Tea tourism gains traction in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, S China's Guangxi

Photo shows a picturesque view of tea gardens in the Xianren Mountain scenic area in Buyang village, Bajiang township, Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Fu Huazhou)

In Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the vast tea gardens blend with the distinctive Dong culture to create a stunning portrait of rural revitalization.

Women wearing costumes of the Dong ethnic group showcase tea-picking skills at a tea garden in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Fu Huazhou)

Workers process tea leaves at a tea factory in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo/Gong Pukang)

Inside an ecological industrial park in the county, tea companies are working tirelessly to process the season's first batch of early spring tea. Fresh and tender leaves move along automated production lines, undergoing several processing procedures before becoming tightly curled and fragrant tea. The newly crafted spring tea leaves are then swiftly distributed nationwide, bringing consumers the first taste of the season.

Photo shows tender tea leaves at a tea garden in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Fu Huazhou)

Farmers pick tea leaves at a tea garden in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo/Gong Pukang)

In recent years, the county has driven the high-quality growth of its tea industry through policy support, brand development, and technological innovation. The county now has 215,000 mu (about 14,333 hectares) of tea gardens, producing over 20,000 tonnes of dry tea annually, with an annual output value exceeding 8.7 billion yuan (about $1.2 billion).

Photo shows a tea garden in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Fu Huazhou)

In the Xianren Mountain scenic area in Buyang village, Bajiang town of the county, tea gardens offer a stage where tea farmers and visitors pick tea leaves together. By combining the tea industry with cultural tourism, the county has introduced tea garden tours, hands-on tea picking and processing, and Dong cultural performances. These efforts have attracted a steady flow of visitors, boosting the rural economy and rural revitalization.

Photo shows a tea garden in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Liuzhou city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Fu Huazhou)