The opening ceremony for the 2018 Duyun Maojian International Forum for Tea Lovers was held in Duyun city in Qiannan prefecture, Guizhou province. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

Duyun city, known in Qiannan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture for its Maojian tea, held the opening ceremony for the 2018 Duyun Maojian International Forum for Tea Lovers on Sept 19, with participants from home and abroad gathering to discuss how to promote the tea industry and revitalize rural development.

The forum was jointly held by the government of Qiannan prefecture, the Guizhou Agricultural Commission, China International Tea Culture Research Institute and China Tea Circulation Association. During the opening ceremony, participants delivered speeches and exchanged ideas on how to reduce poverty through the development of Maojian tea.

A guest addresses audiences at the opening ceremony for the Duyun Maojian Forum. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

Chinese tea and tea culture have a history dating back thousands of years. As a healthy drink, tea has become a bridge connecting people from China and other countries, according to Zhou Guofu, president of the China International Tea Culture Research Institute. Zhou said that the Duyun forum provided a platform for tea lovers to promote the Chinese tea industry.

Guizhou has a very important position in the Chinese tea industry, with its Qiannan prefecture being a famous historical tea production area. In recent years, Duyun Maojian tea has become one of the top ten teas in China. Qiannan boasts natural advantages when it comes to growing tea, and its tea industry has great potential. Locals grow tea to protect the environment and increase their incomes, according to Yang Shaoping, a former member of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Tang Dezhi, Party secretary of Qiannan prefecture, addresses audiences at the Duyun Maojian International Forum for Tea Lovers. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

Tea will become the key industry in rural Qiannan prefecture, said Tang Dezhi, Party secretary of Qiannan prefecture. Tang added that the local government will help to improve the quality and popularity of Duyun Miaojian tea and develop the Duyun forum into a platform for exhibiting and selling eco-agricultural products.