A glimpse of Liubao tea manufacturing in south China’s Guangxi

In the first three quarters of 2022, Liubao tea became the best-selling product exported from south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to the customs department of Nanning, the regional capital.

Farmers on their way to pick tea leaves on a mountain farm in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Shen Quanchi)

Liubao tea is a dark tea which has been consumed as far back as the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. The aroma of the tea variety varies across the different regions in which it is produced, according to Huang Daxiong, the chief agronomist from Guangxi Langfu Liubao Tea Technology Company who is also deputy head of Guangxi’s intangible cultural heritage association.

Farmers take tea leaves they have picked to a tea factory. (People's Daily Online/Shen Quanchi)

Over the past few years Guangxi has taken active measures to build a complete industrial chain to produce Liubao tea and the industry has maintained strong growth in production and sales. In 2021, the Liubao tea production achieved an output of 11 billion yuan ($1.58 billion) and in 2022, the brand value of Liubao tea reached 3.76 billion yuan, ranking first among all tea brands in Guangxi.

A worker puts tea leaves on a machine to dry. (People's Daily Online/Shen Quanchi)

A worker processes tea leaves. (People's Daily Online/Shen Quanchi)

A worker operates a machine to roll tea leaves into a desired shape. (People's Daily Online/Shen Quanchi)

Dehydrated tea leaves. (People's Daily Online/Shen Quanchi)

Workers wet tea leaves and pile them for fermentation. (People's Daily Online/Shen Quanchi)

Tea leaves after 60 days of fermentation. (People's Daily Online/Shen Quanchi)

Compressed tea leaves. (People's Daily Online/Shen Quanchi)

Tea bricks are placed on shelves in a storage room. The aging process lasts at least 180 days. (People's Daily Online/Shen Quanchi)