High-tech future seen in tea leaves

Innovations

A small tea atomizer is one of his innovations. The device, no larger than a glue stick, emits a fine spray of tea. This process strengthens the bouquet of the tea and makes it easier to distinguish different varieties from each other.

"To recognize the bouquet of a tea is a crucial part of tea tasting. Every tea species has its unique scent and there are even variances in the same tea species grown in different mountain areas," Fang said.

He added that the scents produced by the atomizer can even be used as tea perfumes.

Fang also came up with the idea of turning one of Xiqiu's abandoned tea-processing factories into a small tea museum, exhibiting different varieties of the plant and demonstrating traditional tea-making skills. The museum is free to the public.

In the middle of the museum, a traditional withering trough used to dry the leaves is used to display porcelain bowls made in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Fang had the trough covered with a pane of glass so it can be used as a table. Visitors can also sample tea varieties while learning more about their histories.

"The museum has become a popular landmark where young people love to take selfies and post them online to show off their tea-tasting experiences," Fang said. "That's a practical way to promote tea culture to young people."

Fang said he learned in the UK that the traditional tea-making business needed the help of big data.

"From tea planting to processing, we are collecting data on each procedure," he said.

"In future, the data analysis will make the industry more 'intelligent'. That way traditional tea making, now an intangible culture heritage under threat of disappearing, can be better protected and passed on."