Fuzhou Jasmine Tea Opens the Road of Revitalization Last Year, the Output Value of The Whole Industrial Chain Exceeded RMB 5.8 Billion

Difengjiang Jasmine Base

Photographed by reporter Lin Shuangwei

Fuzhou jasmine tea has the same "old flavor".

The tea soup is bright yellow-green, the taste is "rock sugar sweet ", and the fragrance of flowers lingers between lips and teeth... In Fuzhou, "the birthplace of jasmine tea in the world", this "millennium production" still smells good.

Fuzhou jasmine tea is no longer the "old" of the past.

Jasmine flower arranging performance. (File photo)

Photographed by reporter Zheng Shuai

The first China Tea Fair in 2022, which is under intensive preparation, will bring her a new round of development opportunities by developing sales and investing in industrial parks.

In 2021, when General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Fujian, he stressed that it was necessary to do a good job in tea culture, tea industry and tea science and technology, adhere to the green development direction, strengthen brand awareness, optimize the marketing and circulation environment and lay a solid industrial foundation for rural revitalization.

A cup of "jasmine tea" is an important carrier for inheriting and carrying forward the culture of Mindu, and it is also a characteristic industry for promoting rural revitalization in Fuzhou.

In the early winter, new tea is already on the market. Let's walk into the tea enterprises and tea markets in Fuzhou and feel the revitalization of jasmine tea in Fuzhou.

The flower grower picks jasmine flowers in the field. (File photo)

Photographed by reporter Zheng Shuai

Set a benchmark with the competition of quality

In Fuzhou, many tea houses and shops on the street have put on the latest Fuzhou jasmine tea. According to the packaging, tea base and scenting system, the price also ranges from several hundred to thousands of RMB.

In recent years, the jasmine tea industry in China has been warming up as a whole, and the sales volume, amount and average price have maintained an overall growth. Among them, Fuzhou Jasmine Tea with the highest average price has become an industry leader.

Every year from June to September, it is the peak of tea making in Fuzhou. As the "finale program" of the whole tea-making season, at the Tea King Competition of Fuzhou Jasmine Tea, 80 or 90 new tea samples battled for the "tea king" of that year.

It is reported that the Tea King Competition has been held for fourteen times so far, and six "tea kings" are born every year. This is not only Fuzhou's praise for the new and good tea of that year, but also the evaluation system established in the industry.

Tea-making has always had its own "temperament", but at the low point of jasmine tea in Fuzhou, it once lost its "temperament" and lacked a benchmark, so it was content to low quality.

In 2008, the jasmine tea industry in Fuzhou fell into a deep trough due to its own small workshop-style production, disorderly competition, uneven quality and other factors. With the rise of rock tea, Longjing tea, Pu'er tea, etc., Fuzhou jasmine tea has gradually been marginalized in the "tea circle", becoming "labor protection tea" and "heatstroke prevention tea", and its price has dropped to about RMB 10 to 30 per 500g. Losing market competitiveness, the number of tea enterprises has dropped to more than 20.

In 2009, under the guidance of Fuzhou Agriculture Bureau (now Fuzhou Agriculture and Rural Bureau), the first Fuzhou Jasmine Tea King Competition was officially held. In the competition, there were more than 60 tea samples, covering almost all tea enterprises in that year, and the "6+1" standard was formulated, which is still in use today

"I have participated in six Tea King Competition." Ni Changmou of Jinfengyang Tea Industry Co., Ltd. and Yu Jinhua, the old master of Fuzhou Tea Factory, who is a master of China's time-honored brand, can't be underestimated. He won 4 "Tea Kings" and 3 "Gold Awards" in the 6 Tea King Competitions.

Fuzhou jasmine tea.

Photographed by reporter Zheng Shuai

Improve quality by competition, and unite centripetal force. The "tea kings" have come up with their true abilities, improved their skills, and helped the industry over the trough. At the 2010 Fuzhou Jasmine Tea New Year Tea Party, the five "tea kings" of that year sold a high price of RMB 52,000 for only 450g. Within five years, the number of jasmine tea enterprises in Fuzhou has increased to more than 100. In 2021, jasmine tea enterprises such as Chunlun, Minrong and Fumin Tea entered the top 100 tea companies in China.

