Stepping into the 2024 Chaozhou Kung Fu Tea Conference, one is greeted by the fresh aroma of tea. Journalists discovered that while many tea companies and merchants are committed to tradition and quality, they have also embarked on an exploration of making their teas more youthful. Products have become more diverse, packaging more modern, and marketing models more varied, not only retaining older customers but also attracting a growing number of young people to the exhibition, infusing new vitality into the tea industry.
Combining Tradition with Modern Trends
Exploring More Possibilities in the Tea Industry
After tasting Phoenix Dancong tea, Academician Liu Zhonghua of the Chinese Academy of Engineering once gave a classic evaluation: “With Phoenix Dancong, the first cup is love at first sight; the second cup leaves you yearning for more; the third cup binds you forever.” At the exhibition, the Congxin Dancong booth featured tea packaged with this phrase as its central theme.
Yu Yingfeng, founder of the Congxin Dancong brand, spoke with journalists about the creativity behind the tea packaging.
“For the packaging, we used hand-drawn images of the ancient tea trees of Wudong Mountain as the background, presenting elements such as the land, the tea leaves, and craftsmanship. We printed ‘love at first sight, yearning for more, bound forever' to catch the eye of consumers,” explained Yu Yingfeng, founder of the Congxin Dancong brand. This series of products is made by blending old and ancient tea trees, presented in carefully designed packaging and finely crafted products, showcasing the praise given by Academician Liu to Phoenix Dancong tea, allowing tea enthusiasts from all over the country to better understand our Chaozhou Dancong tea.
Congxin Dancong has also developed flavors like Honey Peach Oolong, catering to the tastes of younger generations and embracing the cultures they enjoy. Yu Yingfeng said, “By participating in exhibitions, we have the opportunity to invite tea enthusiasts from across China and even around the world to experience Chaozhou's culture, especially its Kung Fu tea culture. Moving forward, we will continue to focus on the Chaozhou Kung Fu tea industry, allowing more people to experience the charm and taste of Chaozhou tea.”
Yu Qiong, founder of Xiaoqiong Dafu, is brewing Kung Fu tea.
The “Dancong Elegant Gathering” series, which comes in book-like outer packaging, and the “Eat Tea Watch Drama” series, which is convenient for brewing, attracted many visitors to the booth of Chaozhou Xiaoqiong Dafu Tea Co., Ltd. The company combines fashion and tradition in its packaging, offering small sachets, large cans, and tea bags, making it easy for young people to drink tea anytime, anywhere.
“The act of drinking tea is deeply ingrained in the bones of Chaozhou people, and they are actively promoting it through their actions,” said Yu Qiong, founder of the Xiaoqiong Dafu brand. Getting more people to fall in love with Chinese tea and allowing consumers to easily experience the unique fragrance and charm of Kung Fu tea was one of her reasons for starting the brand.
After graduating from Fudan University, Yu Qiong worked in brand operations with years of experience in managing overseas brands. After returning to Chaozhou at the end of 2022, she decided to start this brand, using her accumulated skills to nurture it and support her hometown's industry.
This is the second time Xiaoqiong Dafu has participated in the Chaozhou Kung Fu Tea Conference. Yu Qiong stated that they would build a bridge between the brand, products, and consumers, exploring more possibilities in the tea industry tailored to young people's consumption habits, experimenting with new product packaging designs, and exploring the integration of Chinese tea with contemporary lifestyles to meet the needs of different consumers.
Liao Chuyi, Vice President of the Chaozhou Impression Phoenix Dancong Tea Cultural Exchange Center, said in an interview, “What we spread is not just the tea itself, but more importantly, a kind of love, unity, and a way of life that relieves stress for modern people. Our target audience is not limited to seasoned tea drinkers, but rather focuses on the younger generation, both domestically and globally. To make Phoenix Dancong tea accessible to young people anytime and anywhere, we need more good platforms, excellent tea companies, and tea professionals to help.”
Keeping Pace with the Times and Innovating Tea Culture
Highlighting Social Responsibility
Gogotang Big Bend, Potala Palace… Landmark attractions in Tibet are featured on the packaging of Metok Dancong tea. These are the products brought by Tianxia Tea Co., Ltd. How did the magical collaboration between Chaozhou Dancong and Metok Dancong begin?
S. Y. Chen, President of the Chaozhou Tea Industry Promotion Association (second from left), introduces the situation to journalists.
“We responded positively to the national call and entered into a deep cooperation with the government of Metok County, Tibet, through a tea industry assistance project. This introduced Chaozhou Dancong tea to the snowy highlands, not only promoting local economic development but also injecting strong momentum into Metok's rural revitalization through technical training and cultural exchange. The original ecological Metok Dancong, with its unique natural environment and rich internal composition, has become a unique and pure delicacy in the market,” said S. Y. Chen, President of the Chaozhou Tea Industry Promotion Association. Tianxia Tea integrates the cultures of Chaozhou and Tibet through its packaging, inviting everyone to taste the effects of growing Dancong tea in Tibet and experience the charm of Chaozhou Kung Fu tea.
With government support and corporate participation, the Chaozhou Kung Fu Tea Conference has been held three times, with Tianxia Tea present at each one. “Holding the exhibition in Guangzhou provides a higher and broader platform for companies, allowing us to better showcase the elegance of Chaozhou Kung Fu tea and Phoenix Dancong tea, enabling people across the country to precisely understand Chaozhou tea culture through the exhibition,” said Chen. He pledged to continue to respond to government calls and play a corporate role, striving to contribute more taxes.
Fusing Online and Offline Channels
Innovative Marketing Models
At the 2024 Chaozhou Kung Fu Tea Conference, technology-assisted offline exhibitions and online live-streaming highlighted the event. Exhibitors invited live-stream teams to the exhibition site to assist with booth broadcasts, allowing netizens to savor tea and appreciate tea art from afar, experiencing the Beauty and warmth of Chaozhou Kung Fu tea and the exuberance and enthusiasm of tea culture.
Lu Xinfeng, staff member of Guangdong Guanmingtang Tea Co., Ltd., went live on streaming platforms to demonstrate brewing techniques and share stories about fine teas.
“Everyone, come for a cup of tea when you have time!” During the exhibition, Lu Xinfeng, a staff member of Guangdong Guanmingtang Tea Co., Ltd., went live on streaming platforms to demonstrate brewing techniques and share stories about fine teas. With the spread through new media channels, the scent of “Perfume of Tea” wafted into the Douyin livestream room, promoting the Chaozhou Dancong tea industry, Chaozhou's unique tea culture, and Chaozhou's outstanding traditional culture to the nation and the world.
“By combining online and offline methods to promote Chaozhou Kung Fu tea, we not only hope to make our brand known to the public but also hope that Chaozhou Kung Fu tea culture will gain widespread recognition,” said Lu Xinfeng. As a Hakka person who grew up in a tea Village, she chose a major related to tea during university and particularly loved Dancong tea. After graduation