Jingmai Mountain | Wengji Ancient Village

❥ Wengji Ancient Village, an ancient village of the Blang people, is regarded as a microcosm of the Blang ethnic group. It is celebrated as the 'Millennium Blang Ancient Village' because it has preserved the Blang's original ecological culture and historical heritage. The village boasts beautiful natural scenery and prominent ethnic cultural features. ❥ The Blang people are one of the earliest ancestors in China and one of the oldest indigenous residents in Yunnan history. Their ancestors, the ancient Pu people, were among the first in the world to discover and utilize wild tea leaves and were also among the first in Yunnan to cultivate and plant tea. Today, they still rely on tea planting and production for their livelihood and are known as 'ancient tea farmers'. ❥ Entering the village, it seems that every household has tea leaves in front of their doors. Tea is their main source of economic income. Besides drinking, it is also used for cooking and even as a common herbal medicine by locals. The roofs of the houses in the village are decorated with patterns of one bud and two leaves, representing the totem of the Blang people. Walking down from the ancient temple, there are many tea shops on both sides of the road. No matter which tea shop you go to, the owner will warmly invite you in for tea. The sign 'Free Tea Tasting' can be seen everywhere in the village, and almost every household has a tea pavilion to entertain tea merchants and tourists from all over. ❥ The architectural style of Wengji Ancient Village is not much different from that of Nuogan Ancient Village, with the same dry-column structure, mostly two-story buildings with the ground floor elevated. The sloping roofs are covered with traditional hanging tiles. However, because Wengji has developed tourism earlier, most of the ground floors of the houses are used as shops. The roads in the village are paved with stone slabs, extending in all directions. Although there are chickens and ducks around, it is cleaner and less dusty. The Blang people prefer bright colors, and their clothing and decorations are colorful and pleasing to the eye. ❥ The Blang people believe in Theravada Buddhism, and the ancient temples are places where Theravada Buddhism is taught. The temples, with their stone-built bases, wide eaves, and broad ridges, the city towers with black tiles and red walls, and the red stone Qilin facing angrily to both sides, serve as both a sanctuary for the residents and a meeting room for the clan. They believe that all things have spirits, such as the spirit of the mountains, trees, rivers, etc. Therefore, the Blang people have a rich variety of sacrificial activities. ❥ Wengji Ancient Village is located at the northern end of Jingmai Mountain, at an altitude of about 1350 meters. Situated on high ground, the village offers views of the sea of clouds and other villages such as Mangjing Upper Village, Mangjing Lower Village, and Manghong. When we arrived, it was the beginning of the temperature drop on Jingmai Mountain, and it was near evening. It didn't feel cold in the car, but once we reached the village, we realized how cold it was and the wind was strong, which made us give up our plan to have dinner in Wengji Ancient Village. We took a quick tour around the village and left in a hurry. Currently, the accommodations and dining on Jingmai Mountain are mainly concentrated in Wengji, with relatively complete facilities and not highly commercialized. ➠Geographic location: Located in Jingmai Village, Huimin Township, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County, Pu'er, Yunnan.