Traditional tea farmers in Hangzhou’s West Lake area shout to awaken the mountains, marking the start of the Longjing tea spring harvest.
Drums echoed through the tea hills near West Lake on March 5th as farmers shouted toward the mountains.
“Tea buds are sprouting! West Lake Longjing is sprouting!”
The calls marked the traditional “calling the mountain” ceremony, which signals the start of the spring tea season for Longjing tea in its core production area.
A Traditional Farming Custom
“Calling the mountain” has long been practised in tea villages around West Lake. On this day each year, farmers gather on the tea hills and shout together, wishing for favourable weather and a good harvest.
This year, the ceremony was larger than before. Nine tea-producing villages in the West Lake Longjing area held the ritual together for the first time.
More than 30 masters of traditional hand-roasting techniques led the calls in their own villages, while nearly 1,000 tea farmers joined in. Their voices echoed through the hills around West Lake.
“It feels especially powerful when everyone shouts together,” said Tang Xiaojun, a recognised inheritor of West Lake Longjing tea-making heritage. He said the ritual reflects farmers’ hopes for a good harvest and also helps promote the Longjing tea brand.
Three Generations Join the Call
At the ceremony, three generations of tea growers shouted together. Heritage inheritors led the call, middle-aged farmers followed, and children joined in with youthful voices shouting that the tea was sprouting.
Tea farmer Guo Zhen from Lingyin Village said the scene was moving.
“The children’s voices are soft and full of energy, just like new tea buds,” he said. “Our elders protected these tea hills. We are continuing the work, and the next generation will carry it on.”
Spring Harvest Approaching
The ceremony takes place during Jingzhe solar term, a traditional time in the Chinese calendar that marks the awakening of nature in early spring.
According to local officials in the West Lake scenic area, temperatures this spring have been relatively stable. The recent average daily temperature has remained above 10°C, and earlier rainfall has helped the tea plants grow.
Two main varieties of West Lake Longjing have now entered the budding stage. Buds of the Longjing 43 variety are generally between 1.1 and 1.5 centimetres long, with some approaching 1.8 centimetres. The traditional local variety is developing slightly more slowly but has also begun to sprout.
Tea picking usually begins when buds reach about 2.5 centimetres. If weather conditions remain favourable, the first harvest of spring tea is expected in mid to late March.
Additional reporting by Xinhua.
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