Origins

Friends, do you know? Just last month, I spent an unforgettable time experiencing tea tourism in Banan District, Chongqing. I originally signed up after seeing someone share about Banan's tea tourism program in my social circle. To be honest, before this, my knowledge of tea was limited to neatly arranged tea packages in supermarkets - I couldn't even tell the difference between black tea and green tea. Whenever I saw the huge price differences in tea, I would feel confused: why do prices range from tens to thousands of yuan for the same type of product? With these questions in mind, I embarked on this in-depth tea tourism experience.

This journey was carefully arranged, from tea picking and processing to tea tasting. Every aspect opened my eyes. Here, I not only gained knowledge about tea but also experienced the charm of tea culture. You should know that tea is not just a beverage - it carries thousands of years of Chinese cultural heritage, represents a way of life, and serves as a spiritual anchor.

First Impressions of the Tea Garden

At 6 AM, when I entered the tea garden in Banan District, I was greeted by endless greenery. Can you imagine? The tea gardens here cover over 100,000 mu, with an annual output value of 350 million yuan. Looking out, tea trees were neatly arranged on terraced fields, with winding paths weaving through them. Distant mountains appeared through the mist, making it feel like being inside a painting.

The tea garden is especially beautiful in the morning, with a subtle tea fragrance in the air. Standing at a high point, I watched sunlight pierce through the thin mist onto the tea garden, with crystal dewdrops on the tea leaves sparkling in the sunlight. Many tea farmers were already busy at work, wearing straw hats, bending over, and skillfully picking fresh tea leaves.

The garden management here is quite scientific, employing modern irrigation systems and pest control measures. The garden manager told me they insist on ecological cultivation, avoiding chemical pesticides in favor of biological control methods. For example, they plant pest-repelling plants and keep beneficial birds in the garden, protecting both the ecological environment and tea quality.

The garden has rich variety of tea plants, each with different characteristics. Some tea trees have thick leaves, others are more delicate; some are deep green, others are yellowish-green. The manager explained that different varieties are suitable for making different types of tea - some for green tea, others for black tea.

What surprised me most was that the garden has implemented smart agriculture systems. Through sensors installed throughout the garden, staff can monitor real-time data on soil temperature, moisture, nutrient content, and adjust irrigation and fertilization plans accordingly. This technological management approach has not only improved tea yield and quality but also greatly reduced labor costs.

Tea Picking Experience

The most striking part was the hands-on tea picking process. Did you know there are specific techniques for picking tea? The tea farming auntie told me that spring tea should be picked around Qingming Festival, and must be one bud with two leaves or one bud with one leaf - only these picks yield the most tender tea.

To experience tea picking, I specially put on the farmers' work clothes, wore a sun hat, and took a bamboo basket to follow the tea farming auntie into the fields. The auntie was over fifty but very nimble. She told me she had been picking tea since her teens and had spent most of her life doing this work.

Tea picking looks simple but is actually quite challenging. First, you must select the right parts to pick - too tender won't work, too old won't either. The auntie taught me to gently pinch the tea bud between thumb and forefinger, applying just enough force to pick it. The key is getting the right pressure - too much damages the tea plant, too little won't pick the leaves.

I followed the auntie learning picking techniques, but honestly, it's not easy. You have to bend over, carefully pinch the tender buds between thumb and forefinger, and gently pluck. While the auntie made it look effortless, after trying for half a day, I had barely anything in my basket. This made me realize: behind each fragrant cup of tea lies such diligent labor.

Weather conditions are also important for tea picking. The auntie said it's best to pick tea on sunny mornings when leaf moisture is moderate - neither wilted from strong sun nor too wet from dew. If it rains, they must wait until the leaves dry before picking.

Besides technique, tea picking requires efficiency. A skilled farmer can pick over ten jin of tea leaves per day, while I managed less than one jin all morning. The auntie told me spring tea picking season is very short, usually only about twenty days, so they must make the most of the time.

During picking, I learned that tea farmers now earn decent incomes. Besides picking wages, some farmers participate in tea processing and sales, selling tea through livestreaming and other channels, significantly increasing their income from before.

Most touching was that although tea picking machines exist now, many high-quality teas still insist on hand picking. The auntie said while machines are more efficient, they can't judge leaf maturity as precisely as humans and may damage the tea plants. This spirit of preserving traditional craftsmanship deeply moved me.

Tea Processing Craftsmanship

After picking, we went to the tea processing workshop. Can you guess how many steps it takes to go from fresh leaves to finished tea? At least six! Withering, shaking, kneading, fermenting, drying, and grading - each step must be done carefully.

Temperature and humidity in the processing workshop are strictly controlled. Freshly picked leaves must first undergo withering to lose some moisture. This process looks simple but is quite particular. Temperature must be controlled between 25-28 degrees, humidity maintained around 65%, and timing adjusted based on leaf condition.

After withering, leaves undergo shaking, a crucial step. Shaking breaks down enzymes in tea cells to prevent oxidation. While machines have replaced traditional hand shaking, operators still rely on experience to judge timing.

Most fascinating was the tea masters' craftsmanship. Watching them skillfully control temperature and timing, occasionally feeling leaf moisture levels by hand - their focus was truly artistry. According to factory data, one jin of dried tea requires four jin of fresh leaves, and initial processing must be completed within 8 hours of picking to maintain quality.

