Two decades ago, a group of tea farmers crossed the Taiwan Straits in search of opportunities on the Chinese mainland.
They settled in the mountainous town of Yongfu, Fujian province, where the geography and climate are similar to those in the area around Alishan Mountain, a major oolong tea production area in Taiwan.
After years of efforts opening up the barren hills, cultivating tea trees and building plants to process the leaves, the newcomers took root in the once backward town, which is now dotted with green terraced gardens.
Their success in growing oolong tea means Yongfu is now known as the “Alishan Mountain of the Chinese mainland”. Now, the younger generation, many children of the pioneers, is gradually taking over the local tea industry.
Bolstered by central government policies to promote rural vitalization and provide people from Taiwan with the same status and treatment as the locals, the young people have created several tourism projects around the tea gardens to drive a sectoral upgrade…