At the Wulichong tea garden, south Yunnan’s Mengzi city, tea leaves are kneaded by a grinder which is tied to a rotating water wheel. Because the grinder is indirectly driven by flowing water, local people also call the tea thus made "water-milled tea".

The water-milled tea makes a traditional craft of the Hani ethnic group in south Yunnan. “In making the special tea, we have to follow strict steps that cover picking, sun-drying, grinding and kneading, fermenting and baking,” said Qin Xiao Shao, prefectural inheritor of the Hani tea.

The steps aim to rid of the bitterness in the raw tea leaves, while restoring the mellow taste and honey-like fragrance. Qin Xiaoshao believes the water-milled tea represents the concept of "harmony between man and nature" in traditional Chinese culture. 

And it is also an innovation. With the increase of living standards, people have diversified needs in cultural enjoyment. Through years of inheritance, Qin Xiaoshao believes that tea is closely related to culture, and technological innovation is needed when combining tradition with modernity. 

By Fan Fangyu (Xinhua); trans-editing by Wang Shixue