Tea gardens in Wuyi county, Jinhua. [Photo/Jinhua Media Group]

In Nanhu village, Wuyi county, Jinhua, Zhejiang province, tea-picking machines hum as they glide through the rows, harvesting fresh tea leaves swiftly for processing.

"We're at peak harvest now, with two machines collecting over 10,000 kilograms of fresh leaves every day," said tea farmer Zou Zhonghan. "I've been planting tea for over 20 years, managing around 600 mu (40 hectares). Seeing the matcha trend, I've added over 100 mu this year."

The prosperity on the hills is mirrored in bustling processing facilities. On the automated production line at Zhejiang Xiangyu Tea Industry, fresh leaves are transformed through a complex series of steps including storage, cutting, enzyme inactivation, and drying into raw material for high-quality matcha — known as tencha.

"Since April 9, we've been producing four metric tons of dry tea a day, consuming 30 tons of fresh leaves, with eight tencha production lines running around the clock," said General Manager Zhu He.

Wuyi's tea industry is evolving from leaf sales to matcha production, leveraging its reputation as China's "hometown of organic matcha". Wuyi boasts 128,000 mu of tea plantations, with tencha covering 16,000 mu in 2025, yielding over 850 tons and generating 120 million yuan ($17.69 million).

With 42 tencha and eight matcha production lines, nearly 10,000 tea farmers have seen their incomes jump by more than 10,000 yuan each.

Wuyi matcha is now applied in tea beverages, baking, and snacks, enhancing brand influence and market value.