A bird's-eye view of a tea plantation at Jingshan Mountain. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_d153f712fe71]

The first China Matcha Conference will be held at Jingshan Mountain, Yuhang district, Hangzhou, from Dec 8 to 10, aiming to promote the high-quality development of China's fast-growing matcha industry and highlighting the distinctive cultural heritage of Chinese matcha.

The conference will feature an opening ceremony, an industry development forum, committee meetings and a matcha industry exhibition.

The forum will bring together experts from the United States, the United Kingdom and major domestic production regions to discuss raw material standards, technological upgrading and emerging consumption trends.

China's matcha sector has expanded rapidly in recent years, forming a full industry chain spanning from cultivation to consumption. The conference will explore new growth opportunities — such as smart matcha machines — and examine innovative ways to meet rising consumer demand.

As the birthplace of matcha culture, Jingshan Mountain offers a strong industrial foundation, producing nearly 3,500 metric tons of matcha annually with an output value exceeding 500 million yuan ($70.7 million).

With the launch of the conference, Yuhang and China's broader matcha industry aim to advance standards, technology and branding, and accelerate China's shift from follower to leader in the global matcha arena.

Jingshan-branded Matcha products. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_d153f712fe71]