An aerial drone photo taken on April 7, 2025 shows farmers picking tea leaves at a tea garden in Anji County, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo by Xu Changyin/Xinhua)
BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- In east China's Zhejiang Province, one of the country's main production areas for fresh tea leaves, the spring tea economy is thriving as spring breezes carry the aroma of tea through the tea gardens in valleys and on hills.
In spring, the tea harvest in Zhejiang Province is in full swing.
An aerial drone photo taken on March 29, 2025 shows farmers picking tea leaves in Minjin Village of Deqing County, Huzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo by Xie Shangguo/Xinhua)
A farmer picks tea leaves at a tea garden in Jiuli Village of Tianmushan Town, Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 28, 2025. (Photo by Hu Jianhuan/Xinhua)
A farmer picks tea leaves at a tea garden in Wangzhai Town of Wuyi County, Jinhua City, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
A farmer displays freshly-picked tea leaves at a tea garden in Wangzhai Town of Wuyi County, Jinhua City, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
From freshly picked tender buds to a pot of fragrant and refreshing tea, the journey requires multiple intricate processes and the workers' exquisite tea-making techniques.
The making technique of the Juyan tea, together with that of Longjing tea (West Lake Dragon Well tea), Changxing Zisun tea (a tea variety originated from Changxing County) and some other reputed tea varieties in Zhejiang, was inscribed on the World Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2022.
For the locals, tea-making is more than just a skill to be passed down. It has been providing local farmers with a means to improve their livelihood for thousands of years. This tradition, steeped in shared memories and collective identity, continues to bind communities across time.
A farmer displays the newly picked tea leaves in Xiayanbei Village of Dongming Township, Xinchang County of east China's Zhejiang Province, March 10, 2025. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang)
Farmers transfer freshly-picked Juyan tea leaves at a planting base in Lutian Village in Jinhua City of east China's Zhejiang Province, March 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
Pan Jintu (1st L), an inheritor of tea-making skills of Wuzhou Juyan tea, leads the tea makers to process tea leaves at a tea company in Jinhua City, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
Workers process Juyan tea leaves at a tea company in Jinhua City of east China's Zhejiang Province, March 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
A worker processes tea leaves at the workshop of a tea garden in Wangzhai Town of Wuyi County, Jinhua City, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
This photo taken on March 20, 2025 shows a cup of brewed West Lake Longjing tea in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. Hangzhou's West Lake Longjing tea (or Dragon Well Tea) officially started to be picked on the day of Spring Equinox, or Chunfen in Chinese. As one of China's 10 most famous teas, West Lake Longjing tea is characterized by its green color, delicate aroma, mellow taste, and beautiful shape. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
Today, enjoying tea alongside snacks and desserts is still a cherished leisure activity in modern China. Local tourist industries in Zhejiang have introduced a series of tea-centered tourist experiences. They are inspired by the centuries-old tradition of tea producing and tasting during the tea harvest season. Chinese tea culture has become a bridge of friendship connecting the world and a window showcasing the essence of Chinese heritage.
Tourists watch as villagers attend a ceremony to celebrate the beginning of tea picking in Bashan Village, Fuyang District of Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
A tourist experiences tea leaves picking at a tea garden in Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
A drone photo taken on March 24, 2025 shows tea stalls under blooming cherry trees at a campus of Dongyang Vocational Education Center School in Dongyang City, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo by Hu Yanghui/Xinhua)
A tourist brews this year's new tea at a tea room in Yanbei Village, Xinchang County of east China's Zhejiang Province, March 10, 2025. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang)
Tourists enjoy tea time at a scenic spot in Wuyi, Jinhua City, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
Tourists taste tea during a tea-themed event in Jiande City, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
Foreign residents learn tea art under the guidance of an artisan at Jimingshan Community in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 3, 2025. (Xinhua/Han Chuanhao)
