Tea time

Liu Xiaobing carries aromatic leaves gathered from the Litsea coreana tree at a workshop in Chongqing municipality, May 13, 2021.

Carrying aromatic leaves gathered from the Litsea coreana tree, Liu Xiaobing from Chongqing will shortly process, heat, roll and store them. The leaves are highly valued for their aroma, due in no small part to phenolic compounds. Nicknamed "Eagle's tea", it has long been a firm favorite to combat the summer heat in Sichuan province and Chongqing.

Liu, 36, is an inheritor of the tea-making craft, which he took up four years ago in Shizhu county, Chongqing. He oversees the management of more than 300 Litsea coreana trees. Last year, he, along with farmers in Shizhu's Pingba village, made and sold 2,500 kilograms of the tea, earning more than 1 million yuan ($155,327). They helped more than 200 households see their annual income increase by over 1,000 yuan.

Liu Xiaobing rolls aromatic leaves gathered from the Litsea coreana tree at a workshop in Chongqing municipality, May 13, 2021.