Driving along the winding roads to Huilong Village, Dachang Township, Lianghe County, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, Tea gardens of various sizes can be seen on both sides of the road, on the hillsides, and in the mist. The tea trees cover the mountains in green, neatly arranged. Rows of tea plants sprout tender new shoots. Wearing straw hats and carrying bamboo baskets, tea farmers move in groups among the sea of green. The tea gardens, tea trees, and tea farmers together create a poetic landscape.

“Tea is the fine tree of the south.” As early as the sixteenth century, a large quantity of tea from Yunnan was transported to the world through the ancient Tea Horse Road, with Lianghe County, Dehong Prefecture, being an essential part of the Western Yunnan route. It is a key tea production area and high-quality tea base in Yunnan Province. In 2025, Lianghe County produced 3,919.3 tons of dried tea, generating a revenue of 391 million yuan.

The land of Lianghe County has had an unbreakable bond with tea for thousands of years, boasting superior natural ecological conditions, a rich cultural and historical background in tea, and abundant resources of ancient tea trees. Currently, there are over 30,000 mu of ancient tea trees, including more than 1,500 trees over a thousand years old, with the largest one being 1,500 years old. Dachang Township, as the core production area of Huilong Tea in Lianghe County, has an average elevation of 1,650 meters, an annual average temperature of 14.9°C, an annual rainfall of 1,400-2,100 millimeters, and approximately 2,400 hours of sunshine per year. These unique natural conditions are highly suitable for tea growth.

“Every household grows tea, and we rely entirely on tea for our daily expenses.” This is a true depiction of life in Huilong Village. “As a daughter of the tea mountain, my connection with tea began at a young age. I used to follow my parents around as they picked, processed, and sold tea. Now, my husband and I manage over 60 mu of premium ecological tea gardens. Not only do we grow and process tea, but we also run a guesthouse on the mountain and serve Huilong feasts,” says villager Yin Liming, her face filled with happiness when talking about her story with tea.

Huilong Feast

In the past, villagers in Huilong Village only harvested Spring Tea and produced Green Tea, which was costly, resulted in significant waste, and had limited sales. Nowadays, after adjusting their product structure, Huilong Tea now flourishes during the spring, summer, and autumn seasons. Green tea, black tea, floral tea, White Tea, and other varieties have all developed. “The autumn tea here has excellent yield and quality, and it maintains much of its aroma throughout the growing, picking, and processing phases, making it very popular in the market,” says Duan Yunxiu, a leading figure in the village's prosperity.

A journey with fragrant tea and heartfelt emotions, a melody accompanying each scenic stretch. As Huilong Tea's reputation continues to rise, tea has become an important medium for cultural exchange in Lianghe County, gradually becoming a vital platform for promoting cultural exchange and mutual learning. Since 2014, Lianghe County has hosted the Huilong Tea Culture Festival annually, inviting merchants from within and outside the province to participate in the tea harvest ceremony, visit the tea-growing environment and processing enterprises, and taste Huilong Tea.

“Plucking, spreading, fixing, rolling, sieving, drying – these six steps are completed in one smooth motion. Under the interplay of temperature and force, the tea has a high and refreshing chestnut aroma, strong yet not overpowering, sweet without bitterness.” At the 2024 Huilong Tea Culture Festival's stone pot tea competition, experienced tea master Wei Jianguo introduced the unique Huilong Tea processing techniques of Lianghe County to the attending tea merchants.

Huilong Tea Harvest Ceremony

Each leaf brings fragrance, bearing the important mission of rural revitalization and the prosperity of villages and people. In recent years, Lianghe County has taken multiple measures to promote the development of the tea industry, designating Huilong Tea as the leading industry in its “One County, One Industry” strategy. Efforts have been made to broaden sales channels and improve product quality, seeking new developments and breakthroughs. Through technological innovation, the selection and promotion of new tea varieties, as well as standardization and quality improvement in production, tea yields have increased, and its fame has grown.

By the end of 2025, Lianghe County had a total of 59,900 mu of modern cultivated tea gardens, covering 9 towns and 42 administrative villages. It involved over 16,000 households and 65,000 people, accounting for one-third of Lianghe County's total population. On average, each household earned over 13,000 yuan from tea, and each person earned over 3,200 yuan. Tea is closely tied to the livelihood of the people, and this tiny leaf carries the dreams of countless tea farmers towards prosperity.

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