White‑dew solar term arrives: autumn tea harvest unfolds in Junan

September 7 marks White Dew (Bai Lu), the 15th solar term in China's traditional 24‑solar‑term calendar. As night temperatures drop, dewdrops form on grass blades across Yimeng mountain area. In Junan County, the seasonal turn brings the peak harvest window for autumn green tea, inheriting time‑honored intangible‑cultural‑heritage tea‑making craftsmanship.

When White Dew comes, morning mist lingers over rolling tea plantations in Junan. Tea farmers pick tender one‑bud‑one‑leaf fresh tea shoots before the dew evaporates. These fresh leaves are the premium raw material for Junan green tea, a well‑known geographical‑indication agricultural product of Linyi.

Following intangible‑cultural‑heritage traditional tea‑processing techniques, freshly‑plucked leaves go through withering, fixation, rolling and roasting procedures. Craftsmen control fire temperature and processing duration by experience, locking in the unique chestnut‑like fragrance of northern‑grown green tea. Every pot of autumn tea carries the subtle flavour of autumn mountain wind and dew.

Junan green‑tea craft, listed as a municipal‑level intangible cultural heritage, originates from the well‑known “south‑tea‑north introduction” project decades ago. Generations of local tea‑farmers and craftsmen have adapted tea‑planting and manufacturing skills to the temperate hilly terrain of Yimeng.

The short‑video documentary captures poetic seasonal scenes: dewy grass, mist‑shrouded tea hills, tea‑pickers’ nimble fingers, and artisans roasting tea leaves inside workshops. It blends natural phenology, intangible‑cultural heritage and local agricultural features, presenting the quiet beauty of autumn in Linyi to audiences.

White‑dew tea is beloved among local people. Unlike strong spring tea or astringent summer tea, autumn tea from Yimeng features mellow taste and long‑lasting aroma. The solar‑term custom of tasting White‑dew tea has become a part of local rural cultural life in Junan.

Editor：韩蒙蒙