On scorching summer days, the mountains of the Qiannan Bouyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou Province are filled with lush Green Tea gardens. Tea farmers bend over, their hands moving swiftly up and down; soon enough, their baskets overflow with fresh green buds that emit a pleasant aroma. These tiny green leaves have become golden leaves that bring prosperity to the farmers.

A set of figures attests to the power of these green leaves: Currently, all 12 counties (cities) in Qiannan Prefecture produce tea, with a total plantation area of 1.618 million mu and an annual output value exceeding 10 billion yuan. There are 31 towns (townships, subdistricts) with more than 10,000 mu of tea plantations and 19 villages with over 10,000 mu. The tea industry employs 426,600 people, and the average annual income of tea farmers is 17,500 yuan.

High mountains and misty clouds produce fine tea. As one of Guizhou's key tea-producing areas, in recent years, Qiannan Prefecture has developed its Tea culture, tea industry, and tea technology in ways suited to local conditions, paving a path towards green development that benefits both the environment and the people.

Strengthening Specialized Industries Based on Standardization and Branding

Picking tea, weighing it, loading it onto vehicles… In Luosikeng Tea Mountain in Maotian Town, Duyun City, vast tea gardens stretch out, and tea farmers move about busily, carrying baskets on their backs.

Luosikeng Tea Garden in Duyun's Maotian Town.

“Every day we pick tea leaves, manage the tea gardens, and prune the tea trees. We earn 180 yuan a day, the work is stable and close to home, so everyone is eager to do it,” said Tang Xiangang, a member of the Maotian Town Shareholding Economic Cooperative. Many farmers are also learning as they work, becoming local experts.

In February this year, seven villages in Maotian Town established a cooperative economic cooperative to promote standardized professional tea garden management services, absorbing villagers into the ranks of professional tea workers. Today, the cooperative has gained some renown, with many nearby towns seeking their services. Currently, over 60 tea workers serve a total of 3,900 mu of tea gardens.

“Previously, the annual management fee for one mu of land was between 1,000 and 1,200 yuan, with an income of 3,000 yuan. Now, by combining machinery and manual labor, the management fee has been reduced to 400 or 500 yuan,” said Zhang Yin, the head of the cooperative.

In recent years, Qiannan Prefecture has focused on high-quality development in the tea industry, nurturing local quality tea companies and collaborating with well-known tea companies from other regions. This has resulted in the cultivation of renowned brands such as “Guixia” and “Huang Hongying” under the Duyun Maojian name, as well as local specialty brands like “Yunwu Tribute Tea” and “Guizhou Golden Flower tea.” They have also launched co-branded products under names such as “Zhongcha,” “Bamafu,” and “Yuansu.”

“We have released seven local standards related to tea garden management, tea picking, and tea processing. We have produced 132 sets of physical standard samples for Duyun Maojian tea and distributed them to tea companies to guide production and sales in line with these standards,” said Zheng Song, Director of Qiannan Prefecture's Tea Industry Development Center. Currently, the entire prefecture has created 20 efficient demonstration tea gardens, which serve as models for the construction of 220,000 mu of high-standard tea gardens. A total of 191,100 mu of tea gardens have undergone quality improvement, significantly enhancing the standardization, scale, and branding of the tea industry.

Improving Research and Technical Support, Cultivating Cultural Heritage

A handful of fresh tea leaves sizzles in a wok, making a crisp sound, the result of the young shoots colliding with the hot iron. Quickly scooping them up and spreading them evenly, repeated for five minutes, the fresh green color fades, and Chen Ziyuan begins to knead the leaves intently. With rhythmic changes in pressure, hook-like shapes appear before his eyes.

Handcrafted Duyun Maojian Tea.

“Friends in the live stream, this is Duyun Maojian, twisted in shape, covered in downy hair. When steeped, the tea broth is clear, and the fragrance lingers…,” said Chen Ziyuan, a provincial-level inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage of Duyun Maojian tea-making techniques. Born and raised among tea mountains, he provides planting, picking, and processing techniques to fellow villagers and uses short video platforms to showcase the ancient tea-making techniques and rich tea culture to the outside world.

The high altitude, low sunlight, and frequent mist, coupled with an excellent ecological environment, make Qiannan Prefecture a birthplace of high-quality tea, nurturing a unique tea culture.

“In Bajin Town, Huishui County, there is a cluster of ancient tea trees, including one wild ancient tea tree that is over 800 years old, bearing witness to the deep roots of Qiannan Prefecture's tea culture,” said Zhang Lijuan, Director of the Tea Research Institute of the Qiannan Prefecture Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Senior Agronomist. Based on local tea tree germplasm resources, efforts are being made to cultivate tea varieties with local characteristics. “We have preliminarily screened 20 superior single plants and are conducting comparative trials. So far, three new varieties have been selected.”

By promptly popularizing integrated technologies resulting from new research, Qiannan Prefecture has accelerated the high-quality development of its tea industry. In 2025 alone, the Qiannan Prefecture Academy of Agricultural Sciences collaborated with seven local enterprises to jointly build 26,000 mu of demonstration tea gardens, setting an example for 128,000 surrounding mu of tea gardens. The application of new technologies increased the yield per mu from 89.43 kilograms in 2025 to 140.64 kilograms, cumulatively increasing the output value of the seven enterprises by 43.98 million yuan.

Persisting with Integration of Industry and Ecology, Exploring Diverse Development

Amidst green mountains and clear waters, the scent of tea wafts through the air. On his first visit to Luosikeng Tea Mountain, tourist Wang Yong found himself reluctant to leave. “Integrating industrial development with ecological protection so seamlessly, there were challenges, but what an achievement!”

Tourists experiencing the spreading of tea leaves.

The tea industry is a traditional specialty industry in Qiannan Prefecture. In recent years, the region has adhered to the concept of green ecological tea gardens, focusing on building standard tea gardens and green ecological demonstration parks, laying a solid foundation for diverse development.

“We attach great importance to tea garden management and, in terms of pest control, promote integrated pest management techniques, such as agricultural and physical methods, in tea gardens. For weed control, we promote ecological methods, protecting the ecological environment of tea development and ensuring the production of healthy, clean, and ecological tea from the source,” said Pan Jianhui, Director of Qiannan Prefecture's Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. By introducing the team of academician experts in green tea garden construction from Guizhou University, as well as research results in green pest control from the Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences and within the province, these techniques have been implemented in various demonstration sites. Consequently, 382,600 mu of tea gardens have been established with green pest control and 52,200 mu of organic tea gardens have been built.

Moving from growing tea to selling scenery, from selling tea to creating space, and from discussing tea to promoting culture, relying on its excellent ecological environment and profound cultural heritage, Qiannan Prefecture has