For the Blang people of Jingmai Mountain in southwest China's Yunnan Province, the forest is their most valuable asset. Their practice of growing tea within ancient ecosystems instead of cleared terraces produces a premium product and demonstrates the dialectical unity between ecology and the economy.

There was a period in the 1990s when the shift to terrace plantations boosted yield but sacrificed quality and ecological harmony. Guided by forward-thinking policies that respected local conditions, the community returned to its traditional ways. This restoration of balance also restored the tea's exquisite flavor and its market value. Today, Jingmai's under-forest tea can fetch over $1,000 per kilogram, a powerful testament that ecological preservation and economic prosperity can thrive together, proving that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."