1,500 firms join tea expo to seek new opportunities

Nearly 1,500 tea and tea ware brands from 69 countries and regions are showcasing more than 200,000 products at the 2024 Global Tea Fair China (Shenzhen) Spring, which  opened at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian on June 20.

Featuring 2,400 booths across a total exhibition area of 60,000 square meters, the four-day fair also includes more than 30 tea culture events such as forums on various themes, including new-style tea, a show of Song Dynasty tea rituals and a TED event, Yang Wenbiao, founder of the tea expo and president of  Huajuchen Exhibit, told the opening ceremony.

Exhibitor explains tea culture to visitors at Guangdong stands.

Guangdong stands not only as a key tea-producing area but also as the largest tea consumption market and tea trading center in China, while Shenzhen serves as a crucial tea distribution hub within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, according to Yang.

In addition to local exhibitors,  more than 20 local governments from tea-producing Chinese regions, including those from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, have established booths at the fair, seeking new opportunities arising from the developments and new trends within the time-honored tea industry.

Tea wares, tea-making machines and tea packing facilities on the tea expo. Liu Minxia

Alongside an array of teas, the fair has brought together tea wares, tea-making machines, and tea packing facilities. Noteworthy is the presence of tea and exquisite tea utensils from Laos, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and other countries.

"The tea industry has seen rapid evolution alongside economic and societal developments," said a representative from Yingde Sanshenghong Tea Industry Co., who identified herself only as Lin.

Lin cited the example of Yingde Black Tea, which has gained prominence after being selected for a ceremonial tea event during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Guangzhou in 2023.

"Since then, this specific type of Yingde Black Tea has experienced brisk sales, infusing fresh significance and vitality into this esteemed tea genre, which has gained recognition from the International Tea Council as the world's finest high-aroma black tea in 2019," she said.

New-style tea drinks have been garnering increasing popularity among young consumers, not only within China but also overseas. These modified tea beverages boast rich flavors and colors derived from diverse ingredients like fresh fruits, tea leaves, milk, and cheese, which has inject new vigor in the industry and presented new opportunities, said Zhong Lujuan, marketing director of Shenzhen Yee Lee Investment Holding Co.

Tea consumption is a prevalent  custom in over 160 countries and regions, and nearly half of the world's population incorporates tea consumption into their daily routines, collectively consuming over 3 billion cups of tea each day, according to Wei Chumei, general manager of Houtang, a tea bio-tech firm in southwestern China's tea hub of Guizhou Province.

Running alongside the tea fair, the Fourth World Green Tea Conference spotlights 300 green tea brands from more than 50 green tea-producing regions.