Employees in a herbal tea company in Yuanqu county work at a forsythia tea production line. [Photo by Cui Songliang for China Daily]

Provincial leaders aim to make high-quality produce into a major source of revenues

Authorities in North China's Shanxi province are planning to develop herbal tea into one of the local pillar industries.

Their confidence is based on the rich local resources in medical herbs and a long provincial history in producing herbal teas and other herb-related products.

According to a recent national survey, Shanxi is home to 1,788 varieties of medical herbs.

Herbs such as pilose asiabell, milkvetch, forsythia, chrysanthemum and sea buckthorn are widely used in the production of herbal teas in Shanxi due to their ready availability and high quality.

Lou Yangsheng, Party secretary of the province, and Shanxi Governor Lin Wu attended a promotional fair for local herbal teas in Taiyuan on March 20, where local products were showcased to consumers from home and abroad.

Lou, who calls himself a "branding envoy" for Shanxi's herbal teas, said: "The production of the teas is based on the selection of genuine medical herbs growing in Shanxi and time-honored techniques that require great human effort. And the preparation of the teas represents an art form that is similar to the traditional tea ceremony popular in China and Japan."

The Party chief said he is confident of the market potential of the tea products from Shanxi because of the heritage and their many health benefits.

"The history of Shanxi herbal teas can be traced back to the Red Emperor or Shennong, the legendary emperor who invented herbal drinks some 5,000 years ago," Lou said.

A worker in Hengshan Tea Industry Corp in Hunyuan county removes impurities from dried leaves as part of the producing process. [Photo by Wang Zhongxun for China Daily]

Wang Cheng, vice-governor of the province, said that in Shanxi herbal teas have been brewed and consumed for thousands of years.

The production of herbal teas in Shanxi shares some similarity with traditional tea making in the rest of the country, including techniques such as drying, baking and fermenting.

However, unlike traditional teas that use tea leaves as their ingredients, many parts of herbs, including leaves, fruits and roots, can be used for making herbal teas in Shanxi. Currently, there are nearly 300 invention patents related to herbal tea production, according to Wang.

Some herbal teas can help control body temperature and clear away toxic substances, while others are good for immunity, sleep or digestion, according to herbal tea experts.

Due to its high quality and health benefits, herbal tea made from forsythia in Pingding county was gifted to the royal families throughout history.

According to records, Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) called forsythia tea of Pingding "longevity tea".

A milkvetch farm in Hunyuan county [Photo by Wang Zhongxun for China Daily]

According to the Shanxi Administration for Market Regulation, there are more than 100 enterprises engaged in the production of herbal teas, with more than 220 varieties and 92 brands sold both domestically and overseas.

However, due to a lack of effective branding, Shanxi's herbal teas are not very popular among consumers outside Shanxi, local officials said.

To solve this problem, the province has launched a new marketing campaign, which includes establishing an industrial alliance for promoting herbal teas and brand building.

The Shanxi Herbal Tea Alliance, a local trade association, recently launched the "Shanxi Herbal Tea" brand for local products with geographic indications.

This brand is expected to make Shanxi Herbal Tea a recognized name like Longjing Tea in Zhejiang, Pu'erh Tea in Yunnan and Wuyi Rock Tea in Fujian, according to Ju Zhen, chief of Shanxi Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

He said the herbal tea sector will become a new growth area in the province's rural development, alongside agricultural products with local geographic indications such as millet; mature vinegar; fragrant pear; walnut; sorghum; buckwheat and potato.

Ju said he hopes local businesses use all kinds of marketing channels, including trade shows, tourism festivals and online platforms, to improve the influence and market share of herbal teas.

While strengthening marketing efforts, Ju said it is crucial to foster a strong team of professionals for the research, development, production and sales of herbal tea products.

The official also called on local producers to develop strict standards for production and safety to ensure quality.

Guo Yanjie contributed to this story.