Technology bolsters tea industry in Guizhou

GUIYANG — Strolling through his thriving tea plantation, Chen Shijun was delighted to see the leaves intact, radiating a vibrant green hue.

The daily tea leaf yield of Chen's contracted plantation — which covers over 6.67 hectares in Changgou village, located in Jinsha county, Southwest China's Guizhou province — has exceeded 500 kilograms in recent days. With the current yield, he is projected to earn over 300,000 yuan ($42,280) this year.

Dubbed the hometown of gongcha, or royal tea, in China, Jinsha has a rich heritage of tea cultivation, boasting 2,000 hectares of tea plantations. In recent years, the county has transitioned from traditional tea-producing methods to tech-enabled, large-scale cultivation and production.