Xiapu County
Efforts are being made to promote the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors in the Tea industry.
A path of ecological industrialization has been taken,
leading to an eco-industrialized green development approach.
The China Reform Newspaper published a report.
In recent years, Xiapu County has deeply tapped into the development value inherent in its green mountains and clear waters. By breaking through with the public brands “Xiapu Lantern Festival Tea” and “Xiapu White Tea,” it is striving to promote the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors in the tea industry. This has led to a path of ecological industrialization and eco-industrialized green development.
Source: Image provided by Xiapu County Media Fusion Center
Writing the “Tea Industry” Story
Taking the Path of Green Development
Xiapu County places great importance on the development of the tea industry, scientifically planning and laying out suitable tea-growing areas while firmly upholding the bottom lines of development and ecology. Assistance for the leapfrog development of the tea industry is provided from aspects such as organization, policy, and funding.
Policy support, promoting the development of the tea industry. A series of supportive policies have been formulated and implemented, including the “Opinions on Promoting the Revitalization of Xiapu's Tea Industry.” Substantial support is given in areas like project subsidies, quality seedling breeding, base construction, brand creation, enterprise support, and quality and safety assurance. Since 2012, an annual special fund of 3 million yuan has been allocated for the tea industry; since 2025, an annual special fund of no less than 10 million yuan has been set aside, ensuring the healthy development of the tea industry.
Talent support, accelerating industrialization. The “Professional Technical Cadres' Engagement System with Tea Enterprises” has been established, leveraging the role of “science and technology dispatchers.” Cooperation in practical bases and technical services has been conducted with universities such as Beijing University of Science and Technology and Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, facilitating the conversion of technological achievements. Additionally, by participating in provincial and municipal tea art competitions, tea appraiser vocational skill competitions, and hosting skills training classes, a batch of practical talents in tea planting, processing, appraisal, tea art, e-commerce, and live-streaming sales have been cultivated and selected.
Financial support, providing personalized services. To effectively reduce the risks associated with tea cultivation and production, in 2025, tea farmers and enterprises were encouraged to purchase insurance for 372 mu of tea gardens, with the farmers bearing 27,500 yuan in premiums and receiving compensation of 44,600 yuan. In 2025, they were encouraged to purchase insurance for 3,446.3 mu of tea gardens, with the farmers bearing 248,100 yuan in premiums and receiving compensation of 619,900 yuan due to low temperatures and snowfall, significantly reducing losses for tea farmers and enterprises and truly safeguarding the interests of the rural population.
Writing the “Tea Science and Technology” Story
Taking the Path of Brand Enhancement
Xiapu County insists on market orientation, following the overall requirements of “building bases, supporting leading enterprises, improving quality, and building brands.” It is making great efforts to enhance tea quality control, brand cultivation, and technology development to improve the quality and efficiency of the tea industry.
Ensuring tea quality. Industry group standards for “Xiapu White Tea” and “Xiapu Lantern Festival Tea” have been released, promoting the ecological and standardized development of tea gardens. Since 2025, the planting of high-quality varieties like “Xiapu Lantern Festival Tea” and “Xiapu Spring Wave Green” has been promoted across 6,380 mu, with 5,318.3 mu of old tea gardens renovated. Currently, the county has over 130,000 mu of tea gardens, with about 120,000 mu of quality varieties, accounting for more than 92% of the total tea garden area, laying the foundation for the development of famous and high-quality teas.
Building the tea brand. Over 30 sub-trademarks, including “Lantern,” “Muhai,” “Longshou,” “Jinchun,” and “Quanru,” have been registered in the county. Six trademarks have won the title of Famous Trademark of Fujian Province, and four products have been honored as Famous Products of Fujian Province. Among them, “Xiapu Lantern Festival Tea,” “Golden Mountain Emerald Bud,” and “Muhai Hair Peak” have consecutively won the title of “Tea King” for Green Tea in Ningde City for three consecutive sessions. “Xiapu Lantern Festival Tea” has been awarded the Chinese Geographical Indication Trademark and listed in the national directory of specialty, superior, and new agricultural products. “Xiapu Spring Wave Green” has been identified as a national tea tree quality variety by the National Agricultural Technology Extension Center and included in the list of protected Fujian tea tree germplasm resources.
Enhancing tea science and technology. Starting in 2025, Xiapu County has used efficient and intelligent machinery such as plant protection drones for unified prevention and control of tea diseases and pests. Organic fertilizers have been actively promoted in tea gardens to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers, and green prevention and control technologies for tea have been implemented. Currently, 100 mu of organic tea bases and 4,300 mu of green food tea garden bases have been certified in the county. Ten green prevention and control demonstration bases for tea have been constructed, covering 3,830 mu. Twenty-four demonstration bases for green tea production without chemical pesticides have been established, covering 43,000 mu.
Writing the “Tea culture” Story
Taking the Path of Tea-Tourism Integration
Xiapu County always adheres to the integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors, continuously working on integrating the tea industry with other sectors, promoting the integrated development of tea and tourism, and ensuring the longevity of tea culture. This allows “a leaf of tea” to enrich the people.
Tea promotes tourism. With the main theme of mountain and water scenery and the integration of tea and tourism, combined with the photography tourism resources of Xiapu County, the tea culture is integrated with farming culture, mountain and sea culture, and red culture, among others, to create premium tea-tourism routes, characteristic towns, and tea industry research, education, and practice bases. New business models of “tea tourism +” are developed. For example, Cha Gang Village in Shuimen Township has developed a “tea garden photography trail,” introduced tourism companies to develop tourism projects, and explored a development model that integrates leisure agriculture with rural tourism with local characteristics. A leisure tourism industry that combines tea garden sightseeing, tea picking, processing, tasting, and experiencing local customs and traditions has been developed in the standardized demonstration base for tea gardens.
Tea promotes culture. Xiapu County has a long history of tea production. It is not only a county renowned for tea production for a thousand years but also the birthplace of Sino-Japanese tea culture. It is one of the 20 key tea-producing counties in Fujian Province and one of the main white tea-producing areas in the province. Xiapu County consistently upholds the promotion of tea culture, the accumulation of tea heritage, the enrichment of tea connotations, and the telling of tea stories. It has compiled and revised the “Xiapu Tea Chronicle” and commissioned the Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences Tea Research Institute to prepare the “Integrated Development Plan for Tea Culture, Tea Industry, and Tea Science and Technology in Xiapu County.” These initiatives aim to promote the revitalization and high-quality development of the tea industry and enhance the influence, competitiveness, and penetration of the tea industry.
Tea promotes industry. Focusing on production, supply, and marketing, the county encourages tea enterprises, cooperatives, family farms, and tea farmers to form tea industry consortia, promoting operating models like “enterprise + cooperative + production base (farmer).” The mechanism linking upstream and downstream segments of the industrial chain is improved to achieve effective connection between small-scale and weak entities and the large market. Currently, nearly 200 tea processing plants have been cultivated in Xiapu County, including nine provincial-level or above farmer demonstration cooperatives, six municipal-level farmer demonstration cooperatives, and six municipal-level or above leading enterprises. In