It was like another Chinatown, except that this one sat high up in the mountains of Doi Mae Salong in Chiang Rai and not the pollution infested, traffic-clogged streets of Yaowaraj in downtown Bangkok.
The entire valley was a picture of calm and serenity. Its inhabitants, mostly descendants of Chinese migrants, grow tea on terraced mountain slopes - a gentle lot who never fail to impress the occasional tourist or visitor passing through their village-town with their cuisine and a cup of the steaming brew.
Doi Mae Salong has Yunnan written all over it. The mountain community is home to surviving remnants of Chiang Kai-Shek's forces and supporters who in their prime fought the Red Army, but were forced to seek refuge on the Thai border after communists came to power in China 1949. To this day they remain proud of their roots and their cause, and it's their presence that lends Doi Mae Salong its distinctly Yunnanese-Chinese ambience.
Most Thais visiting this part of the country come on short trips: they just sample the food, tea and are gone, although come winter the story is different, specially during the long year-ending holiday season. That is when pink flowers of cherry blossom trees brighten the Doi Mae Salong valley, lulling the senses, and one is compelled into asking if this wasn't some mountain village in China.
In 1961 Doi Mae Salong became a base of the 5th Battalion of Yunnan army technically still at a state of war with the communist regime in Beijing. They were joined by civilians fleeing Yunnan and communism.
Another battalion, the 3rd, set up a camp in Fang, Chiang Mai, recruiting and training civilians for combat, while waiting for arms and orders to engage the Red Army - that never came. The objective: to liberate China from communists.
In 1969, the Supreme Command of the Thai armed forces was told to monitor activities of the twin battalions, and the government named Prayath Samanmit governor of Chiang Rai, his duty: to liaise between the splinter battalions and Bangkok.
But the governor was assassinated, presumably by communist supporters. In its wake the government set up a combined military-police force whose members included soldiers from the Yunnan battalions to deal with communist infiltration and insurgency.
By December 1970, it had seized or destroyed communist bases around Doi Luang, Doi Yaw and Doi Phamon, and other hideouts in Phataung and Mae Aabb mountains in the following years.
In 1982, the force was disbanded and Yunnanese soldiers returned to civilian life, choosing to settle down in Doi Mae Salong. The government helped them by providing land and encouraging them to take to farming. They planted fruits, pines and grew tea.
To supplement their income and promote development of the impoverished region, tourism through farming was introduced in 1984, and the impact was immediate. The former soldiers proved equal to task in civilian life, turning military training camps into nurseries, planting fruit and cherry blossom trees and grew tea that transformed the valley into what is today called Mae Salong Resort.
The former classroom is now Sakura restaurant and the training fields one big flower garden; plots where soldiers grew mushroom is now the visitor centre; in place of the barracks are shops and stores, while the old office serves as a hostel for resort staff.
Doi Mae Salong, with a population of around 10,000, sits 1,200 metres above sea level occupying 15,000 rai of mountain land, nearly half of which is tea plantations. There are 12 tea companies in the village and countless shops that sell the brew.
"Fifteen years ago we used to grow Assam tea and packaged it into Sam Ma (Three Horses) brand and sent it to Saphan Khao in Bangkok," said Deping Xie, who owns a tea shop. But when Oolong from Taiwan was introduced here, he and other villagers switched to the new variety.
Oolong is a traditional Chinese tea some where between green and black in colour. But what really make all varieties of Oolong stand out from green and black teas are their distinctive tastes and aromas.
The word Oolong means "black dragon" in Chinese. Various legends describe the origin of this curious name. One of them refers to a tea picker named Wu Liang who was said to have discovered Oolong tea by accident. The story said that one day while Wu Liang was gathering tea leaves in the plantation he was distracted by a deer and went after it. After a long while, the man came back to collect his harvest only to find that the leaves had partially changed colour (due to oxidation). Not wanting to waste the tea he brewed it anyway, and found that it was better than any tea he had ever had. According to this legend, the tea was named after Wu Liang and the word, through generation, later corrupted to Wu Long, or Oolong)
However, some explain that Oolong tea is called so because the leaves look like little black dragons that come to life as you pour hot water on them.
At Doi Mae Salong there are over 60 snack shops in the village so to find out which ones serve genuine Oolong tea was always going to be difficult for an outsider like me, but Deping assured me that all shops served authentic Oolong tea because every one of them cultivated the plant.
The quality of tea depends on harvest. Premium "Oolong Khan On" (young leaves) has supreme quality. It has a fragrance that resembles that of the "Hom Muen Li" flower (in Mandarin called Kui Hua) and costs about 1,500 baht a kilogramme. Also available is another, cheaper, type of Oolong tea that has its aroma enhanced with the help of actual Hom Muen Li flowers.
After all, the quality varies depending on the soil, climate and how the leaves are processed and stored. The more you taste and smell, the more you learn the subtle differences.
Other Oolong varieties include Four Season, Oolong No. 12, and Shing Shing. Oolong No. 12 has a slightly milky taste.
Ginseng tea is flavoured, but Green Oolong tea is not neccessarily a genuine Oolong. It is produced by a special method from either Oolong or Assam tea. "Cha Nang Ngnam" is also high-quality grown naturally without using any chemicals.
The ideal way to prepare high-quality tea is to put the leaves in a container, pour hot water and rinse out the water. This is said to wake up the leaves. Then add more hot water and leave it for 30 seconds. Drain it to a serving cup. In the third pouring, leave the tea leaves in hot water for 50 seconds before serving.
The Martyrs' Memorial is a museum whose wooden panels bear the names of fallen heroes set on an altar in the main building that's built like a huge Chinese shrine. The building is flanked by two others featuring exhibits of soldiers who stood up to communist rule, and development of the Doi Mae Salong valley in chronological order.
There is a shrine dedicated to the Princess Mother. It sits atop a hill and is connected to Mae Salong Resort via a flight of stairs. There is also a winding road leading to the shrine from where you get an excellent view of the village.
Opposite another resort, the Khumnaiphol, hill tribe villagers set up a makeshift market every afternoon selling fresh vegetables, cereals, nuts, fruits and other farm items, while young girls hawk hand-made threaded bracelets.
The final resting place of General Duan, commander of the 5th Battalion, is on top of another hill about 300 metres up Khumnaiphol Resort. It has tea shops to nourish tired visitors.
The village has a school where children are taught Chinese from 4:30-7pm on weekdays. Most children here, and adults as well, speak Mandarin.
When I asked Mr Xie about his feelings, he replied, "Yes, we're Thai. I was born here" with a slight accent.
MORE INFO
Take the Chiang Rai-Mae Chan Road. One kilometre from Mae Chan, there is a left turn to Doi Mae Salong. Doi Mae Salong is 42 kilometres from Chiang Rai provincial town. The road is well paved.
Admission fee to the Martyrs' Memorial is 30 baht per person.
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