“Before the spring rains after Qingming, we pick the fragrant smoke with our hands. The tender green barely fills the baskets, and the clear and harmonious days easily turn to dusk.” From Qingming to Guyu, it's a season of rejuvenation for all things, and also the busiest time for picking spring Tea. The tea trees, which have accumulated their essence throughout the winter, transform the breath of spring into wisps of fragrance, as if countless flowers are blooming across the mountains.
The scenery on Nino Mountain, known as a “famous mountain” for tea in Changning, is becoming increasingly verdant. In the mist-like green rows of tea bushes, it's common to see tea farmers wearing straw hats and carrying bamboo baskets, their fingers moving swiftly as they carefully pick fresh spring tea shoots.
“Most of the tea on Nino Mountain was planted around 1986, when Changning was named one of the first four major high-quality tea base counties in China. The varieties are all seedlings of the Mengku large-leaf tea, transplanted and grown as a population. Located at the boundary where cool mountain areas and subtropical climates meet, creating a unique climate suitable for tea cultivation, this has resulted in its distinctive quality and taste.” Li Yue, chairman of Nino Tea Co., Ltd., said while checking the tea-picking situation in one of the fields. He explained that most of the tea on Nino Mountain is grown at an altitude of about 1,800 meters, between high-cold mountainous regions and subtropical river valleys. On sunny mornings, the area is shrouded in mist, and during rainy days, the mist often lingers. With deep ravines echoing, morning fog and evening mists, and acidic soil, these conditions create a unique environment ideal for tea growth.
“We pay special attention to the control of raw materials, focusing on transforming our own 1,750 mu (approximately 116.67 hectares) of land into an organic ecological base, without using any chemical fertilizers or pesticides. On this basis, we guide the entire process and strictly control the procurement process, encouraging surrounding tea farmers to develop ecologically, so that tea lovers can Drink with confidence, peace of mind, and joy.” Li Yue explained that people from Nino always carefully nurture their lush tea gardens, manage them through ecological free-range methods, and adhere to the traditional manual method of picking fresh leaves, ensuring the natural flavor of the tea.
“To pick tea, come to Nino Mountain, the boss likes me, I like the boss…” Luo Zhengyu, a “joyful soul” from Fengqing Mengyou, who organized a team to pick tea on Nino Mountain, happily sang a folk song after hearing Li Yue's requirements for tea picking. Luo Zhengyu said, “It's great to come here to pick tea. Not only do you earn money, but you also learn skills. My wife and I have been coming here for many years now, and since last year, we've been responsible for managing a section of tea fields, mainly doing manual weeding and pruning. My tea-picking team usually consists of around ten people, sometimes up to twenty, mostly from nearby villages, with the farthest members being a mother and daughter from Yun County.”
Following the freshly picked tea leaves into the initial processing workshop of Nino Tea, the rumble of machinery can be heard, and the aroma of tea wafts through the air. As the workers busily go about their tasks, each leaf travels along conveyor belts, leaps into woks, flies into rolling machines, and then goes through breaking, initial drying, and further drying. Eventually, they become dry tea with white buds and green leaves, waiting to enter the finishing workshop for further processing before finding their way into the cups of tea enthusiasts, blending with water to reveal the taste of spring.
On the tea mountain and in the workshops, Yang Suimei, deputy general manager of Nino Tea Co., Ltd., meticulously checks every production step, occasionally engaging with the workers. Since joining the company in 1999, Yang Suimei has devoted herself to the rise and fall of Nino tea for twenty-five years, growing from a regular employee to a corporate executive, and from a novice to a skilled artisan. She was honored with the Yunnan May Day Labor Medal in 2021.
Yang Suimei said, “We always adhere to the philosophy that ‘tea is meant to be drunk, its fragrance is inherent, and the role of processing is merely to activate the flavor.' We process tea in the most traditional ways, ensuring that every leaf retains its natural flavor.”
“The fresh leaves we pick on Nino Mountain have thick leaf flesh and full, plump buds. The processed Green Tea, black tea, White Tea, and Pu'er tea all have unique characteristics. Green tea is characterized by freshness, sweetness, and long-lasting infusion; black tea is warm, sweet, rich, and has a special floral and fruity fragrance; the taste of the sun-dried Pu'er tea is very rich and full-bodied, and it stands up well to multiple infusions.” Li Yue introduced that Nino Tea combines traditional techniques with modern technology to produce over 60 different specifications of green tea, black tea, Pu'er tea, white tea, and millstone tea, remaining a nostalgic memory for older tea enthusiasts and a pursuit for younger ones even after many years.
“Whether the raw materials are harvested from the company's base or purchased from tea farmers, we sort and store them according to grades, using different types of tea to make different products. It's good that young people like yourselves can accept new things, but making tea must start with the basics, solidifying your fundamental skills. Only by truly understanding and loving tea can you make it with heart and produce high-quality tea.” In the company's raw material workshop, Li Yue is showing his son Li Yixuan the various steps of Tea processing, explaining key points along the way.
Li Yixuan said, “After graduating from school, I've been following my father in the tea business. He has very strict requirements for me, assigning me to work in the base and workshops, picking and making tea, learning knowledge, and gaining experience. However, he isn't conservative and supports our innovations. Not only does he support us in conducting live-stream marketing, but he also sent me to study the processing of new Chinese-style teas. Our company is currently developing these new products.”
“Inheritance is to preserve traditional craftsmanship and culture, while innovation is to meet the diverse needs of modern society.” Li Yue said that the company is seizing the development opportunities presented by Yunnan's efforts to build a billion-yuan tea industry, following a path that combines inheritance and innovation. They aim to bring surrounding tea farmers together to produce tea that captivates the eye,