The "Tea God" competition of Xiamen Tieguanyin was won by contestant No. 2, Lai Hui Zhi.
The final match of the first-ever "Tea God" competition for Xiamen Tieguanyin took place at the Ruijing Commercial Plaza within Xiamen Island.
The first question in the competition was identifying tea by its aroma. After tasting different teas served by a ceremonial attendant, the three contestants had to confirm their respective tea samples among seven options within ten seconds. All three contestants scored full marks on this question.
Subsequent competition items included blindfolded tea identification, tea ceremony etiquette exams, understanding of the tea way, and sharing of personal experiences. With all rounds completed, the total scores of contestant No. 1, Chen Zhen Peng, and contestant No. 2, Lai Hui Zhi, were still tied. The winner was ultimately decided by bonus points awarded by judges and the audience on-site. Contestant No. 2, Lai Hui Zhi, won the first place in the inaugural Xiamen Tieguanyin Tea God Competition, contestant No. 1, Chen Zhen Peng, came in second, and contestant No. 3, Lin Zhi Yi, placed third. An award ceremony was also held on-site for the top five finalists of the Tea God Competition. Ju Ai Li, Deputy Director of the Tong'an District Tourism Bureau, and Zou Zhen Dong, Director of Xiamen Satellite TV, jointly presented the award to the Tea God winner, Lai Hui Zhi.
The first-ever "Tea God" competition of Xiamen Tieguanyin was organized by the Tong'an District Tourism Bureau and Xiamen Satellite TV. The Tong'an District Tourism Bureau expressed that with the improvement of living standards and the prosperity of the tea market, a new form of tourism integrating tea culture with leisure travel - the tea culture experience tour - is quietly gaining popularity. The Tong'an District Tourism Bureau will use this Tea God competition as a platform, with tea culture as the carrier, to expand the "leisure tourism" brand of Tong'an. Deputy Director Ju Ai Li hopes to make this Tieguanyin "Tea God" competition into the highest standard and class tea cultural tourism activity in the Minnan region, promoting Tong'an's unique tea culture and tourism brand.
Dr. Wu Wen Nan, who was also one of the judges of this competition, told reporters: "The tea culture of Minnan has a long history, rich connotations in tea ways, and deep cultural roots, while 'Tieguanyin' is world-renowned. This event is a high-level and high-class competition in our city's tea industry and also the best opportunity for contestants to showcase themselves. I hope all participants can adhere to the spirit of 'friendship first, competition second', fully demonstrating superb tea art and elegant tea ways, bringing more beauty to people."
Deputy Director Ju Ai Li of the Tong'an District Tourism Bureau said: "With the improvement of living standards and the prosperity of the tea market, a new type of tourism that integrates tea culture with leisure travel - tea culture experience tours - is gradually gaining popularity. The Tong'an Tourism Bureau will use this Tea God competition as a platform, with tea culture as the carrier, to expand the 'leisure tourism' brand of Tong'an. By leveraging the tourism market to boost tea sales, and using the promotion and extension of tea culture to enrich Tong'an's tourism projects, we encourage various scenic spots to combine tea culture with tourism, enhancing the cultural content of the scenic areas and increasing the tourism offerings, attracting more tourists to visit Tong'an. We aim to make this Tieguanyin 'Tea God' competition into the highest-standard and classiest tea cultural tourism event in the Minnan region, promoting Tong'an's unique tea culture and tourism brand."