Xu Zhenyu, reporter for Zigong Integrated Media; Wang Xiangying:

In the late spring of April, 215,000 mu of tea gardens in Rong County, southern Sichuan, are lush and fragrant, their verdant tea bushes weaving a picturesque tapestry across the hills and crisscrossing the fields. From afar, the shimmering waters of the Xiaojinggou Reservoir ripple gently, revealing a serene pastoral scene that epitomizes the harmonious blend of tea culture and watery landscapes. At the core area of the tea industry base in Wuhuang Village, Baohua Town, the gentle hum of tea-picking machines breaks the tranquil silence of the mountains and countryside, as tea farmers maneuver their equipment through the rows, sending fresh tea leaves cascading into the hoppers like green waves and infusing the “Home of Chinese Flower Tea” with vibrant energy.

From mountain tea gardens to smart production facilities, and from eco-friendly cultivation to global brand expansion, Rong County is leveraging a full-industry-chain approach to deepen its commitment to the tea sector, establishing a complete closed-loop system that integrates planting, processing, sales, and brand value enhancement. In doing so, a single green tea leaf has become a “golden leaf” that drives rural revitalization and boosts incomes for countless people.

“New-Quality Productive Forces” Emerge in Fields and Farmyards

“This machine is simply fantastic! Ten people couldn’t keep up with one unit—it can harvest over 200 jin of fresh tea leaves in an hour, something that’s utterly impossible to achieve by hand.” On the morning of April 15, Yi Dejun, a tea farmer from Wuhuang Village in Baohua Town, stood in her own tea garden, gazing at the efficiently operating tea-picking machine with a face full of delight. As a large-scale grower cultivating more than 80 mu of “Mingshan No. 131” tea, she has truly felt the transformative impact of mechanization: “Mechanical harvesting cuts labor costs by more than half and ensures greater consistency in the quality of fresh leaves; after joining the order-based production base of a leading enterprise, we no longer have to worry about sales, and our annual income keeps improving year after year.”

The traditional tea-picking method of “facing the loess and turning one’s back to the sky” has now been replaced by mechanization and standardization. In Rong County, in addition to the steady development of traditional tea-producing areas such as Shuanggu and Laimou, the over 10,000 mu of tea gardens in Baohua Town are demonstrating strong growth potential. The county’s total area under mechanized tea harvesting has reached 197,700 mu, and the coverage of green pest-control measures continues to increase. According to Cao Lin, Deputy Mayor of Baohua Town, this year’s spring tea market is performing well: the town has already harvested 378 tons of single-bud tea and 3,120 tons of fresh tea leaves, with an expected total fresh-leaf harvest of 8,640 tons in April. Tea farmers can expect an average income increase of 450 yuan per person, and the annual output value of the tea industry is projected to exceed 138 million yuan.

“We have consistently focused on standardizing and greening tea cultivation, thereby establishing a robust quality safeguard and ensuring high-quality raw materials for processing,” said Liu Gang, a research fellow in agricultural technology promotion at the County Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Leveraging the county’s 215,000 mu of tea plantations, Rong County is vigorously promoting mechanized harvesting and integrated pest management, using eco-friendly farming practices to protect the core competitiveness of “Rong County Flower Tea.” In this way, every fresh tea leaf delivers on the promise of green, ecological quality, and new, high-quality productivity is being unleashed right in the fields and at the edges of the tea gardens.

Whole-Chain Development Tackles the Challenge of “Low Value Added”

Stepping into the brand-new production base of Zigong Chunlan Tea Industry Co., Ltd., one sees fully automated packaging lines and palletizing robots on carton-packaging lines operating efficiently, as scenes of manual labor from the past have been replaced by state-of-the-art smart equipment. “We adhere rigorously to production standards and have long supplied raw materials to several leading, well-known new tea beverage brands,” said General Manager Huang Jingbo. Leveraging technological innovation, the company has developed a range of products under the “Chunlan Xiang” brand, including Que She, Lvmofeng, and floral teas. Notably, “Chunlan Que She” has been recognized as Sichuan’s most influential single tea product, marking a remarkable transformation from “selling raw materials” to “selling finished products.”

