IWCS organized an 8-day forest culture tour of Yunnan, China from 3 - 10 December 2011. International experts and scholars in the forest culture field were invited to attend and participate. The tour began and ended in Kunming, China. A media team also attended the tour to Xishuangbanna, Chuxiong. The tour marked the first of a series of forest culture study. 

Participants included Professor Shengji Pei, the President of Chinese Ethnobotany Association, Yuming Yang, the Director of Yunnan Institute of Forestry, Professor Guangjie Zhao from Beijing Forestry University, Doc. Howard N. Rosen in the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mr. Yenchang Chen, Division Head of Technical Service Division, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Professor Hirokazu Yamamoto Graduate School of Frontier Sciences of Tokyo University and  Dr. Inocencio E. Buot, Jr. from Open University of Philippines, etc.  Scholars enthusiastically discussed the forest culture of Yunnan during the tour. 

Professor Pei is the second curator of the tropical rain forests of the Yunnan Botanic Garden. He is the pioneer botanist in China. He has traveled to Hawaii, USA and Calcutta, India to learn and study. He is multilingual speaking fluent Chinese, English and Dai. His vast professional knowledge includes botany, ethonology, forest culture and national conservation. 

IWCS was honored to have Professor Pei as our tour guide to introduce the protophyte and ethnic minority of Yunnan to the international scholars. Even though he is over 80 years old, he walked sturdily and not any slower than the others. Under his guide, we first arrived in Kunming, also known as “spring city,” stopped by Xishuangbanna, a tropical paradise in China, to Chuxiong, the city of camellias and returned to Kunming, which was the perfect ending for the 8-day, 7-night tour. 

The ginkgo tree in the Yunnan Forestry Science yard is located in Kunming. The leaves have turned yellow and the ginkgo is extraordinarily beautiful beside the other trees. 

While enjoying the flowers at Nannuo Moutain, we met some Hani people who were firing tea leaves to brew tea. They told us that only those over forty years old know this unique skill. Hot water is poured into bamboo with the tea leaves and the boiling water bakes the tea leaves within the bamboo over fire. The tea is finished brewing when the tea aroma can be smelled.

We also visited the Hani Nationality Villaage where the Dai people live. The Hani Nationality Village shows the cultural viewpoint of the Dai people that the forest is spiritual and belongs in gods’ world. Life and death is all about the forest for the Dai people. Professor Pei is a national master who has visited the village for research. He is speaking to the Dai elders about the village situation here in the picture.  

Built in 1701 AD, the Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion is part of a Buddhist temple. “Poco” in Dai is where sutras are held for confession and act as a meeting place in the ancient times. The Bodhi tree on the left is a Buddhist holy tree. According to legend, Sakyamuni Buddha gave his final lecture to his disciples under the Bodhi tree before passing away. The Bodhi tree blossoms are very meaningful to the Buddhist people.

The Zixishan Forest Park in Chuxiong is one of the ancient Buddhist shrines in Yunnan. It is lush and flourishing but is gradually declining. Zhangfangyu, the Chairperson of the Yunnan Chuxion Camellia Association, joined us on the tour and has traveled thousands of miles to lead the development of Zixishan Forest Park and plans to research the Yi culture of the Yi Mountains after retirement. She is determined to revive the position of the holy Buddhist in Zixishan. Many temples have been rebuilt because of their endeavors and enthusiasm. This picture shows experts with Professor Zhangfangyu at Zixishan Forest Park.

There is a saying that says “Yunnan camellia is the best of the world and Zixishan camellia is the best of Yunnan.” Chuxiong is famous because of the Zixishan camellia and is a popular tour spot well known as the “city of camellia.” Professor Zhangfangyu is explaining the history and story of the Zixishang camellia in this picture.  

* View more tour videos and photos: http://www.woodculturetour.org/

By YiNing Wang