Kneading shapes the tea leaves into strips, pressing out juices while making them more aesthetically pleasing and affecting aroma and taste. Kneading pressure must be moderate - too much crushes the leaves, too little is ineffective.

Fermentation is unique to black tea production, allowing chemical changes that create black tea's distinctive aroma and taste. Fermentation time and temperature must be strictly controlled - slight deviations affect tea quality. The tea master told me judging fermentation requires visual inspection, touch, and smell - skills gained through years of experience.

Drying is the final crucial step, reducing moisture content below 5% for long-term storage. Drying temperature gradually decreases as leaves dry, typically taking several hours. Dried leaves are then graded based on appearance, size, color and other standards.

In the processing workshop, I saw many modern devices like automatic temperature-controlled dryers and precise moisture meters. But the tea master said no equipment can replace human experience, as tea leaves are living things - each batch is different and requires adjusting process parameters accordingly.

Most surprising was their continuous innovation in processing techniques. They collaborate with agricultural research institutes to develop new methods like low-temperature withering to better preserve nutrients. They're also developing new products like rose and jasmine-scented teas, preserving traditional craft while appealing to younger tastes.

Tea Culture Experience

In the tea room, I finally understood what "tea appreciation" means. Every tea brewing motion has specific requirements: water temperature, tea quantity, steeping time must all be just right. Did you know? The same tea leaves brewed at 90 versus 85 degrees taste completely different.

Tea artist Xiao Zhang is a post-90s generation but has deep understanding of tea culture. She told me brewing tea isn't just about quenching thirst - it's a way of self-cultivation. One must focus while brewing, mindfully feeling water temperature changes and tea aroma flow - this itself is meditative.

Tea ware selection is also particular. Zisha clay pots are best for oolong and pu'er teas as they lock in aroma; blue-and-white porcelain cups are best for green tea as white bottoms better show tea color. Each type of tea ware has its characteristics - choosing the right one enhances tea flavor.

Tea tasting has technique too. First observe tea color - good tea should be clear and bright; then smell the aroma which should be fresh and natural; finally taste, using the tongue tip to feel the tea liquid - good tea should have "returning sweetness," a sweet aftertaste.

During tasting, Xiao Zhang shared many tea culture stories. Like the "Three Autumn" tea ceremony for tea picked during the autumn equinox, cold dew, and frost descent solar terms - each period's tea has unique flavor. And "Pre-Ming" tea picked before Qingming Festival is especially precious for its tenderness.

Xiao Zhang shared an interesting statistic: in 2023, Banan District received over 2 million tea tourists, helping over 5,000 farming households increase income. This isn't just numbers - it's a vivid portrait of rural revitalization.

Modern tea culture experiences go beyond traditional tea tasting. There are tea garden homestays letting guests experience tea country life; tea ceremony performances showing tea culture's beauty; and tea food-making teaching visitors to make tea-based snacks, making tea culture more accessible.

Xiao Zhang says increasingly more young people are getting interested in tea culture - they not only enjoy drinking tea but want to understand its stories. Some young people even quit city jobs to return to tea country and start businesses like tea houses or shops, inheriting and innovating tea culture.

In the tea room, I met a couple from Beijing specifically visiting Banan for tea culture experience. They said in fast-paced urban life, quietly enjoying tea is a rare pleasure. This made me think perhaps this is tea culture's charm - finding moments of peace amid busyness.

New Reflections

After this in-depth experience, I gained new perspective on rural tourism. This isn't just simple sightseeing - it's cultural immersion, skill inheritance, and an urban-rural integration bond.

In Banan District, I saw perfect integration of traditional agriculture and modern technology. Smart farming systems in tea gardens and modern processing equipment prove traditional industries can innovate. Yet they preserve precious traditional crafts like hand-picking and processing, maintaining tea's purest quality.

Tea industry development has driven regional economic growth. Beyond growing and processing tea, new business forms like tea tourism and creative products have emerged. Many young people return home to start businesses - opening homestays, tea houses, or selling tea through livestreaming, finding new development opportunities. This integrated industry development model provides good reference for rural revitalization.

More importantly, I saw the power of cultural inheritance. Tea culture is an important part of Chinese traditional culture. Through tea-tourism integration, traditional culture is not only preserved but given new vitality. Young tea farmers, processors, and artists are inheriting and innovating tea culture in their own ways, giving me confidence in traditional culture's future.

What do you say - want to try this experience too? Here you can be a "tea picker" for a day, learn tea processing, appreciate tea ceremony culture, and feel rural revitalization's pulse. I'm already looking forward to my next tea journey - how about you?

People say "read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles," but I think true travel isn't just seeing - it's feeling with your heart. Like this tea tourism experience taught me that a leaf carries not just flavor but stories of the land and artisans' dedication. This experience gave me deeper understanding of tea culture and showed me hope for rural revitalization.

When leaving Banan District, I bought several cans of local tea. Each time I brew tea, I remember that emerald tea garden, hardworking farmers, tea masters' focused gaze, tea artists' elegant movements. These memories, like tea fragrance, are subtle yet lingering.

Now when I open a new can of tea and smell that familiar aroma, I recall moments from Banan District. Beyond beautiful tea gardens, there are people guarding tea culture. They create tea's value with their hands, inherit tea culture with their hearts, bringing new vitality to this land.

I believe as more people understand and experience tea culture, Banan's tea industry and culture will flourish. And I've transformed from knowing nothing about tea to becoming a "tea travel expert" who can appreciate tea. Isn't this transformation the greatest meaning of travel?