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1. ANCIENT TEA PLANTATIONS OF JINGMAI Along with vines and grain, the olive tree has long been
MOUNTAIN IN PU’ER(TL) one of the pillars of Mediterranean agriculture. Covering
The Ancient Tea Plantations of Jingmai Mountain is huge areas, olive groves thus contribute significantly to
a special cultural landscape with a thousand years of the typical image of a Mediterranean landscape and can
cultivated tea plantations as its core area. It also contains undoubtedly be considered one of the main symbols of
a forest ecosystem closely linked to the growth of many cultures. Among others, it is considered a symbol of
ancient tea trees, ethnic villages and a rich folk culture. peace, wisdom, patience, fertility, purification, strength,
The landscape is the largest long-lived man-made tea victory and immortality. The ancient Greeks dedicated
plantation in the world, and has witnessed the complete the olive to the goddess Athena and worshipped it as
development of tea from wild growth to artificial a sacred tree. In the Christian and Jewish traditions, the
domestication as an important life and cultural source of olive tree symbolizes peace. The olive branch the dove
human existence. Tea was brought to every corner of the brought to Noah was a sign of the end of the flood. For
world through some important regions and international Islam, the olive tree is a cosmic tree representing the
channels and made a significant contribution to the centre and axis of the world.
world’s tea culture and the development of civilization.
As far as monocultures are concerned, olive plantations
The cultural landscape of the tea plantations is located and olive groves are a strong visual component in the
in a mountainous area, at an altitude of about 1250–1550 landscape image, which is very stable. Evergreen and
metres. Unlike other terraced tea plantations, the Jingmai less water-intensive trees, usually planted in regular
Mountain plantations benefit from a forest environment rows, have created completely distinctive parts of
that offers a multi-layered ecosystem providing fertile the territory of many countries, especially in the
soils and protection from pests. The landscape of Mediterranean. They do not contain any supporting
these forest plantations is complemented by modern structures, they either form large continuous areas in
terraced tea plantations and villages as the places for the various undulating landscapes and on sloping land
subsequent processing of harvested tea leaves. there are also areas with trees planted on terraces.

Like Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops, the Ancient 1. PALESTINE: LAND OF OLIVES AND VINES –
Tea Plantations of Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er property CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF SOUTHERN JERUSALEM,
is a cultural landscape which represents an exceptional BATTIR (WHL)
example of the influence of a monoculture on the socio- This world heritage property is located a few kilometres 203
economic system. However, in terms of the morphology of Jerusalem, in the central highlands between
and appearance of tea plantations and hop fields, Nablus and Hebron. The hilly landscape consists
these are completely different types of landscape. The of a number of farmed valleys, with characteristic
Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops nomination stone terraces, some of which are irrigated for market
also includes the example of a hop centre, combining gardening of fruit and vegetables, while others are dry
elements of subsequent processing in the town, including and planted with vines and olive trees. The strategic
trade and transport to the outside world. Saaz hops are location of Battir and the availability of springs
scientifically researched by institutions located directly were the two main factors that attracted people to
in the town and verified by research on hop fields located settle in the area and adapt its steep landscape into
on property. The entire cultural, historical and social arable land. The development of terrace farming in
context of the Asian region is also quite different. such a mountainous area is supported by a network
of irrigation channels fed by underground sources.
A traditional system of distributing the water
VII. OLIVE GROVES AND OIL PRODUCTION collected by this network is then used to share water
Olive trees are thermophilic trees, of which there are with families from the nearby village of Battir.
many species. The European olive tree (Olea europea)
is one of the oldest cultivated plants. This exceptionally This property is so far the only cultural landscape
long-lived tree with its evergreen silver leaves, due on the World Heritage List in which the olive tree is
to its great ability to regenerate and its extraordinary explicitly mentioned. The combination of knowledge
ability to cope with the harsh conditions of dry and hot and a fair distribution of water for families farming in
summers as well as a wide range of soil types, appears in the terraced landscape around Battir is an example
various types of habitats. The fruit is a stone fruit usually of a landscape of a completely different agricultural
containing one hard seed. The fruits give in particular character from the nominated landscape in the Žatec
a very high-quality oil, the fruit itself is a delicacy region with its monoculture of hops.
popular in many countries.
Spain and Turkey are planning the topic of growing
The origin of the olive as a cultural tree is ancient. It is olive trees as a tree that is completely characteristic
believed to have originated in Asia Minor, from where it of the wide Mediterranean area as their future
then spread westward across the entire Mediterranean. nominations.