In recent years, Tea plantation bases in the Simao District have seized the momentum of tea industry development to make a big deal out of their “small tea gardens.” They have done this by developing experiences such as tea picking and processing, allowing visitors to fully enjoy the fun of picking tea and assisting with the integrated development of local tea and tourism.
During the summer vacation, stepping into Puer Yingsheng Tea Manor located in Malanjing, Nansheng Town, Simao District, one is greeted by lush greenery and the air filled with the refreshing fragrance of tea leaves. The verdant tea rows stretch across the undulating mountains. A group of “novice tea farmers” from all over the country, with small baskets hanging at their waists, transform into tea farmers under the guidance of tea garden masters, personally picking fresh tea leaves.
The tea garden master explains tea-picking knowledge to visitors.
After busy picking, visitors move to the tea primary processing hall where tea artists use the freshly picked tea leaves to demonstrate the traditional handcrafted production techniques of Puer tea, while also explaining and promoting the quality and culture of Puer tea. Visitors also get hands-on experience in hand-rolling, stir-frying, and making tea, immersing themselves in the charm of traditional Chinese tea culture through activities themed around picking, making, and brewing Puer tea.
Zhao Hongming, a visitor from Hunan, says happily, “I learned about nature in my textbooks before, describing misty clouds and fog, which I found very magical, so I've always wanted to come and see for myself. This is my first visit to a tea garden in Puer, and it's not much different from what was described in the books.”
“Look, these are the tea leaves I made,” says Xu Ruixin, a visitor who came for tea picking and study tours, holding the tea leaves with a smile. “It's my first time experiencing tea picking and stir-frying, understanding the process of tea-making, and the experience is particularly good.”
“The process of picking tea is very interesting; you'll see many small insects that you haven't seen before. The experience also promotes interaction among children. The entire tea-making process is also very meaningful for the kids,” says visitor Tian Ting.
Visitors experience tea-making.
“Here, visitors can experience the entire process of Puer tea picking, production, and processing,” introduces Hou Jianrong, chairman of Puer Yingsheng Tea Co., Ltd. He explains that Yingsheng Tea Manor is an integrated tea-tourism manor combining tea mountains, hotel accommodation, tea picking and processing experiences, dining, and leisure entertainment. The manor has 200 acres of concentrated tea plantations and relies on its excellent ecological environment and transportation location advantages to actively develop the integration of tea and tourism industries. It deeply explores the economic value of tea and actively explores the integration of industries, benefiting tea farmers' income while bringing new consumer trends.
“There are more visitors during the summer vacation, with around 300 people daily. We allow visitors to understand the quality and culture of our Puer tea throughout the process from tea tree to teacup. Additionally, we combine tea with dining, and we can now prepare hundreds of tea dishes. For example, fresh-squeezed tea juice, fried tea leaves, tea flowers stewed with eggs, etc.,” Hou Jianrong explains.
The story of the integration of tea and tourism in Puer Simao continues. Puer Yingsheng Tea Manor is just a microcosm of Simao District's exploration of new developments in the integration of tea and tourism. A small tea leaf is now exerting a greater force in rural revitalization. A set of data confirms the power of this green leaf: Currently, the Simao District has 353,000 mu of tea gardens, with an annual output value exceeding 11.76 billion yuan. There are five townships (towns, subdistricts) with over 10,000 mu of tea gardens and 17 villages with over 10,000 mu. There are 55,000 people engaged in the tea industry, with tea farmers' per capita annual income reaching 17,800 yuan.
Experience in the tea-making area.
From growing tea to selling scenery, from selling tea to creating space, from talking about tea to spreading culture. In recent years, relying on its excellent ecological environment and profound cultural heritage, the Simao District has gradually formed new industrial forms integrating tea and tourism, as well as tea and culture, and developed multiple high-quality new tourist routes. It has transformed tea gardens into parks and tea areas into scenic spots, providing interactive experiences such as planting science popularization, picking and processing, and tea product making, as well as sightseeing along production lines. These experiences not only make visitors happy but also form consumer purchasing power, increasing the added value of the entire Puer tea industry chain and achieving a double harvest of ecological and economic benefits. Currently, the Simao District has built five A-level scenic spots with a tea-tourism theme and ten tea manors. Under the promotion of the “manor+” model, the local Puer tea industry is becoming increasingly closely integrated with the cultural and tourism industry. Puer tea experiences, visiting manors, and enjoying the beauty of tea gardens have become new destinations in Puer tourism through various “manor+” experience models such as “tea garden + study tours, tea garden + cultural creativity, tea garden + sports, tea garden + leisure vacations.”
Eco-friendly tea garden.
“We have such excellent natural and geographical advantages, and such a great ‘Puer tea' brand. As Puer people, especially those in the Puer tea industry, we must ensure the quality of Puer tea and provide excellent service, so that more visitors who come to Puer can not only experience the beauty of Puer tea and the beauty of nature but also feel the beauty of our Puer culture and people,” says Hou Jianrong.