Tasting time as 2020 China Tea Fair opens
A tea ceremony is performed during the fair.
The fragrance of tea was in the air with the opening of the 2020 China Tea Fair Shanghai at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center in the Pudong New Area on Thursday.
A variety of tea-related activities including tea ceremonies, sipping, competitions, book launches and forums are being held during the four-day event.
These include a tea and tourism promotion event by Huzhou in neighboring Zhejiang Province, where Lu Yu, China's “Sage of Tea,” wrote his "The Classic of Tea,” and a forum gathering professors, experts and industry insiders to brainstorm the development and new trends in the Chinese tea industry badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visitors attend one of the events at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center.
A lecture on the restoration of Jianzhan, or Jian teacup, a famous porcelain item dating back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and tea sharing events are also being hosted.
Cultural activities blending incense, flowers, music, chess, painting, poetry and tea ceremonies are also part of the fair, showcasing the art of tea sipping and enriching the visitor experience.
The Fuding white tea culture festival and Menghai Pu'er tea culture week were also promoted on Thursday.
Visitors sip tea at the fair.
"Menghai County in Yunnan Province is one of the originating places of the famous Pu'er tea and is where the Ancient Tea-horse Route starts," said Liu Yingmei, head of the county’s publicity department.
"Tea has become an important pillar industry of the county and tourists are invited to attend the annual tea festival of Menghai which displays its unique tea culture and glamour," she said. The festival will be held in October.
The tea fair covering 20,000 square meters have about 1,000 booths from across the nation, featuring white, Pu'er, black, green, Oolong and flower tea; as well as clay pots, tea sets and other handicrafts.
The event aims to promote the traditional Chinese tea culture, boost tea trade cooperation and culture exchange and fuel the recovery of tea economy, its organizers said.
Entry is free but online reservations are required.
