A tea industrial park in Kaihua county, Quzhou, Zhejiang province, is extending Longding tea production beyond the traditional spring season by producing a wider range of tea products throughout the year.

Kaihua's Longding tea, renowned as one of Zhejiang's top 10 famous teas, is picked from high-altitude tea trees and processed using traditional methods.

At the park's first-phase production facility on Sept 15, digital production lines were producing tea ingredients for tea-based drinks, tencha, herbal teas, and tea substitutes. Workers monitored key processes including the amount of raw materials, drying temperatures, and production speeds.

A worker monitors tea processing on a digital production line. [Photo/Tide News]

With a total planned investment of 800 million yuan ($119.27 million), the park will be developed in three phases, integrating tea cultivation, deep processing, cultural displays, and sales.

Since the park opened in January, orders for products including tencha and tea-based beverage ingredients have exceeded 300 metric tons. The park's output value is expected to reach 60 million yuan this year.