BEIJING: Spring is the peak tea-plucking season. Workers are busy harvesting the prized first flush leaves.
Tea fairs and festivals are also in full swing across China. Following the recently concluded 20th Beijing International Tea Expo, the city of Lichuan in Hubei Province is now hosting a special black tea festival. Organized under the theme “A Cup of Black Tea Connects Tea Lovers Around the World,” the first Asia-Africa Black Tea Exchange Program 2026 kicked off on Friday. The event aims to promote dialogue and cooperation among tea industries across Asia and Africa.
The international event, which runs until Sunday, has brought together participants from China, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Nepal.
On the opening day, Nepal showcased its premium black tea at a special tasting session attended by more than 200 national and international delegates. Organised at the initiative of the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing, the event featured Golden Orthodox black tea made from unopened buds produced in Ilam in 2024.
During the event, Parbati Aryal, Economic Minister at the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing, made a detailed presentation on Nepali tea. She informed participants that tea is cultivated at elevations ranging from 1,500 to 7,000 feet by following organic and orthodox production standards. “Nepali tea is increasingly gaining recognition in international markets for its high antioxidant content,” she added.
Aryal also proposed reviving the historic “Tea Horse Route,” linking Nepal’s tea gardens in Ilam with the World Peace Garden in Lumbini. Such an initiative, she said, could symbolically connect tea with the global message of peace.
She further pointed out the similarities between Lichuan’s red tea and Nepal’s black tea. “Both are grown in high-altitude mountainous regions and are known for their distinctive taste. The cultivation environments are similar, the tea varieties are closely related, and both offer unique aromas and rich flavours. They are truly premium teas,” she added.
Zhai Huqu, Honorary President of the Tea Committee under the China Association for the Promotion of International Agricultural Cooperation and former president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, led the session.
Roshan Pokharel, a Nepali tea promoter, said participants from all five countries praised the quality of Nepali tea.
The program features black tea tastings, the release of an official industry report, the launch of new Lichuan black tea products, a global sustainable development initiative for black tea, roundtable discussions among domestic and international experts, and visits to organic tea gardens.
The festival is jointly organised by the Tea Industry Committee of the China Association for the Promotion of International Agricultural Cooperation, the Belt and Road International Tea Trade Industry Technology Innovation Institute, and the People’s Government of Lichuan.
