Trainees from the training course on pollution-free tea production techniques for developing countries visit Diandou.

　　October 16, News: On October 14, a group of more than 20 participants from the Developing Countries’ Training Course on Pollution-Free Tea Production Techniques traveled by car from Zhangpu to Fuding City, where they visited tea estates and processing facilities in Diandou Town, gaining insights into China’s rich tea culture. Notably, this marks the second time in two years that Diandou Town has welcomed a delegation of officials and scholars from developing nations for an on-site visit and study tour. Back in June 19, 2012, the town previously hosted 24 officials and academics from 14 countries including Argentina, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Rwanda, who conducted an in-depth field trip to explore the region’s renowned tea heritage.

　　It is understood that the participants in the training program on non-polluted tea production technologies for developing countries—currently on a study visit—include 27 officials and scholars from 15 nations: Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Egypt, and Uganda. The training program is organized by China’s Ministry of Commerce and hosted by Zhangzhou Institute of Science and Technology. This study tour is part of the broader curriculum for the "Non-Polluted Tea Technology Training Program" designed specifically for officials and experts from developing countries.

　　Under the guidance of teachers and translators from Zhangpu College, the participants first enthusiastically visited the one-stop white tea trading center of Fujian Tianfengyuan Tea Industry Co., Ltd., located in Diantou Town, Fuding City. They toured the white tea photography exhibition hall, the Liu Miao tea pillow display area, and the ancient roasted tea exhibition area. They also enjoyed tasting Fuding white tea and engaged in discussions about the development of pollution-free tea, tea pillow production, and tea culture learning. At the large sun-withering greenhouse of Beijing Tianjiu Zhihua Tea Industry Co., Ltd.'s Fuding tea industry base, the participants gained a detailed understanding of the white tea production process, standardized production, and processing technology for pollution-free tea. In Bailiu Village, known as "China's No. 1 White Tea Village," the participants observed the traditional handmade production process and techniques of Fuding white tea on site. They listened carefully to the explanations of tea artisans and frequently engaged in discussions with them. The participants also visited the Min-Zhe border trade tea flower market to communicate with local tea farmers and entered tea shops to learn from tea merchants about tea storage and preservation techniques. The warm-hearted tea farmers of Diantou enthusiastically greeted this group of foreign friends of different skin colors, warmly greeting them, taking photos together, and even offering fruits and snacks as gifts to the guests.

　　The students’ attentive observation, meticulous note-taking, and humble eagerness to learn clearly conveyed to the author their deep interest in Fuding white tea. Bitaize Sota and Bitaize Giorgi, father and son from Georgia—where the father, Sota Bitaize, holds an agricultural degree and runs a Georgian tea import-export company—shared with the author that their on-site visit has given them entirely new insights into Fuding white tea, ones that went beyond their previous understanding.

　　Diantou Town is a major tea-producing town renowned for "Fuding White Tea," boasting over 30,000 mu of high-quality tea gardens and an annual output of more than 21,000 tons of fresh tea leaves. With more than 150 tea-processing enterprises, the tea industry has become a key driver for boosting agricultural efficiency and increasing farmers' incomes in Diantou Town. In recent years, the town has fully leveraged its advantage as the original home of Fuding Da Bai tea, steadily expanding and strengthening the tea sector. As a result, Diantou's tea products have embarked on a path toward industrialized development, achieving significant progress in areas such as base development and management, processing techniques, brand innovation, market expansion, and the preservation and promotion of tea culture. Today, Fuding White Tea is firmly on the road to branded growth, with strong momentum in overseas sales. Participants noted that these achievements hold valuable lessons for their own countries' tea industries, offering practical insights and inspiration for future development.

　　Yasser Fekri Mohamed Al-Adraji, an associate professor at Egypt's comprehensive university, stated that both Egypt and China boast some of the oldest civilizations known to humanity. The Egyptian and Chinese peoples share a history spanning over 5,000 years, with numerous parallels—both past and present—between their cultures. He added that the traditional craftsmanship behind Fuding white tea is a time-honored technique developed by the people of Fuding over generations to meet their daily needs, deeply rooted in rich cultural heritage and thus highly valuable. Nigerian scholar Nwachukwu Ndidi Wissen expressed his enthusiasm about visiting China to closely study Chinese tea production and processing techniques, as well as to immerse himself in China's vibrant tea culture. He hopes to bring back this expertise and cultural knowledge, applying and promoting them effectively upon his return to Nigeria.

　　Afterward, the trainees visited Taibao Mountain, a UNESCO Global Geopark, to see the ancient "Lüxueya" white tea mother tree, and then headed to Yushan Island for an on-site inspection of an organic tea plantation, kicking off their three-day field study program.