Hierarchy: Tea Production and the Changing Social Order among Bulang Villagers in Mangjing

Abstract

It was April 10, 2011, a typical, busy day in the village of Mangjing, where many of the villagers climbed up the ancient tea trees and harvested spring tea leaves in the tea forest. Baoni, a young Bulang villager in his early 20s, worked with his wife in the tea forest. They were busy harvesting tea leaves from the ancient tree branches. While harvesting the tea leaves, Baoni received a phone call to inform him that the rotary fixing machine¹ and the rolling machine² were about to ship to his house. “Machines are here; I’m going home first,” Baoni yelled to his wife who was on the other tree away from him. He jumped off the tea tree and left his tea leaf collecting bag on the ground. “Drink some water,” Baoni’s wife yelled back. “No time already!” Baoni replied; he seemed desperate to get home to see his machines.