Tour Theme:
From Tea Plantations and Flower Fields to Shop Shelves Worldwide – An In-Depth Exploration of Digital Trade in Agricultural Origin Regions
Core Concept:
To conduct in-depth visits to the core industries of two major agricultural production hubs—the ancient tea plantations of Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er and the fresh flower market in Dounan, Kunming—and to immerse oneself in the entire industrial ecosystem encompassing the cultivation, processing and distribution of these distinctive agricultural products; By collaborating with Yiwu Agricultural Products Market and e-commerce enterprises, we will provide a first-hand look at the practical realities of digital trade in agricultural products and the establishment of cross-border supply chains. This initiative aims to build a precise bridge connecting agricultural production areas with global markets, driving the deep integration of distinctive agricultural industries with digital trade, and realising the dual value of mutual empowerment through origin traceability and global trade, as well as the linking of resources.
Programme Highlights:
Focusing on two of Yunnan’s signature agricultural products—Pu’er tea and fresh-cut flowers—this programme delves into the core aspects of cultivation, processing and trade, offering a comprehensive overview of ecological farming practices, intangible cultural heritage techniques and industrial operating models in the agricultural source regions. By combining in-depth traceability visits to tea plantations and flower fields with industrial tours of Yiwu’s digital trade and cross-border e-commerce sectors, the programme facilitates a closed-loop integration of agricultural specialities with digital trade and global distribution channels, exploring new pathways for the industrial upgrading of agriculture. The programme includes themed accommodation, Yunnan-style dining and dedicated business matching services throughout. The itinerary is designed to be unhurried, ensuring both an immersive traceability experience and efficient business negotiations, thereby facilitating targeted networking. Accommodation is carefully selected from boutique tea-hill guesthouses and high-end city hotels, balancing unique experiences with comfort to provide an ideal setting for industry exchanges.
Target Audience:
Ideal for agricultural professionals, agricultural product brands, cross-border e-commerce teams, fresh produce supply chains, commercial investors, and government and corporate delegations. The event focuses on traceability to the place of origin and the implementation of global digital trade, whilst also welcoming collaboration and networking opportunities with peers from the tourism industry nationwide.
Day1: Jingmai Mountain, Pu’er · The Dawn of Tea · A First Visit to the Ancient Forests
Morning｜Arrival and Settling In
Upon arrival in Pu’er, we will travel by coach to Jingmai Mountain and check into the Jingmai Mountain Ancient Village Boutique Guesthouse (Lancang Balang Tea Spirit Guesthouse). After checking in, we will rest and acclimatise to the mountain climate, preparing for our upcoming journey to explore the origins of the tea mountains.
Afternoon | An in-depth exploration of Jingmai Mountain’s ancient tea forests and historic villages
Immerse yourself in the world’s first tea-themed UNESCO World Heritage Site, discover the ecology of the millennia-old tea forests and the charm of the ancient Blang villages, and embark on a journey to trace the origins of Pu’er tea.
Key Highlights:
• Easy hike through the ancient tea forests of Jingmai Mountain:Join a local tea farmer guide on a visit to the ancient tea forests of Dapingzhang to learn about the history of Pu’er tea cultivation and the ecological conservation of ancient tea forests. Observe the forms of ancient tea trees up close, identify the epiphytes growing on them, and experience the ecological concept of ‘tea-forest symbiosis’
• Exploring the Ancient Blang Villages: Stroll along the stone-paved paths of the ancient villages of Wengji and Nuogan, visit the ancient Wengji Temple and the thousand-year-old cypress tree, learn about the Blang people’s customs of worshipping the tea ancestor and the distinctive features of their wooden stilt-house dwellings, and step into villagers’ homes to experience roasted tea and sample tea cakes and tea sweets, immersing yourself in the atmosphere where the fragrance of tea blends with local culture.
Evening | Speciality Tea Mountain Dinner + Rest
Enjoying a traditional farmhouse meal at the ancient village of Jingmai, savouring local specialities such as roast free-range chicken, rice dressed with tea seed oil, and stir-fried wild mushrooms with pork. After dinner, relax at your guesthouse; you may sip tea in the courtyard whilst soaking up the tranquil evening atmosphere of the ancient village and reflecting on the day’s journey.
