Hemudu Tea

Hemudu Tea

　　Hemudu Town is situated along the eastern coast of Zhejiang, featuring plains in the north and mountainous terrain in the south. With a warm, moist climate and 46,000 mu of forest, the town has, in recent years, concentrated its efforts on meeting the demands of tea industry development. Major initiatives include renovating low-output tea fields, adopting protected farming techniques, introducing new tea cultivars, creating local brands, and accelerating progress toward green and organic production—all of which have achieved notable success. The tea industry has become an effective pathway for mountain-area farmers to escape poverty and achieve prosperity.

　　　　 By the end of 2004, the town had a total of 2,150 mu of tea gardens, of which 1,558 mu were organic or pollution-free, accounting for 72.5% of the total. Annual tea production exceeded 100 tons, generating an output value of over 6.4 million yuan. Among this, nearly 10 tons were high-quality tea, with an annual output value of more than 5 million yuan. The average yield per mu ranked first in the city.

　　　　 Currently, the town has developed more than 10 tea brands, including “Guyizhi Ming,” “Siming Twelve Thunders,” and “Chengxiang Green.” Local teas such as Hemudu Wild Tea, Sparrow Tea, and Ancient Tea enjoy a certain level of recognition in Yuyao, Ningbo, and beyond. The town’s “Siming Twelve Thunders” high-mountain tea won the Premium Quality Tea Award at the International China Tea Culture Festival in 1991. The “Seven Thousand Springs” brand of Hemudu Primitive Wild Tea received the Premium Quality Tea Award at the Shanghai International Tea Culture Festival. “Chengxiang Green” tea was consecutively rated as a top-tier premium tea in Ningbo in 1993 and 1994, and won the Gold Award at the China Agricultural Expo in 1995. “Guyizhi Ming” organic tea claimed the First Prize in the Fifth China Tea Cup Premium Tea Competition hosted by the China Tea Science Society in 2003.