Xu Mingjun teaches tea farmers how to use a drone. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

Young tea farmers gathered on Feb 28 at the West Lake Longjing Tea School in Hangzhou for a drone training session.

The class was led by Xu Mingjun, founder of the Meijiawu Chayuan tea culture experience center, who shared his experience on how drones are transforming tea plantation management and creating a new trend: Tea garden travel photography.

Xu, a sixth-generation Longjing tea grower, left his job at a major tech company in 2018 to take over his family's tea business. What started as simple tea garden tours soon evolved into immersive cultural experiences – allowing visitors to pick, roast and taste tea while capturing their journey with aerial photography.

Drone-shot videos highlight the harmony between people and nature – lush green tea fields, rolling mountains and blue skies – with tea pickers hard at work. The clips create a serene and immersive experience, leaving visitors appreciative of their 158 yuan ($21.7) investment.

Recognizing the demand for high-quality travel content, Xu honed his drone skills – despite many initial crashes. His persistence paid off and today his team operates four drones, which have now completed over 1,000 hours of flight time – capturing breathtaking views of Meijiawu's tea fields.

As drone-shot videos gain popularity online, more young tea farmers are embracing the trend, integrating tea culture experiences with aerial photography.

With Meijiawu leading the way, West Lake Longjing tea is reaching new audiences, ensuring its legacy thrives in the digital era.

A promotional photo taken by Xu's team with the blue sky and lush green tea fields as the backdrop. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]