Copper Mines Hill Green Tea

Kyay-Twin-Gone OR Copper Mines Hill Village

Located around Pindaya region, Shan State, Kyay-twin Gone, which can be directly translated to Copper Mines Hill, gives you the best Green Tea Pindaya can offer.

Once you enter the village, there are steps covered in green moss that lead to a dense & dark hill. Mossy steps show that not many people have taken the route uphill.

Legends say that there is a higher spirit ("Nat") blessing the villagers with good fortune & wealth. On Ka-Sone Full Moon day (somewhere around May), women of each household prepares a dish. Men then bring dishes into the forest that is believed to be the dwelling of the higher-spirit by going up the mossy steps. A spirit medium ("Nat Htain") will help to accommodate the offerings of the villagers. After the offerings, villagers gather around to eat together or visit each other houses to share meals.  This tradition has been going on for many generations and Ma Aye Than's family is the fourth generation to carry out the practice.

There is a reason for continuing the tradition of "Nat offering". During the Japanese occupation, Japanese built the mines & believed that the soil/rock around the village had traces of copper minerals and ores. Many villagers also worked in the mines. One day, miners found a brass Gong while mining. When the Gong was being stroked, the earth around the mines collapsed and many miners died. With this incident, villagers believed that higher spirit dwelling in the area does not like mining activities.  Since then copper mining had stopped completely and villagers go back to do organic farming.

Locals agree and endorse that Green Tea from Kyay Twin Gone has the best quality. It is valued higher, compared to Green Tea from other regions in Pindaya.  Is the good quality of tea leaves because of the richness in soil or the Nat's blessing? — it is all up to us to decide and believe.