On the morning of March 31, at the Yuhang Jingshan Tea Culture Park, a "tea dialogue" spanning a thousand years unfolded: an AI-recreated "Tea Sage" Lu Yu, holding a tea cup, discussed The Classic of Tea with Hanfu-clad "tea enthusiasts," while the audience erupted in applause. Titled "Zen Tea Originates from Jingshan, a Single Cup Enlightens the Human World," the opening ceremony of the 2025 Yuhang Jingshan Spring Tea Season injected cutting-edge technology into the millennium-old Zen tea culture, officially launching a two-month spring tea celebration.

As the birthplace of Chinese Zen tea culture, Jingshan’s tea story began over 1280 years ago. The opening ceremony reimagined this rich history with playful creativity: AI Lu Yu not only "time-traveled" to share tea-picking wisdom but also debuted as a digital ambassador, announcing his new role to engage with netizens in future livestreams for tea culture education.

Tea industry upgrades took center stage. Four major industrial collaboration projects were unveiled: Hangzhou Jingshan Tea Development Co. Ltd. partnered with key enterprises affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to develop intelligent matcha machines, signed a deal with Fujian Zhengshantang Tea Co. to promote premium tea gift sets, and collaborated with the Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences to create youth-oriented products like cold-brew and floral-fruit teas. Simultaneously, the "Yuhang District Tea Industry Development Advisory Committee," composed of top experts, was established to provide strategic guidance for brand globalization and industrial chain expansion. Awarded the "50-Year Jingshan Tea Merit Prize," master tea artisan Wang Shenghua captured the industry’s leap with the phrase: "Tradition is our root, innovation is our wings."

With the ceremony’s launch, the 2025 Jingshan Spring Tea Season entered a "region-wide carnival" mode, featuring over 20 immersive tea-themed events: the "10th Jingshan Tea King Competition" will crown the year’s most exquisite tea; the Jingshan Tea Urban Lounge in Hangzhou’s downtown will revive ancient tea rituals like Tang Dynasty boiling, Song Dynasty whisking, and Ming Dynasty brewing, alongside debuting the "Tea Brewed by Lu Yu" beverage line. Online, the "Yuhang Invites You to Sip Jingshan Tea" campaign encourages users to post creative tea-drinking videos with the hashtag #JingshanInvitesYouForTea for limited-edition tea prizes.

In 2024, Jingshan Tea’s regional brand value reached CNY 3.569 billion yuan. Moving forward, Yuhang District aims to leverage tea technology, tea finance, tea wellness, and other emerging sectors to build a holistic industrial ecosystem, ensuring "every tea leaf tells a Chinese story." This spring, follow in the footsteps of AI Lu Yu and savor a cup of Jingshan Tea that bridges millennia—witness how it brews a new era of Eastern charm through the fusion of Zen spirit and modern innovation.