"Tea bonds people from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan," said Lee Yi-te, chairman of the Taiwan Chinese Tea Art Promotion Association, at the 2023 Maritime Silk Road Tea Culture Forum on Nov 15. Lee has been dedicated to the promotion of cross-Strait tea culture for a long time, often leading delegations to Fujian for tea cultural exchanges.

During the forum, he traced the historical connection between Fujian and Taiwan's tea industries. He shared that wild tea trees were discovered in Taiwan over 300 years ago, and that Fujian tea was introduced to the area about 100 years later, thus marking the beginning of the tea industry in Taiwan.

"Sharing the same roots, Fujian and Taiwan tea have showcased their distinctive characteristics over the course of a long history," said Lee.

The tea tree varieties that originally crossed the sea from Fujian to Taiwan in the early days continue to be cherished and supported by tea enthusiasts.

In recent years, Taiwan has made practical advancements in tea technology. For instance, some tea-making techniques that were previously passed down through sensory experience have now been replaced by electronic noses invented by researchers at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. This technology accurately monitors the changes in a tea's aroma, helping to stabilize the consistency of the tea's quality.

Lee said that the tea industries in Fujian and Taiwan each have their own strengths, and the two regions can collaborate in certain areas to promote the integrated development of the tea industries on both sides of the strait.

Yang Zishuo contributed to this story.