Recently, an underground train packed with traditional Chinese tea culture elements pulled into a Metro Line 1 station. Into the carriage, one was met with rich greenery of grass and trees, as if in a tea garden. “I myself like to drink tea, and my children have also developed the habit under my influence. I do hope that the profound Chinese tea culture will pass on to future generations.” Ms. Zhou, who was passionately talking about traditional Chinese tea with her kid on the train, spoke highly of this sort of publicity.   

On the evening of November 29, Beijing Time, the 17th session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage declared the inclusion of “traditional Chinese tea processing techniques and associated practices” into the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. So far, China, which continues to be the most enlisted nation in the world, now has 43 elements on the list. The new element of “traditional Chinese tea processing techniques and associated practices” to the UNESCO list involves 44 representative cultural heritages from 15 provinces (districts, cities), covering green tea, black tea, oolong tea, white tea, dark tea, yellow tea, reprocessed tea and other traditional tea making techniques and related practices such as Jingshan Tea Feast and Chaozhou Congou Tea. 

To promote traditional Chinese tea processing and let people feel the charm of and learn more about tea culture in Zhejiang, from now on to December 11, a special train of “traditional Chinese tea making techniques and practices” will be shuttling on Metro Line 1. 

The “Tea Culture” train has six carriages, exhibiting through words and pictures Zhejiang’s six world intangible cultural heritage items, including green tea making techniques (West Lake Longjing Tea, Wuzhou Juyan Tea, Purple Bamboo Shoot Tea, Anji White Tea), temple fair (Ganchachang), and Jingshan Tea Feast respectively. People can have a close look at Zhejiang’s profound tea culture while taking the subway. In addition, they can also scan the QR code on the subway to learn more about traditional Chinese tea making techniques and customs. 

UNESCO’s addition accords the traditional Chinese tea processing techniques and associated practices great importance. Zhejiang, as the leading applicant and main organizer for tea culture publicity and exhibition activities, will carry out promotion events with the theme of “Tea and the World Intangible Cultural Heritage” in many places from now on to the end of December. Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the West Lake Scenic Area Administration Commission and China National Tea Museum, as co-organizers, will also launch a series of publicity activities. Please stay informed with us.