This is Roundtable.
From the heart of Beijing to the edges of the global stage, you're at Roundtable.
I'm Niu Honglin.
For centuries, tea was a staple, the quiet ceremonial background note to Chinese life.
But in 2026, the spring harvest has transformed into a high-stakes economic engine,
triggering a massive mobilization of labor, capital, and live-streamed commerce.
Have you ever considered making your next trip tea-themed?
Let's talk about it.
For today's show, I'm joined by Yushan and Steve Hatherly.
Now pull up a chair and join the conversation.
Spring in China certainly wakes up flowers and birds, but it also wakes up the tea economy.
No, I'm not only talking about the harvesting during spring period.
The tea industry is getting much more integrated today.
We have younger consumers embracing.
Tea as their everyday routine, part of their everyday routine,
and international buyers are ordering through e-commerce platforms and travelers heading to tea mountains
for immersive cultural experiences.
So tea here in China at this period of the time is definitely something very important,
has something to do with almost everybody, and almost a trend when it comes to the tourism and travel industry.
Something quite interesting.