On August 10th, the Fifth China Tea Tourism Conference opened in Lanshan District, Rizhao City. This year's conference theme is “Boosting Tea Through Tourism – High-Quality Development – Rizhao Green Tea – Fragrant Across the World.” Representatives from tea-producing county governments, tourism experts, branded tea companies, and tea markets across the country gathered in Lanshan. Wang Qing, President of the China Tea Association and Chairman of the National Technical Committee on Tea Standardization, attended the event and delivered a speech.
At the opening ceremony, the second batch of new tea tourism routes by the China Tea Association was announced, with Zhenghe County's “Seek the Hundred-million-year-old Dragon Bird, Visit the Homeland of White Tea, Tour the Ecological Zhenghe” successfully making the list!
(Photo: Wang Qing, President of the China Tea Association, presenting plaques to Lanshan District, Rizhao; Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County; Wufeng Tujia Autonomous County; Zhenghe County; and Nanjian Yi Autonomous County, all selected for the “2024 New Tea Tourism Routes”)
The route mainly passes through the China White Tea City, the China White Tea Town at Shizhen Bay, the China White Tea Museum, Longhe Tea Academy, Jadeite Screen, Daxi Village (the origin of the hundred-million-year-old dragon bird), Nianshan Cloud Field Terraces, and Tiancun Chouleng, integrating tea viewing, picking, processing, and tasting into one experience.
Zhenghe County is located in the golden tea-producing area at 27 degrees north latitude, with a forest coverage rate of 79.6%. Its unique dual geographic climate of high mountains and plains creates an ideal tea environment described as “rain-washed green mountains throughout the four seasons.” The distinctive terrain of “high mountain clouds and mists produce fine teas” contributes to the unique quality of Zhenghe white tea, characterized by its high fragrance and rich flavor. Zhenghe white tea has a high content of water-soluble substances. Even lower-grade teas like Shoumei have a concentration of over 46%, making them “heavier” than many other teas from different regions. They are excellent raw materials for new tea beverages. The superior quality of Zhenghe white tea has attracted new tea beverage companies such as Nongfushanquan and Wahaha to source their products here.
In recent years, our county has actively introduced major industrial projects such as the China White Tea City and the China White Tea Museum, while accelerating key tea tourism projects like Ruihe White Tea Manor and Luojinshan Tea Tourism Health Complex. We have been exploring the development model of “tea industry + cultural tourism,” vigorously excavating unique tea cultures like bridal tea and tea lantern operas, and launching tea tourism routes such as “Tea Study Tours,” “red tea Tourism,” and “Green Tea Tourism.” In 2021, “Pursuing Red Footprints, Exploring the Homeland of White Tea, Enjoying the Ecological Zhenghe” was selected as one of the top 100 red tea country tourism routes in China. In 2022, “Seeking Green Mountains and Clouds, Visiting the Homeland of White Tea, Touring the Ecological Zhenghe” was included in the national tea country tourism routes and recognized as a “County with Characteristic Tea-Tourism Integration.”
