Taiwan tea maker seeks mainland ties at cross-Strait expo

Li Ya-chun, a fourth-generation tea maker from Taiwan, has been busy pouring his family's famous Tung-ting Oolong tea for a steady stream of guests at the 17th Cross-Strait Tea Industry Expo.

Li and his father are using the five-day event, which runs until Thursday, in Wuyi Mountain, East China's Fujian province, to network and seek cooperation opportunities with mainland businesses.

"This is our first time attending the expo," Li said. "Ninety percent of the guests who sit down for a chat are mainland business people and tea enterprises, which provides a fast way for me to understand local trends and models."

The event, held in the city renowned as the birthplace of black and oolong teas, showcases the deepening exchanges across the Taiwan Strait. Organizers said this year saw a record number of 200 booths in the Taiwan pavilion, a 14.3 percent increase from the previous session.

Li hails from Lugu, a major tea-growing township in Nantou, Taiwan, the famous origin of Tung-ting Oolong tea. While the region's climate and fertile soil provide excellent growing conditions, the tea plants' origins trace back to Wuyi Mountain on the other side of the Strait.

The history of the tea connects the two sides. During the Qing Dynasty, when Taiwan was administered as part of Fujian province, a scholar from Lugu Township named Lin Feng-chi traveled to Fujian for the imperial examinations.

Upon his successful return, he brought back Qingxin Oolong tea saplings from the Wuyi Mountain. These saplings thrived in the Tung-ting area and, through generations of cultivation and craftsmanship, evolved into the highly acclaimed Tung-ting Oolong tea known today.

"I often hear my Taiwan peers share stories about Wuyi Mountain tea, so I came to the very source, the most authentic and fundamental place, to learn about this tea and its brewing methods," Li said.

He noted that his parents frequently visit local tea farmers to exchange knowledge, having even attempted to create a fusion tea using Wuyi tea plant varieties processed in the Taiwan Oolong style.

Tea serves as a crucial link connecting Fujian and Taiwan, facilitating personnel exchanges, agricultural cooperation, and trade interactions. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of a cooperation relationship between Wuyi Mountain and Taiwan's Ali Mount, a major tea-growing area.

Lai Yueh-tchien, a cross-Strait current affairs commentator, said that while the tea from two sides of the Strait share the same roots and craftsmanship, they have evolved separately, resulting in different flavors.

"Tea is more than just a leaf; it is a vehicle for carrying cross-Strait homesickness, memories, and emotions," Lai said. He pointed out that the shared tea varieties and similar techniques reflect a common historical resonance and emotional identity.

"The atmosphere among tea professionals from both sides gathered here is very pleasant," he added, suggesting promising future development for cross-Strait tea culture tourism.

During the Expo, a cultural gala was staged in Wuyishan integrating tea heritage with modern stage technologies, expressing the deep kinship shared across the Strait. To promote tea culture, about 80 young tea professionals from both sides of the Strait participated in a five-day field trip in Wuyishan.