Chongqing Launches First Tea Culture Week

Chongqing - On June 7, the first Chongqing Tea Culture Week officially opened in Southwest China's Chongqing. Themed "Tea and the World: A Common Tour for Intangible Cultural Heritage," the event aims to celebrate and promote the rich tradition of Chinese tea culture.

The Chongqing Tea Culture Week features a Yaji salon, a cultural gathering that integrates tea tasting, exhibitions, flower appreciation, fragrance smelling, and music appreciation. 

Xing Jun, Deputy Director-General of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development, highlighted the global influence of tea, saying, "Originating in China, tea is now popular worldwide. China is the birthplace of tea and tea culture, which has been deeply integrated into the lives of the Chinese people and has become an important part of Chinese culture being carried forward to modern days."

In November 2022, UNESCO recognized "Traditional Tea Processing Techniques and Associated Social Practices in China" by adding them to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Chongqing has a rich history of tea production dating back to ancient times. Today, Chongqing continues to cultivate traditional tea-making techniques and related intangible cultural heritage items, boasting 68 representative intangible cultural heritage items related to tea and 77 inheritors. 

The city has developed several notable tea brands, including Chongqing Tuo Tea, Yongchuan Xiuya, Ba'nan Yinzhen, and Wuxi Laoying Tea. The total output value of the tea industry exceeds RMB 5.3 billion (USD 741 million).

One of the highlights of this event is the "Tea and the World" Yaji salon and tea gathering, which will feature discussions on Chongqing’s intangible tea-making heritage, tea and health, tea tourism integration, and the impact of tea houses on urban culture. 

Tea experts and inheritors of intangible cultural heritage will conduct tea-tasting sessions for various tea types, such as green tea, black tea, and Wuxi Laoying Tea, demonstrating and introducing the unique aspects of Chongqing’s tea culture.

Tea is not only popular in China but also loved and sought after worldwide. The salon uses tea as a medium to explore and discuss various aspects of tea culture. Representatives from consulates in Chongqing and international students have been invited to experience the charm of Chinese tea culture. National-level tea art master Shu Xiaohong will demonstrate tea art and explain tea-tasting methods to guests.

The event will also include a creative tea culture market, where attendees can taste fine teas, appreciate beautiful tea wares, learn tea etiquette, watch tea art performances, and enjoy tea-themed snacks, offering a comprehensive experience of Chinese unique and charming tea culture.