Wa Shan Ecological Tea Garden

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  Wa Shan is situated in the very remote, subtropical montane forests bordering Burma in the southwest of Yunnan.
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  The Wa Shan Ecological Tea Garden carefully managed. Numerous shade trees, grasses, and other weeds are protected to nourish the soil, prevent erosion, and promote biodiversity.
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  Clouds and fog enshroud the Wa Shan Ecological Tea Garden throughout the growing season, providing an ideal environment for the tea bushes to mature slowly and develop vivid, intense flavours.
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  A range of grasses and reeds grows between the rows of tea trees. The tea farmers periodically hand-chop the weeds down with machetes, leaving the vegetation behind to compost and enrich the soil.
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  Wa Shan is teeming with biodiversity.
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  Spring rains nourish the Wa Shan Ecological Tea Garden from late April through June, the peak harvest time for making Dianhong black tea.
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  The subtropical climate at Wa Shan encourages the tea trees to grow rapidly during the spring and early summer season.
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  What makes the Wa Shan tea farm "Ecological"? When the farm was established nearly a decade ago, the farm managers consulted with local Wa villagers to see which types of native plants they should preserve within the tea garden. The Wa people instructed the farmers to preserve a variety of medicinal plants and grasses, and also asked the farmers to preserve the local Qimushu alder trees to protect the soil. The ancient wisdom of local leaders is backed by science: the roots of old-growth Qimushu trees are abundant in a beneficial nitrogen-fixing bacteria called Frankia alni. The farmers preserved hundreds of alder trees throughout the farm, including the three large trees in this photograph.
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  Tea farmer Ms. Li Ai Gan picking spring tea at the Wa Shan Ecological Tea Garden.
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  Many tea farmers slow-cook their lunch in an iron kettle over a simple fire during the busy spring harvest season.
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  Grasses and weeds grow between the rows of tea bushes, and are chopped back to provide composting vegetation to nourish the soil. The weeds are chopped back, not pulled up by the roots, so they can regrow every few weeks during the monsoon season. Notice how loamy the soil is here. It feels spongy and rich underfoot.
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  Wa style machete used to chop down weeds and undergrowth throughout the garden.
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  Another shot of vegetation composting between the rows of tea bushes.
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  Mengku Broad Leaf Variety tea trees, seen here, are noted to be high in polyphenols, which create a rich mouthfeel and mellow fruity flavour reminiscent of dates and plums when made into Dianhong black tea.
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  Solar-powered bug zappers are a sustainable, safe alternative to pesticides used in organic tea cultivation.
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  Passiflora (passionfruit) trees are preserved within the Wa Shan Ecological Tea Garden.
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  Passionfruits, still green, about 3-4 weeks away from ripening into a reddish-purple color.
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  Wa Shan Ecological Tea Garden's Farm Manager, Mr. Tian Yuan, is a local Wa farmer who is very knowledgable in medicinal plants, herb cultivation, and organic cultivation techniques.
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  Tian Yuan, whom we have nicknamed "Herb Professor", lecturing on the restorative properties of an herb growing wild in the Wa Shan Ecological Tea Garden.
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  Abundant shade trees, seen on the left in this photo, are preserved and grow amongst the tea trees in the Wa Shan Ecological Tea Garden. The land grant for the tea farm also includes hundreds of acres of natural forestry, like that seen on the right in this photo, that will remain untouched.
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  Recently chopped grasses are left between the rows of tea bushes to compost and recycle their nutrients into the soil.
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  Ms. Zi and Ms. Xiao picking tea in spring.
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  Spring harvest collected by Ms. Zi and Ms. Xiao. In springtime, the teas are picked according to the two-leaves-and-one-bud picking standard. It takes all morning to pick all of this tea.
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  Delicate white teas made from Mengku Broad Leaf Variety tea trees withering in early spring.
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  Freshly picked tea leaves wither for 8-12 hours before being rolled and oxidized to make black tea. The withering beds at the Wa Shan Ecological Tea Garden are immaculately clean. Each bed is made of a stainless steel frame. Depending on the ambient conditions in the factory, fans can be turned on or off to add wind to assist the withering process. The tea masters have to assess the environment constantly throughout the day and adjust their tea crafting as they go.
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  After rolling, the clumps of tea are broken apart by hand before the tea enters the oxidation stage of manufacture.
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  Zi Juan purple leaf tea cultivar growing on the western slopes, sees the sunset each night on Wa Shan.
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  Our local Wa friends taught us how to enjoy Huangpao golden raspberries: wrap each berry inside a petal from the Moshuiguo flower. The delicate floral aroma curbs the tartness of the berry, making it sweet as nectar. The two plants are often found growing near each other throughout the tea garden.
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  Wa farmer Ms. Chen picks and sells mulberries and Huangpao golden raspberries in banana leaf baskets at a local market.
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  Wa farmer Ms. Chen picks and sells mulberries and Huangpao golden raspberries in banana leaf baskets at a local market.
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  A traditional Wa village home, now part of a Wa cultural landmark located two hours from the Wa Shan Ecological Tea Garden.