Tea cultivation lures villagers back home

Tian Hongjun used to work in a brick factory 700 kilometers from his hometown in Tujia autonomous county, Yanhe of Guizhou province.

"It was hard. My wife was left at home to take care of own four children and our 40 mu (2.7 hectares) of land went to waste without farming," the 37-year-old recalled.

Tian's life has been changed by a poverty alleviation project supported by tea farmers from Anji county of Zhejiang province, a famous source of white tea.

Last year, Huangdu village of Anji donated 3.6 million Baiye Yihao tea seedlings to Dazhai, Zhiqiang and Sanhuixi villages of Zhongzhai township, Yanhe county.

Eighty hectares of land was contracted to plant white tea.

There are 5,849 people in the three villages, more than one-fourth of whom are living in poverty.

Like Tian, they used to work outside the village. Those remaining at home made a living from planting rice, corn or sweet potato.

In April 2018, 20 members of the Communist Party of China from Huangdu village, who became rich by growing white tea, wrote a letter to President Xi Jinping proposing to donate 15 million white tea seedlings to help people in poor areas, an idea fully recognized by Xi.

The Baiye Yihao, or White Leaf No 1 project, brings hope to the villagers in Zhongzhai township.

In Dazhai village, Tian and three other villagers set up the cooperative to grow white tea covering 43 hectares of land contracted from themselves and some other villagers.

With support from local government institutions and experts, the tea has grown very well, said Tian.

"The first batch of white tea will be ready for picking in March," he said.

Tian said next year they will transfer another 27 hectares of land from the villagers to plant white tea.

"Villagers who become shareholders will have higher dividends," said Tian.

He said that villagers can also work in the tea garden to earn more money.

According to Huang Yaqin, an official with the tea industry development office of Yanhe county, Yanhe has a long history of tea cultivation, as its high mountains and rich water make it a suitable place for planting good quality tea.

"The survival rate of 'Baiye Yihao' tea seedlings here is as high as 95 percent.

"The main problem we are facing at present is the difference in topography and climate between Yanhe and Anji. We need to improve the technologies in accordance with our local environment," she said.

With the Baiye Yihao project, Zhongzhai township has become a demonstration base for poverty alleviation as well as for cooperation between the east and west regions of China, said Yang Chenggang, deputy head of Yanhe county.

"Together with Guizhou University, we will make a development plan for the tea industry of Zhongzhai township.

"In addition to planting tea, we will build an integrated tea and tourism park, relying on existing tourism resources and promote the development of the tea industry," said Yang.

Che Weiwei contributed to this story.

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