It is not only Chunlan Tea Industry; numerous tea enterprises in Rong County have also embarked on a journey of technological upgrading and transformation. According to Dong Zhixiang, from the Planning and Park Division of the County Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the local government is prioritizing support for leading enterprises to extend and deepen their processing value chains, thereby addressing the longstanding challenge of low added value in traditional tea products.

Peak Immortal Bud Tea Co., Ltd. has taken an innovative approach by developing a fully transparent production and tourism corridor along with a tea-culture exhibition area. Its livestreaming team promotes Rong County floral teas online every day, achieving an average of 100 to 200 orders per day and generating over RMB 10,000 in daily sales. The company has also pioneered the development of signature flavored milk teas unique to Rong County, which have been well received by the market. “Leveraging the regional public brands ‘Rong County Floral Tea’ and ‘Rong County Green Tea,’ we are integrating raw materials from across the country, deepening our presence in the emerging tea-drink market, and simultaneously expanding our overseas distribution channels, so that Rong County floral teas can reach markets nationwide and be exported abroad,” said Zou Jincai, the company’s head, underscoring the determination of Rong County tea enterprises to explore new avenues for growth. Currently, the county is coordinating efforts among 50 processing entities, having established more than 100 clean, automated production lines, significantly boosting processing capacity and laying a solid foundation for the development of the entire tea industry chain.

Pooling Wisdom and Strength to Enhance the “Home of Flower Tea” Brand

A cup of Rong County floral tea encapsulates both a millennia-old tea culture and the vibrant spirit of contemporary innovation. As early as the Han Dynasty, historical records noted that “tea was produced on Iron Mountain in Rong Prefecture,” underscoring the county’s more than 2,000-year history of tea cultivation. Today, Rong County is putting into practice an integrated approach that coordinates tea culture, the tea industry, and tea technology. According to Zuo Min from the Reform, Regulations, and Market Services Division of the County Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the local government is driving growth through a dual strategy of boosting both domestic sales and exports, with projected export value exceeding RMB 600 million by 2025. Leveraging e-commerce platforms and tea expos, the county continues to enhance the influence of the “Rong County Floral Tea” regional public brand, ensuring that this distinctive local hallmark shines ever more brightly.

From the tea fields to the consumer’s palate, and from offline markets to international export, every step forward in Rong County’s tea industry underscores the effectiveness of a comprehensive, end-to-end approach. The county has been recognized as one of Sichuan Province’s Top Ten Counties for Revitalizing the Refined Sichuan Tea Industry and as an Advanced County in Integrated “Three-Tea” Development; it has also emerged as a core national supplier of raw materials for the emerging tea beverage sector and established deep partnerships with several leading players in the industry. These accolades and collaborations bear witness to Rong County’s tea journey—from a local specialty to a nationally renowned product and ultimately to global markets.

“Rong County has consistently focused on the entire tea industry value chain—cultivation, processing, sales, and brand enhancement—to build a comprehensive tea industry ecosystem,” said Li Xianglong, head of the County Tea Industry Service Center. He added that the next step will be to continue upgrading low-yield, machine-friendly tea gardens, comprehensively modernize processing technologies, deepen collaboration with leading beverage and tea companies, and further close the loop in the industry chain.

As the spring breeze caresses the tea hills, the fragrant aroma of tea gently permeates the heart. In the years to come, with the continuous refinement of the industrial chain and the sustained enhancement of brand influence, “the Hometown of Chinese Flower Tea” will undoubtedly bring greater benefits to more people, ensuring that the rich, lingering fragrance of southern Sichuan tea grows even stronger and more enduring on the path of rural revitalization.