Buy tea—back to basics for greater value.

　　Last week, the 2015 Spring Tea Expo concluded at the Canton Fair Complex. Although the exhibition space was larger this year, the number of exhibitors declined; nonetheless, it offered Guangzhou tea enthusiasts greater value, with competitively priced new teas and a return-to-simplicity positioning that allowed consumers to savor more natural, high‑quality teas.

　　The area has expanded, but the number of exhibitors has decreased.

　　According to the organizers, this year’s exhibition spans nearly 60,000 square meters across six pavilions—almost double the area of the previous event—making it the largest tea‑industry gathering in the country during the first half of the year. However, compared with the 2014 Autumn Tea Expo, the number of exhibitors has undeniably declined. Organizational materials indicate that the 2014 Autumn Tea Expo occupied eight venues and featured 657 participating companies, whereas this spring’s event, held in six pavilions, hosted 392 exhibitors. The most significant drop was in the Tea Utensils and Culture Pavilion, which saw its roster shrink from 279 companies last year to just 89 this year.

　　One exhibiting tea merchant remarked, “The entire industry is sluggish, and trading volumes have dropped significantly.” Although there are a few more Pu’er tea exhibitors this spring than last autumn—some well-known brands are returning—the event has also seen several participants opt out of the Spring Tea Expo.

　　Government and industry associations are jointly exhibiting.

　　The industry generally reports sluggish market conditions, and it has become increasingly common for government bodies and trade associations to team up and exhibit together. As the public grows more receptive to tea culture, governments in tea-producing regions are also placing greater emphasis on developing the tea sector. Consequently, even though the joint‑exhibit booths of tea merchants may be modest in size, we can still discover fine teas there.

　　According to organizers’ statistics, this year’s event featured eight exhibiting groups, including those from Sichuan, Hubei, Yingde, Meizhou, Dapu County, Yanhe in Guizhou, Guiyang, and Vientiane Tea City. During the fair, tea industry associations from Shenzhen, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, and other cities also sent delegations to participate. The Yingde Tea Association brought nearly 20 enterprises to the show; though their booth was modest in size, it showcased high‑quality teas—among them, Yingde black tea from Shangmingxuan, which was once selected by the provincial government as a gift for the King of Sweden. While Sichuan may not enjoy the same renown as major tea‑producing provinces like Zhejiang, Fujian, or Yunnan, it remains one of China’s leading tea‑producing regions. On this occasion, the Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce organized 102 branded enterprises from 16 different localities, occupying an exhibition space of 1,368 square meters.

　　The market has continued to decline by 10%.

　　Tea market prices have been declining steadily since two years ago. Taking the price of Dayi Yiwu’s new‑year tea as an example, in 2012 it was 11,000 yuan per kilogram, peaking at 20,000 yuan per kilogram; by this year, it has fallen to 9,000 yuan per kilogram.

　　Some insiders in the tea industry predict that its future development may follow a polarized trend: demand in the high-end segment is growing, and ancient-tree and renowned-mountain teas—being scarce resources—will retain investment appeal; meanwhile, mid- to low‑end products, having been inflated in recent years, are expected to gradually return to more rational pricing after this round of market correction.

　　According to a survey and analysis by the Guangdong Tea Industry Association, overall spring tea prices have fallen by approximately 10%. Specifically, bulk single‑origin Congou green tea has dropped from 65–70 yuan per jin last year to around 60 yuan per jin this year, while Yinghong No. 9 black tea has been reduced from 400 yuan per jin last year to 300 yuan per jin this year. The price declines are attributed to two factors: sluggish market conditions and carryover inventory from the previous year.

　　Returning to simplicity, there’s fine tea.

　　As for market conditions, the general consensus is that business is sluggish. In reality, during this year’s spring tea growing and harvesting season, weather across the country was generally favorable, tea farmers’ production techniques have reached a relatively mature level, and the tea quality has been quite good. Exhibitors have also adopted very reasonable pricing for new‑season teas: even highly sought‑after ancient‑tree and mountain‑top teas are being offered at just 200 to 300 yuan per 200 grams.

　　No more flashy packaging or convoluted concepts—today’s new teas embrace simplicity and authenticity.

　　Jinfan Tea’s “mountain‑head teas” are almost all named after their places of origin, including Xigui Tea, grown on Manglu Mountain in Xigui Village, Dongxiang Township, Linxiang District, Lincang City, Yunnan; Mengsong Tea, cultivated in Mengsong Township, Menghai County, Xishuangbanna; Zijuan Tea, a unique variety found in the collective tea gardens of Nanuo Mountain; and Naka Tea, a renowned Yunnan specialty.

　　Zijuan tea is particularly popular. It boasts a lustrous, purplish-black hue, tightly rolled and slender leaves, and a delicate aroma with a rich floral‑honey note. Its liquor is a pale purple, bright and clear, with a mellow, smooth taste. As a rare and distinctive variety, tea merchants, drawing on the name of Lin Daiyu’s cherished maid “Zijuan” from “Dream of the Red Chamber” and the tea tree’s “zijian”—its purple‑tipped buds—coined the name “Zijuan” as a pun, honoring this unique cultivar.

　　To ensure a steady supply of raw materials from ancient tea trees, Yayıun Masters has signed long-term contracts with the Xipo Ancient Tea Region of Ailao Mountain and the Wuliangshan Ancient Tea Region, where nearly 30,000 ancient tea trees—each over a century old—can be found. Few producers are willing to use ancient tea tree material for black tea; this year, their newly launched black teas made from such ancient leaves are particularly noteworthy. These teas boast a high amino acid content and a naturally sweet flavor, while also being far more resilient to multiple infusions than ordinary black teas—typically yielding 15 to 16 brews, with the most mellow and full-bodied taste emerging around the fifth or sixth infusion.