At present, Luquan Ecological Tea Garden, located at the foot of Fozu Mountain in Tianmen City, Hubei Province, is full of business. In the early morning, tea farmers skillfully shuttled among the green tea trees with baskets and baskets on their backs, flying their fingers and skillfully picking the tender buds. This is the busiest season for tea gardens, with an average of more than 100 tea farmers busy in the fields every day.
"We come here to pick tea in the morning and hand it over to the tea garden person in charge at noon." Tea farmer Dong Chaoyang told reporters that since March 15, except for rainy days, she has come to the tea garden to pick tea every day. She will earn at least more than 200 yuan a day by picking 3 to 5 kilograms of tea.
Luquan Ecological Tea Garden planted in more than 500 mu of tea, and can produce nearly 80,000 kilograms of tea. It is currently the largest tea planting base in Tianmen. In the past two years, tea gardens have vigorously developed the integration of tea and tourism, launched a day-long leisure tour, and set up multiple check-in points. While experiencing tea picking, tourists can also wear Hanfu and experience the tea making and tea-making process in the tourist center to enrich the play experience.
"Many foreign tea lovers also visited the tea garden. Last year, we received more than 200 foreign friends from more than 20 countries." Zhang Fen, the head of the tea garden, introduced.
In recent years, Tianmen has used tea as a medium, promoted tourism with tea, and developed industries with tea, optimized the layout of the tea industry, and issued policies to support the development of the tea industry. Up to now, the Tianmen tea planting area has reached 1,800 mu, with an annual output of more than 400 tons. Tea brands such as "Jier Tea", "Lu Yu Jinglinghong" and "Jingling Luzi Cake" have won the gold medal at the Wuhan Tea Expo many times.
During the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, the tea saint Lu Yu was born on the shore of the West Lake of the ancient Jingling (within the jurisdiction of today). Lu Yu, who had been fond of tea throughout his life, traveled across the Yangtze River and Huaihe River Basin, and completed the world's first tea monograph "Tea Classic" in middle age.
How much do people from Tianmen love Lu Yu? This can be seen from roads, parks, and hotels named after "Lu Yu". To commemorate Lu Yu, Tianmen also specially built a tea scripture building in Lu Yu's hometown to celebrate his legendary life with tea.
The Tea Classic Tower is a tower-style architectural style in the Tang Dynasty. It is 53.85 meters high and has a total of ten floors, corresponding to chapters one to ten of the "Tea Classic". When you are in the Tea Classic Tower, you are like shuttled through the "Tea Classic". The Tea Classic Building contains the collection of "Tea Classic" versions such as the Ke Qiao version of the Ming Jiajing Jingling version, the Jingling version of the Ming Jiajing, the Yihongtang version, the Tianmen County Chronicle version, and the Sang Zhulu version, which has become a pilgrimage site for tea people all over the world.
Relying on the rich tea cultural resources, Tianmen adheres to the strategy of integrated tea and tourism development, and has created a national 4A-level tourist attraction - Tea Saint Homeland Scenic Area, which integrates Luyu Homeland, museum, Tang Street, Impression Xijiang, Houhao, Luyu Square, Sports Center, Steamed Food Street, and Donghu Folk Park. At the same time, Tianmen also actively cultivates tea planting and leisure experience bases to promote the mutual integration of the tea industry and tourism industry, and form a new pattern of tea-tour interaction with tea and travel.
Spring is a poem of the earth and a prelude to growth. At the Luyu Tea Culture Study Practical Education Camp, a group of students came here to carry out their study tour.
Luyu Tea Culture Study and Practical Education Camp was completed in 2022, with nearly 100 acres of tea planted, mainly for the development of comprehensive practical education for primary and secondary school students in Tianmen. It is the spring tea picking season, and the camp specially launched a tea culture experience course, allowing students to transform into "tea maker", experience tea picking and tea-making, and appreciate the excellent traditional Chinese culture in the scent of tea.
"We receive an average of more than 20,000 students per year, and the tea culture experience course we launched is warmly welcomed by students." said Long Zhiyun, the head of the camp.
From the tea of firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea, to the piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, tea seems to be the gene engraved in the bones of the people of Tianmen. Every night, the Yunyin Xijiang tea space by the West Lake is very lively, and citizens enjoy the nightlife leisurely while drinking tea.
"We are in the hometown of the Tea Saint, and our biggest feeling is that we have deep cultural confidence. As local universities, we have been vigorously exploring, inheriting and promoting tea culture, and promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of tea culture." Xiao Xinguo, secretary of the Party Branch of Lu Yu International Tea Culture and Art College of Tianmen Vocational College, introduced that the school has deepened the integration of tea research and development, and uses tea as a guide to revitalization; focuses on the integration of tea and integrity, and cultivates new styles with tea; deepens the integration of tea and tourism, and uses tea as a medium to seek development.
A volume of "Tea Classic" can be remembered for generations; a leaf of fragrant tea can be passed down through ancient and modern times. After thousands of years, while Lu Yu's "Tea Classic" has influenced the world, it has also continuously nurtured the villagers. The lush green leaves have sowed the dream of inheriting thousands of years and have also supported an industry to enrich the people.
(Reporter Zhang Rui, Wang Jianhong, Correspondent Chen Fei)
