Longwu Tea Town. [Photo/Tide News]

The 11th Tea Olympics and first West Lake Longwu Tea Town Autumn Tea Festival will take place in Longwu Tea Town, Xihu district, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, from Nov 6 to 10, with seven competitions starting Nov 7.

Founded in Hangzhou in 2014, the Tea Olympics is a major national platform for tea culture exchanges and competitive events. It has been permanently based in Longwu Tea Town since 2018.

The competitions will cover tea ceremonies, Song Dynasty (960-1279)-style tea preparation, tea-based pastries and dishes, innovative tea drinks, tea tasting, youth speeches, and family tea traditions. Highlights include interactive tea-making challenges, blind evaluations of nine tea categories, and a competition inviting families to showcase local tea-related intangible cultural heritage.

The event will also feature a range of public activities across Longwu Tea Town, including creative markets, tea-themed art exhibitions, tea fashion shows, music and light festivals, and livestream shopping events. Four walking routes and two cycling routes will offer visitors opportunities to explore the area's tea-growing landscape.

The festival aims to bring professional tea competitions and cultural experiences together, offering residents and visitors a closer look at China's tea traditions and contemporary innovations.