FUZHOU, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — Whenever guests step into his retailer, Ling Jiangguo proudly serves them a cup of black tea steeped in custom, wealthy with floral and fruity aromas, and a mellow sweetness that lingers lengthy after the final sip.
“This tea type, handed down through generations, not only supports livelihoods but also connects China with the world and bridges the past with the future,” stated Ling, 38, who runs Yanyinghong Tea Co., Ltd. in Fu’an City, east China’s Fujian Province.
Panyong Congou, a tea kind as soon as equipped to the British royal courtroom and winner of a gold medal on the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, rose to international fame many years after it originated within the mid-Nineteenth century, when retailers launched black tea manufacturing strategies to the small village of Tanyang in Fu’an.
“Congou” and “Kung Fu” share the identical Chinese that means, symbolizing the craftsmanship behind intricate steps like withering, fermenting and mixing. Today, this slender, dark-hued tea is being revitalized with new flavors by means of improvements.
“High-definition cameras and real-time sensors help reduce pest risks and ensure healthier growth,” defined Ling, noting that his tea gardens additionally use pruning machines to enhance effectivity.
Beyond developments in cultivation, locals have additionally been perfecting the artwork of tea leaf shaking, a key course of the place contemporary leaves are gently tossed in a container to set off a managed bodily and chemical transformation, step by step releasing their fragrant compounds.
“About 30 years ago, we shook tea leaves by hand. Now, machines ensure even handling to develop more complex flavors,” stated Wang Zhenkang from the tea analysis institute of the Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences. His staff has carried out in depth experiments to optimize temperature, humidity and exact fermentation situations.
“Making quality tea is like nurturing a child. It brings a sense of joy,” Wang added.
Modern know-how has successfully boosted native prosperity. In 2024, the per capita disposable earnings of villagers in Tanyang reached 35,000 yuan (about 4,900 U.S. {dollars}), and the village’s collective financial earnings hit 1.56 million yuan.
Yet the Panyong Congou tea confronted turbulent occasions. During the Chinese People’s War of Resistance in opposition to Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the commerce route blockade compelled tea outlets to shut, leaving tea farmers with out a livelihood.
Despite attaining an enormous market success within the first decade of the twenty first century, this tea turned much less widespread a couple of decade in the past because of fierce market competitors.
“We had to bring innovations in cultivation, production and marketing,” stated Ling, including that locals have been adapting by supplying tea leaves to Chinese new-style manufacturers like Goodme and ChaPanda, that are widespread with younger shoppers.
Three years in the past, Chen Xiangxue left the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou for Tanyang, her husband’s hometown, to launch her tea beverage model. Using Panyong Congou, she developed progressive merchandise like tea-flavored ice cream and beer-infused tea.
“We aim to preserve Panyong Congou’s legacy while breathing new life into it,” stated Chen, noting that the wealthy native tea tradition is what drew her to Tanyang.
Tanyang’s mix of custom and innovation displays the broader evolution of China’s tea trade, through which heritage is preserved whilst new concepts take root.
In Beijing, the time-honored Wuyutai, celebrated for its jasmine tea, launched tea-infused craft beer. In Anhua County, central China’s Hunan Province, tea gardens have been remodeled into scenic spots, the place vacationers can study tea-making strategies. In Hangzhou within the jap province of Zhejiang, guests can put on conventional Hanfu clothes, sip tea and expertise Song Dynasty (960-1279) tea rituals.
Data from iiMedia Research reveals that in 2024, China’s new-style tea beverage market exceeded 350 billion yuan, up 6.4 % from the earlier yr, and is projected to achieve 374.93 billion yuan by the top of 2025.
“We aim to create a cup of tea that leaves a lasting impression,” stated Wang, including that he and his colleagues are at present creating egg-tart-scented tea leaves and anthocyanin-rich varieties to spice up well being advantages.
(Gao Yuxin and Li Binbin additionally contributed to the story.)