Tea traders converge in Songyang

The 10th China Tea Trading Fair kicked off in Songyang county of Lishui city, Zhejiang province on March 27.

The event coincided with a tea festival featuring yinhou, a famous green tea produced in Songyang county.

More than 5,000 tea traders, experts and scholars from all over the country gathered at the fair to discuss the sustainable development of the industry.

According to statistics, the trade volume and transaction in Songyang's Zhenan (South Zhejiang) Tea Market exceeded 60 tons and 300,000 yuan ($47,695) on the opening day.

Some 10 tea processing machinery manufacturers brought their latest products at the event. An automatic smart equipment developed by Zhejiang Shanghe Tea Machinery Co, which simplifies the stir-frying procedures of flat tea，drew great attention from the visitors.

Activities like painting and cycling in tea gardens during the fair also attracted many tourists. "Tea plus tourism" is becoming an emerging industry in Songyang.

The county has roughly 240,000 residents, and about 40 percent of the population is engaged in the tea industry.

There are 123,900 mu (82.6 square kilometers) of tea plantation, with an output value per mu exceeding 10,000 yuan every year.

Half of the local farmers' income and 60 percent of the agricultural output value come from the industry

In recent years, Songyang has been consolidating its position as an important tea distribution center in China. In 2016, the trade volume and transaction in Zhenan Tea Market reached 76,200 tons and 5.45 billion yuan, up 3.3 and 6.07 percent year on year, respectively.