“Tea grown in the crevices of rocks not only contains rich organic matter but also essential trace elements such as Calcium, Magnesium, and Iron for the human body…” Mr. Yang in the live stream enthusiastically introduces this to netizens.
Guodazhai Township, a place where the Yi and Bai ethnic groups reside, is located in the southwestern part of Fengqing County, over 80 kilometers away from the county center. It is a town with prominent karst topography, dotted with peculiar peaks and strange rock formations. The highest peak is Mount Wanming at an elevation of 2,905 meters. Here, winters are mild and summers are cool, with an average temperature of 16.5°C and annual precipitation of 1,506 millimeters. Fifteen rivers, including the Yalang River, Qiongying Stream, Yanfeng Mountain River, and Shuimuo River, as well as five reservoirs like Guodazhai Reservoir, Jinchangba Reservoir, and Ganlongtang Reservoir, together form the veins of this land.
The Yalang River runs through the township, dividing its 11 villages into eastern and western regions. From the river valley to the mountainous areas, the land is suitable for tea cultivation. There are nearly 30,000 mu (approximately 2,000 hectares) of tea gardens in the township, producing almost 2,000 tons annually. In all 145 village groups, 5,125 households and more than 21,700 people have their own tea gardens, and everyone knows how to grow tea.
The favorable climate conditions and unique geographical environment endow the tea here with rich flavor, fragrance, and sweetness, making it a new favorite in the live streams of tea merchants. Factories such as Qiongying Tea Factory, Dudaoyun Tea Factory, and Diensheng Tea Factory all have dedicated teams for live-stream selling. Although their products differ, the unique feature they all highlight is that the tea is “grown in the crevices of rocks.”
“The good mountains and waters of Guodazhai have given birth to good tea. Rock tea grows slowly and has abundant internal quality. I have moved my business here, cooperating with local tea factories to start live-stream selling of tea and am currently setting up my own base for live-stream sales. Currently, the popularity of our live stream is growing, and we have more and more returning customers,” says Mr. Yang, who has set up his live stream studio in the deep mountain tea garden, to those visiting the base.
Indeed, entering the tea gardens of Guodazhai Township means entering a world where rocks and tea trees coexist. Besides the stones scattered throughout the garden, some old roots of tea trees have become one with the adjacent rocks, making them hard to distinguish at first glance.
In a similar vein, after discovering the unique qualities of Guodazhai's tea, Li Guoying, who had been working outside his hometown, returned home to start his own business, running Tuanshan Tea Factory. With the ability to process nearly ten tons of fresh leaves daily, he facilitated the transformation of summer and autumn tea leaves into cash for the locals. Through investment promotion, with the full support of both the township and village levels, the “Meiyumeixin” tea factory was successfully established and put into production in 2024, becoming another new calling card for the integrated development of tea and tourism in the township. Some young people who had previously worked elsewhere have also returned to learn the craft and started to produce and sell tea.
As night falls, the Guodazhai tea that grows in the rock crevices welcomes its moment of glory. In the live stream room, lights shine brightly, the air is filled with the aroma of tea, and the atmosphere is lively and bustling. The shape, color, taste, and unique growing environment of Guodazhai tea are recommended to customers near and far via the internet.
The number of orders is increasing, and the delivery services are getting busier. The “rock tea” of Guodazhai Township is going online and beyond the mountains, bringing value with its quality. Transforming from “a green leaf” into “a Cup of good tea,” it is expected to generate revenue exceeding 93 million yuan in 2024, driving per capita income growth by more than 4,000 yuan, and becoming another strong force in industrial revitalization.
Authors: Yang Houchang, Yang Zhaoshu, Du Qinghong