Tea gardens across Meizhou in eastern Guangdong have recently entered the peak season for spring tea harvesting. Rows of tea bushes stretch across the hillsides, and workers are busy picking the season's first tender leaves.
At the Yuannan Natural Tea Garden in Taoping Village, Xiyang Town, Meijiang District (梅江区西阳镇桃坪村), 40 hectares of tea are ready for harvest. Varieties including Jinguanyin (金观音), Jinmudan (金牡丹) and Yaxiangxiang (鸭屎香) are thriving after the winter rest and spring rains.
The garden is expected to produce 10,000 kg of spring tea, with the harvesting process lasting about one month. The garden produces multiple types of tea, including Hakka stir-fried green tea, honey-scented black tea, osmanthus tea, pomelo tea and oolong tea.
At the Yannanfei Tea Garden, which covers 173 hectares, the harvest began on March 12 and is expected to continue until late April. The garden mainly produces oolong and green tea from three varieties: Dancong (单丛), Jinxuan (金萱) and Jingulan (金桂兰). More than 100 workers have been brought in to pick by hand. Fresh leaves will then be dried, tossed, rolled, roasted and finally processed into finished tea.
In Jingnan Town, Xingning, the core production area for Xingning Dancong tea, 1,533 hectares of tea gardens are also at peak harvest. In Zhuoshui Village, Jingnan Town (径南镇浊水村), almost every household works in tea production.
Li Guoqiang, deputy head of Jingnan Town, said the town adheres to ecological farming methods, using organic fertilisers such as peanut meal and soybean powder, while traditional processing techniques are also maintained, including charcoal roasting with lychee wood to enhance flavour and stability. The annual output of finished tea has exceeded 2,500 tonnes.
This spring, Yuanziran Tea Garden (源自然茶园) has introduced an immersive tea-picking experience mode at its campsite. Visitors can join weekend activities that include learning about tea plants, picking leaves and watching traditional hand-frying techniques.
Yannanfei Tea Garden (雁南飞茶园) has planted more than 1,000 camellia varieties, bringing its total to 896 tea varieties. The garden now markets itself as a destination for both tea and camellia viewing.
Jingnan Town (径南镇) has launched a series of eight events running until October, including a tea garden run, a short video contest, hiking, a food competition, tea-making skill improvement sessions, and university student field trips.
Author | Feng Huiting
Photo | Meizhou Broadcasting and Television Station
Revised by Huang Qini
