The 2023 Qimen Black Tea Picking Festival kicks off in Likou town, Huangshan on April 2. [Photo/WeChat ID: gh_0c73ab80fdea]
The opening ceremony of the 2023 Qimen Black Tea Picking Festival was held in Likou town, which is administered by Qimen county in Huangshan city, Anhui province, on April 2, marking the start of the town's tea picking season this year.
Qimen Black Tea is among the most famous black teas in China and has been consumed in the west for well over 100 years. The art of making the tea is believed to have originated during the reign of the Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and was added on Nov 29 to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity compiled by the UNESCO.
The Qimen Black Tea Picking Festival has been held 17 times since 2005. This year's festival included dances, tea making performances as well as promoting tea-themed travel routes in Qimen county.
A product featuring tea and porcelain is released on site by inheritors of Qimen Black Tea techniques and Jingdezhen Porcelain Making Technique. [Photo/WeChat ID: gh_0c73ab80fdea]
There are currently some 190,000 mu (12666.67 hectares) of tea plantations in Qimen county, with comprehensive output value of 5.52 billion yuan ($801.17 million).