Xinhuanet.com and Yunnan Daily
Capturing new stories of Jingmai

Mountain with a paintbrush

用画笔记录景迈山新故事

By Xinhuanet.com and Yunnan Daily □ 新华网、云南日报

Xiong Dengkui is an associate researcher at the Mu- that inspires me,” she explained. Xiong has a deep inter-
seum of Lancang Lahu Autonomous County in Pu’er est in Jingmai Mountain’s traditional culture, and when-
City, Yunnan Province, and also a painter. On Septem- ever she comes across relevant materials, she makes it a
ber 17, 2023, the “Cultural Landscape of Old Tea For- point to visit the site and consult with experts to expand
ests of Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er” was inscribed on the her knowledge.
th
World Heritage List, marking China’s 57 World Herit- In addition to her work as a tour guide, Xiong has
age site. In the effort to secure World Heritage status for created numerous artworks inspired by Jingmai Moun-
Jingmai Mountain and protect it, Xiong has been both a tain and frequently leads groups of artists from around
witness and an active participant in the journey. the country to paint on-site. She has noticed a growing
Jingmai Mountain, situated in Huimin Town within interest among artists in Jingmai Mountain since the
Lancang Lahu Autonomous County, has an average successful World Heritage status application. “For all
elevation of 1,400 meters. The area is home to ancient these years, I have been painting Jingmai Mountain, but
tea forests that are over 1,000 years old, making them I never imagined that from this small place in Lancang,
some of the world’s best-preserved, large-scale, and I could connect with so many artists nationwide. All of
historically significant cultivated tea forests, covering this is thanks to Jingmai Mountain,” she reflected.
contiguous areas of approximately 1,200 hectares. Not only are professional artists becoming involved,
When the application for World Heritage status be- but an increasing number of tourists are also flocking to
gan in 2010, Xiong was a 34-year-old tour guide at the Jingmai Mountain. Accents from all over the country fill
museum and actively participated in the process. As the the air, and long lines often form in front of snack stalls.
application progressed, numerous experts began stud- Nearly every tea house bustles with customers savoring
ying the ecology, ethics, and culture of Jingmai Moun- their tea. In just a year, Jingmai Mountain has trans-
tain, raising the expectations for tour guides. “Every formed from an obscure “hidden gem” into a must-visit
statement must have a source, a basis, and withstand destination for immersive tourism in Yunnan.
scrutiny,” became a guiding principle. The changes in Jingmai Mountain have left Xiong in
To excel in her role as a tour guide for the Cultural awe. She noted that the successful World Heritage sta-
Landscape of Old Tea Forests of Jingmai Mountain in tus application is just the beginning of a new chapter in
Pu’er, Xiong frequently traveled to various villages, heritage protection. Xiong hopes to use her paintbrush
cross-referencing her scripts with local inscribed tab- to document even more stories from Jingmai Mountain.
lets, totems, and architecture. This diligent preparation “After the successful application, I’ve been thinking,
allowed her to confidently answer audience questions what more can I do for Jingmai Mountain? Finding
during her talks. “The creativity of traditional village ways to integrate it with artistic creation may be a valu-
culture feels very genuine to me, with a free aesthetic able path to explore,” she said.