Sanyang Town in Shexian County is located along the mysterious 30th parallel north, endowed with exceptional natural conditions. The area features undulating mountains, misty surroundings, and fertile soil, making it the birthplace and core production area of the flat-shaped Tea ancestor, “Laozhu Dafang.” In the past, tea garden management was relatively lax, leading to inconsistent tea quality and weak market competitiveness, posing numerous challenges for the tea industry. Now, the ADB Eco-Tea Garden project in Zhupu Village not only carries forward and innovates the traditional tea industry but also plays a positive demonstrative role in promoting local economic development, ecological protection, and farmers' income growth, infusing new vitality and hope into the tea industry of Sanyang Town.
The total investment in the ADB Eco-Tea Garden project in Zhupu Village is 1.6 million yuan, covering a planned tea garden area of 103 mu. It includes the construction of an 860-meter ground track and a 1,000-meter tea garden footpath. This project centers on ecology, strictly adhering to principles of ecological balance. It employs green production technologies such as biological pest control, organic fertilization, physical weeding, and recycling, avoiding chemical pesticides while advocating green and sustainable development concepts. To improve tea quality, the project conducts scientific planting management. Agricultural technicians regularly inspect the tea gardens, guiding tea farmers in scientifically pruning tea trees, rationally picking tea leaves, and managing pests and diseases, ensuring healthy tree growth and a friendly ecological environment within the tea garden.
The implementation of the ADB Eco-Tea Garden project has not only improved tea quality but has also made high-quality teas highly favored in the market, with prices steadily rising and significant increases in income. Farmers' environmental awareness and management skills have also improved. The three-dimensional ecological management of tea gardens ensures both quality and aesthetic appeal, attracting many tourists to visit, promoting the integrated development of tea tourism and culture.
In recent years, Sanyang Town has been dedicated to revitalizing “Dafang tea,” hoping that the historical tea, “Laozhu Dafang,” can once again become a new engine for increasing residents' income and wealth. Through scientific management and process improvements, Dafang Tea has regained its unique taste and excellent quality, reestablishing a good reputation in the market. To enhance the added value of tea, the town organizes tea enterprises to participate in various tea exhibitions and hosts tea cultural events, leveraging the regional public brand “Shexian Colorful Harvest” to accelerate brand building and market promotion, expand online sales channels, and further increase brand recognition and influence.
It is reported that in 2025, Sanyang Town in Shexian County was awarded the title of “Beautiful Tea Town of Anhui” at the first-ever event. The town will rely on the ADB Eco-Tea Garden project, utilizing its demonstrative leadership, continuously increasing investment, expanding markets, and promoting the transformation and upgrading of the tea industry towards higher quality development. Next, the town plans to establish a Dafang Tea Study Center, further exploring the depth of Tea culture, developing the integrated industry of tea agriculture and tourism, promoting the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, and achieving industrial upgrading. (Fang Chengxin)