Amidst wild springs and the white clouds, we sit drinking fragrant Tea, loving this mountain. After successive spring rains, on the vast tea mountains of Malipo County in the Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province, tea trees have sprouted fresh green leaves, with water droplets hanging delicately from the tender shoots. It's spring, the perfect time to pick tea.
From afar, wisps of smoke and patches of mist drift around the mountains, making the tea mountains look even fresher after the rain. Following the opening ceremony, several Yao people, adorned with tinkling accessories, carry baskets on their backs, laughing and joking as they head to the tea mountains together.
Before picking, led by an elder, they first assess the maturity of the tea leaves and designate the picking area. The others then scatter, taking advantage of the early emergence of spring shoots to pick them quickly. Despite their incredible speed, the Yao people are meticulous; with a gentle pinch, they pluck the “spring” into their hands without damaging the appearance of the buds at all. In the skillful hands of the Yao women, the aroma of the tea buds fills the mountain air, drawing the other tea pickers closer, sharing smiles with each other.
A tea tree, after enduring the chill of winter, accumulates its own fragrance, bursting forth with renewed vigor when spring arrives. Picked during this time, the tea is fragrant and has a smooth taste, which is why “Spring Tea” is so popular among consumers. For the tea farmers, the sprouting of the tea trees means not just the arrival of spring but also their pursuit of a better life.
Lifa Li, a tea farmer living in Bazi Village Committee of Malipo County's Mengsong Yao Township, was also out picking tea after the rain. With her adept skills honed since childhood, she picks tea faster than many others. This year, her family's tea plants grew particularly well, making her genuinely happy. She smiled and told us, “Life is getting better this year, and the tea is growing better too. I feel like there's more hope for the future.”
“I'm now in the tea garden of Mengsong Township in Malipo County. The environment here is beautiful. If you like it, place your order now and taste the spring tea of Malipo.” Many internet celebrities are live-streaming from the tea gardens, and many viewers have already placed orders to buy the “spring tea.” Tao Xu, the head of Malipo County's Tao A Ge Plantation and Breeding Professional Cooperative, is also promoting the spring tea nearby.
Tao Xu introduced, “Through the cooperative plus farmer model, we connect Malipo's high-quality, original, and organic teas with the market. We guide farmers in weed control, pruning, fertilization, and other management practices, adopting unified planting, processing, and sales methods. We actively build online and offline sales platforms, eliminating middlemen, so that farmers don't worry about selling their products and consumers can buy good tea, helping farmers increase production and income from spring tea.”
It is understood that the climate in Mengsong Township is warm and humid with ample sunlight, ideal conditions for tea tree growth. The tea produced here is rich in honey-like floral fragrances, Sugar aromas, and bean scents. As a microcosm of Malipo County's reliance on excellent natural conditions to vigorously develop the tea industry, in recent years, through the joint efforts of the county party committee, government, and various parties, in 2025, the total tea garden area reached 23,500 mu (approximately 1,566 hectares), producing a total of 656.3 tons of tea, benefiting over 4,800 farming households engaged in the tea industry, increasing household incomes by an average of 6,700 yuan.
Du Cen, President of the Wenshan Tea Circulation Association, said, “Malipo's ancient tree tea has been included in the Foreign Ministry's list of state gifts, establishing a new positioning for the Malipo tea brand. The Wenshan Tea Circulation Association will continue to expand the brand's reputation around the Malipo tea brand, promote the construction of green and organic tea gardens, improve tea quality, create distinctive products, and build sales platforms, assisting in the high-quality development of the tea industry.”
brewing a pot of freshly made spring tea, savoring this tea aroma, one can taste the delicate emotions of the Yao people, the aspirations of the tea farmers, and the tireless efforts of the tea merchants. This Cup of spring tea truly embodies the sentiment of “sitting and drinking fragrant tea while loving this mountain.”
