Tea Production, Land Use Politics, and Ethnic Minorities : Struggling Over Dilemmas in China's Southwest Frontier

In this book, Po-Yi Hung uses tea production as a lens to investigate the tension between nature and society under the market economy in frontier China. By focusing on the landscape of the 'ancient tea forest' (guchalin), this book aims to understand the interactions among tea trees, entrepreneurs, the state, and the Bulang, an ethnic minority population. Intensive ethnographic research conducted by the author examines local Bulang villagers' everyday lives as entrepreneurs in the market economy at a time of changing moralities and cultural renovations. The author explores the dilemmas that arise in this unique region between tradition and modernity, territorial margin and connected space, and nature and development. "Cover" -- "Half Title" -- "Title Page" -- "Copyright Page" -- "Dedication" -- "Table of Contents" -- "List of Figures" -- "Acknowledgments" -- "Introduction" -- "1 Tea Production and Dilemmas on Chinaâ#x80;#x99;s Southwest Frontier" -- "I Harvesting" -- "2 Property: Changes in the Ownership of the Ancient Tea Trees in Mangjing" -- "II Processing" -- "3 Quality: Suzhi and the Tea Entrepreneursâ#x80;#x99; New Standards of Production for Ancient Tree Tea in Mangjing" -- "4 Hierarchy: Tea Production and the Changing Social Order among Bulang Villagers in Mangjing" -- "III Selling" -- "5 Landscape: Restoration of the Missing Ancient Tea Forest in Mangjing" -- "6 Ritual: The Renovation of Tea Ceremonies and Bulang Villagersâ#x80;#x99; Rearticulation of a Collective Ethnic Identity" -- "Conclusion" -- "7 Production of Tea, Reproduction of Dilemma, and Remaking of Place" -- "Notes" -- "References" Front Matter....Pages i-xii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Tea Production and Dilemmas on China’s Southwest Frontier....Pages 3-34 Front Matter....Pages 35-35 Property: Changes in the Ownership of the Ancient Tea Trees in Mangjing....Pages 37-70 Front Matter....Pages 71-71 Quality: Suzhi and the Tea Entrepreneurs’ New Standards of Production for Ancient Tree Tea in Mangjing....Pages 73-93 Hierarchy: Tea Production and the Changing Social Order among Bulang Villagers in Mangjing....Pages 95-113 Front Matter....Pages 115-115 Landscape: Restoration of the Missing Ancient Tea Forest in Mangjing....Pages 117-132 Ritual: The Renovation of Tea Ceremonies and Bulang Villagers’ Rearticulation of a Collective Ethnic Identity....Pages 133-162 Front Matter....Pages 163-163 Production of Tea, Reproduction of Dilemma, and Remaking of Place....Pages 165-177 Back Matter....Pages 179-205 Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Table of Contents 8 List of Figures 10 Acknowledgments 12 Introduction 14 1 Tea Production and Dilemmas on China’s Southwest Frontier 15 I Harvesting 47 2 Property: Changes in the Ownership of the Ancient Tea Trees in Mangjing 48 II Processing 82 3 Quality: Suzhi and the Tea Entrepreneurs’ New Standards of Production for Ancient Tree Tea in Mangjing 83 4 Hierarchy: Tea Production and the Changing Social Order among Bulang Villagers in Mangjing 104 III Selling 123 5 Landscape: Restoration of the Missing Ancient Tea Forest in Mangjing 124 6 Ritual: The Renovation of Tea Ceremonies and Bulang Villagers’ Rearticulation of a Collective Ethnic Identity 140 Conclusion 170 7 Production of Tea, Reproduction of Dilemma, and Remaking of Place 171 Notes 184 References 193 Index 202