An employee at a tea production base in Chongqing's Yongchuan district harvests spring tea. Chang Xu / for China Daily
![Yiling produces first-class tea, which provides farmers a 30 percent increase in their annual income. [Photo by Zhang Guorong / for China Daily]](U363P886T1D57351F14DT20130404103515.jpg "Yiling produces first-class tea, which provides farmers a 30 percent increase in their annual income. [Photo by Zhang Guorong / for China Daily]")
Yiling produces first-class tea, which provides farmers a 30 percent increase in their annual income. [Photo by Zhang Guorong / for China Daily]
Mingqian tea is more affordable this season, allowing the ordinary drinkers to enjoy this great cuppa
Editor's note: A Chinese saying suggests that "mingqian tea is as precious as gold".
The tea leaves that are handpicked before the Qingming Festival are highly rated for their rich fragrance and tenderness.
Additionally, because of the low temperatures in early spring, less mingqian tea is produced than in the later, warmer months, making it highly sought after, especially in the high-end market.
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