Qingdao recently held activities in its west coast new area to celebrate the second Qingdao Tea Culture Festival and the 60th anniversary of Shandong province's south-to-north tea introduction project.

The town of Haiqing, located in Qingdao's west coast new area, has been well known for its green tea since 1996, when the government introduced tea planting from South China.

After 60 years of development, Haiqing town has grown into a city perfectly combining tea, culture and tourism.

Thanks to an optimal climate and geographical advantages, "Haiqing" green tea has a delicate fragrance and is full of nutrients including vitamins, minerals and microelements.

At present, the town has a tea cultivation area of 80,000 mu with an annual production of 2,700 tons, which equals an annual value of 300 million yuan ($45.75 million). The tea planting industry has provided job opportunities for 40,000 local people.

"In recent years, we have made great efforts to employ new techniques to speed up the industry upgrade and create its own brand," said Gao Zhixu, a director at a local tea and flower technology instruction center.

Haiqing is also planning to set up relevant tea museums and inspection centers, giving full technical support for the popularization of the tea brand.

The opening ceremony for the second Qingdao Tea Culture Festival and the 60th anniversary for Shandong province’s south-to-north tea introduction project is recently held in Qingdao. [Photo/xihaiannews.com]

A worker prepares tea. [Photo/xihaiannews.com]