Entering major tea houses, awards such as “tea kings” and “inheritors” are always placed in the most conspicuous place at the entrance. In Yudefang, the "time-honored brand", Zhang Chenhui, the "seventh inheritor of tea", couldn't help saying, "Only a few of the tea samples in the first year or two were outstanding. Nowadays, there are more and more good teas, both in terms of soup color and aroma."

For more than ten years, from "labor protection tea" to "quality tea", Fuzhou jasmine tea has ushered in another spring.

At the jasmine tea contest, the judges are tasting the tea.

(File photo) Photographed by reporter Shi Meixiang

Ten years of development bloom at last

In the past ten years, most Fuzhou tea enterprises have ushered in the "awakening moment". In recent years, on the one hand, Green Tea has continuously refined the traditional scenting technology, cultivated the inheritors, and engraved the high-quality pursuit of "scents" into the product "gene"; On the other hand, set up a younger operation team, cultivate e-commerce live-streamers, sell on Tik Tok, Taobao and other platforms, and expand online sales channels.

The exploration of green tea is a microcosm of the development of jasmine tea industry in Fuzhou. According to statistics, in 2021, the output of jasmine tea in Fuzhou was 16,800 tons, and the output value of the whole industrial chain was about RMB 5.83 billion, accounting for more than 1/5 of the national output value of jasmine tea. Representative tea enterprises such as Chunlun Group had an output value of RMB 1.9 billion last year, a year-on-year increase of 15%.

After the vigorous development, it is the firm support of the policy. In recent years, Fuzhou has successively issued policies such as the action plan for high-quality development of tea industry and nine measures to support the development of jasmine tea industry in Fuzhou, so as to support and guide the tea industry; At the same time, Fuzhou will continue to expand the scope of support for modern tea projects, promote the construction of Fuzhou Jasmine Tea Industrial Park in Minqing, and give support in market development and brand building. The Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will be more active in matchmaking for enterprises, supporting enterprises to "go global", participating in expositions and fairs around the world, approaching more projects and opening up a broader market.

Ni Changmou, the honorary winner of Jasmine Tea King, showed the children the process of making jasmine tea.

(File photo) Photographed by reporter Shi Meixiang

Take steps to connect with the world

Fuzhou jasmine tea has always been the "messenger" of China to communicate with the world. She witnessed the historical pulse of the ancient "Maritime Silk Road" in China and the prosperity of Fuzhou Tea Port... This road continues to this day.

In 2011, the conference of "The Birthplace of International Jasmine Tea" was held in Fuzhou, and more than 120 domestic and foreign guests attended the conference. At the meeting, Fuzhou was awarded the title of "the birthplace of jasmine tea in the world" by the International Tea Committee, which is the first recognized birthplace of a kind of tea in the world.

In 2012, "World Jasmine Tea Culture Kuliang Forum" was held. This forum is a grand meeting with the largest number of participants and the highest standard of guests in the history of jasmine tea cultural exchange in the world, and has become a milestone in promoting the cultural exchange of jasmine tea in Fuzhou. Fuzhou Jasmine Tea was awarded the title of "World Famous Tea".

In 2014, Fuzhou Jasmine and Tea Culture System was selected as "Global Important Agricultural Cultural Heritage".

Recently, General Secretary Xi Jinping made an important instruction, stressing that "China's Traditional Tea-Making Techniques and Customs" are listed in the UNESCO representative list of intangible cultural heritage of mankind, which is of great significance for promoting China tea culture. We should do a solid job in the systematic protection of intangible cultural heritage, better meet the people's growing spiritual and cultural needs, and promote cultural self-confidence.

In the process of connecting with the world, people found that more Fuzhou jasmine tea appeared on the international stage-World Heritage Conference, Global Important Agricultural Cultural Heritage Conference, China International Import Expo (CIIE), Digital Summit... The outward road is getting wider, and Fuzhou's pace is more sonorous.

We should not only go abroad, but also be popular at home. Fuzhou jasmine tea is reaching thousands of households through festivals and cultural activities.

In the evaluation report of China tea regional public brand value published in May this year, the brand value of Fuzhou jasmine tea reached RMB 3.87 billion, which doubled in ten years.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Fuzhou set the goal of "10 billion in tea industry", once again demonstrating its determination and ambition to develop jasmine tea industry: by 2025, it will strive to cultivate more than 10 leading enterprises with an output value of over RMB 100 million, realize the brand value leap again, and invite the world to share "Fuzhou tea".