Chongqing- Tea experts, enterprises, and merchants from all over the country have gathered in Chongqing to participate in the 16th China (Chongqing) International Tea Industry Expo from July 8 to 11.

The 16th China (Chongqing) International Tea Industry Expo. (Photo provided to iChongqing)

Chongqing tea output values RMB 4.45 billion

This tea expo has a total of 1400 international standard booths, with an exhibition area of 30,000 m². More than 600 exhibitors from all over the country exhibit products of the entire tea industry chain, including the six major tea categories, tea utensils, and crafts.

Focusing on the development of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, the tea expo especially set up the Sichuan-Chongqing tea brand main hall to comprehensively display the achievements of the development of the tea industry in Sichuan and Chongqing. In addition, the Sichuan and Chongqing Tea Brand Exhibition has 280 international standard booths, bringing together dozens of exceptional tea brands from across Sichuan and Chongqing, and vigorously promoting the regional public brands of local tea.

Chen Yong, Deputy Director of Chongqing Commission of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, delivered a speech, saying that Chongqing is the earliest area of artificial tea planting in China, with a history of more than 3,000 years. Chongqing's tea industry has developed steadily and healthily in recent years, with a total tea plantation area of 70,133.3 hectares (1.052 million mu), tea production of 49,000 tons, and tea agricultural output value of RMB 4.45 billion. Tea has become the leading industry in Chongqing's poverty-alleviated regions, increasing farmers' income and promoting industrial poverty alleviation to industrial revitalization.

Sichuan and Chongqing are cooperating on all fronts to jointly create a demonstration area for the high-quality development of the tea industry in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

Five tea brands win the five-star championship

"Bayu Yuzhen" Cup Chongqing Tea Competition is the highest-level professional tea competition in Chongqing. The Chongqing Tea Competition award ceremony was held on July 8, awarding Gold Medal Green Tea, Gold Medal Black Tea, and Gold Medal Tuo Tea for 28 products. Among them, five tea brands, including Xiushan Maojian, Yongchuan Xiuya, Three Gorges Red, Buran, and Chongqing Tuo Tea, won the five-star championship.

According to Xiang Yeshun, Secretary of the CPC Xiushan County Committee, Xiushan County is located in the golden tea belt at 30 degrees north latitude and is one of the origins of tea in China. In recent years, Xiushan County has taken the tea industry as the leading industry, vigorously promoting the construction of tea bases, market players cultivation, public brand building, industrial chain expansion, as well as the tea industry and tourism integration. Consequently, the scale of local tea production has grown rapidly, with a tea plantation area of 12,200 hectares (183,000 mu) and a comprehensive output value of more than RMB 1.8 billion.

Exhibition hall of Xiushan County's Tea. (Photo provided to iChongqing)

According to Wang Tinghua, secretary-general of Chongqing Yongchuan District Tea Industry Association, Yongchuan is a key district in the development of Chongqing's tea industry, and its green tea production accounts for about 70% of the city's output. By the end of 2021, Yongchuan tea planting area reached 7,333.3 hectares (110,000 mu), with an output of 8,300 tons and an output value of about RMB 1.1 billion, and the value of the whole industry chain reached RMB 3 billion.

Helping 12 enterprises to coordinate production and sales

The tea expo also continued to enhance production and sales coordination, platform construction, exchanges, and cooperation, to promote the high-quality development of the Chongqing tea industry.

In terms of production and sales coordination, the tea expo enabled tea merchants from Anhui, Shandong, Sichuan, and other places to carry out cooperation talks with Chongqing tea enterprises, helped 12 enterprises to coordinate production and sales, and reach a number of tea industry cooperation agreements.

In terms of platform construction, Liangjiang Tea City established the Chongqing tea public welfare live streaming platform. Through a centralized display of the Chongqing tea industry, tea technology, and tea culture, it plans to enhance the influence of Chongqing tea brands.

In terms of exchange and cooperation, a ceremony for Chongqing tea brands going into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was held to promote Chongqing's tea brands to take a key step forward in the Greater Bay Area and the world.