Tea cultivation brews rich lives for villagers

A new path to wealth

While tea production and dealing are now traditional ways of earning a living in Hetaoba, He Chongxiao was one of the first villagers to seek a business transformation by opening a home inn and restaurant in 2009.

The 70-year-old and four members of his family earn a combined annual income of 300,000 yuan. Most of the money comes from the hotel business, which includes 10 rooms, the restaurant and a tea shop, but they also lease a hectare of land to tea growers.

The business, which the local people call "tea tourism", has been adopted by a number of villagers as Hetaoba's fame spreads as a center of tea production with a clean environment, according to He Chongxiao.

In recent years, business has grown rapidly and even attracts hordes of tourists from outside the province, especially seniors in search of a summer retreat.

Feng Zhongyun, a middle school teacher from neighboring Chongqing municipality, recently stayed at He Chongxiao's inn after traveling to the village for a vacation to avoid the summer heat in the city. A friend recommended the inn, so Feng brought a group of 12 family members and friends to stay for a week.

"It has clean air and a nice environment. More important, the area is famous for tea, so it's a perfect option for me as a tea lover," said Feng, adding that he and his friends planned to buy some tea before leaving.

As tea tourism becomes more popular, the inns and restaurants in Hetaoba are offering new jobs. For example, because he is short of hands for his business, He Chongxiao hires a local farmer as his cook, paying him about 6,000 yuan a month.

"We have all benefitted a lot from the tea industry, which is the foundation of our village," He Chongxiao said, adding that many villagers have become wealthy and have built multistory homes, and more than 90 percent of local families own at least one car.