Industry Focus:
To gain an initial insight into the origins of Pu’er tea, establish a basic understanding of ecological cultivation in ancient tea forests and the Pu’er tea industry, and experience the natural and cultural heritage of the agricultural region, thereby laying the groundwork for a subsequent in-depth exploration of tea-making techniques.
Day 2: Jingmai Mountain, Pu’er · In-depth Tea Ceremony Workshop · Cultural Immersion
Morning｜In-depth tour of Princess Brown Tea Factory
Visiting a leading tea enterprise in Jingmai Mountain, observe the entire Pu’er tea production process, take part in a hands-on tea-making experience, and gain an in-depth understanding of the intangible cultural heritage techniques and standardised industrial operations involved in Pu’er tea production.
Highlights of the tour:
- Follow a professional guide on a tour of the workshops where the tea leaves are sun-dried, fermented and pressed, to learn about the entire production process of Pu’er tea: withering → killing the green → rolling → fermentation → pressing → drying;
- Take part in a hands-on session to press a simple Pu’er tea cake, creating your own small tea cake to take home as a souvenir;
- Sample Pu’er teas of different vintages and varieties, and learn professional tasting techniques for observing colour, smelling the aroma, savouring the flavour and examining the tea leaves after brewing.
Afternoon | Exploration of the Millennial Tea Origins + Tea Culture Experience
Delve deep into the roots of Jingmai Mountain’s tea culture, experience traditional tea-making techniques, and appreciate the heritage and evolution of this millennia-old tea culture.
Key Highlights:
Visit the 1,400-year-old ‘King of Ancient Tea Trees’, learn about the history of ancient tea trees and professional cultivation techniques, and touch the ancient tree to experience the aroma of tea steeped in history; • Learn the standards and techniques for harvesting fresh Pu’er tea leaves, experience the traditional sun-drying process, and enjoy the pleasure of making tea using ancient methods; • Listen to a local tea master explain Pu’er tea etiquette, brew ancient tree tea yourself, and learn about the culture of the Ancient Tea-Horse Road and the heritage of Jingmai Mountain tea culture.
Evening | Transfer to Pu’er City Centre + Speciality Dinner
Return to Pu’er city centre by coach and check in at the Wyndham Grand Pu’er Hotel to rest; enjoy a speciality dinner featuring local Pu’er-Simao cuisine, including Simao sour fish soup and lemongrass-grilled fish, to soothe the fatigue of the day’s tea mountain excursion.
Industry Focus:
Gain a comprehensive understanding of Pu’er tea production techniques and tasting methods; gain an in-depth understanding of the close relationship between ancient tea forest ecosystems and the Pu’er tea industry; experience the craftsmanship heritage and standardised development of this distinctive agricultural industry in its place of origin; and lay the groundwork for product knowledge to facilitate future engagement with the trade market.
Day 3: Pu’er → Kunming · Conclusion of the Tea Origin Tour · First Glimpse of the Flower Market Morning｜Conclusion of the Pu’er Tea Origin Tour + Journey to Kunming
Review the key highlights of the two-day Pu’er tea origin tour in Jingmai Mountain, summarising the industry’s distinctive features of ecological cultivation and intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship; Then travel by coach to Pu’er Station and take the high-speed train to Kunming, completing the transition from tea mountains to flower markets.
Lunchtime | Speciality Lunch in Dounan, Kunming
Upon arrival in Kunming, head to the vicinity of the Dounan Flower Market to enjoy a lunch featuring Yunnan specialities such as mushroom hotpot, to build up energy for the flower industry tour.
Afternoon | In-depth Initial Exploration of the Dounan Flower Market Visit
Asia’s largest cut-flower trading market to gain an initial understanding of the ‘Yunhua’ (Yunnan Flowers) industry ecosystem and experience the trading atmosphere and scale of the flower-producing region.
Key highlights:
- Visit the Dounan Flower Exhibition Hall to learn about the history of ‘Yunhua’, the distribution of flower cultivation, and the industry’s path to modernisation;
- Explore the fresh-cut flower and succulent sections of Dounan’s main market to discover the variety of cut flowers and pricing structures, and observe the entire process of flower sorting and packaging;
3. Handpick your own flowers, learn simple flower-arranging techniques, and create your own bouquet to take home.
Evening | Dou Nan Night Auction Experience + Rest
Observe the night-time fresh flower auction process at the Dou Nan Flower Auction Centre, with a guide explaining the auction rules and bidding procedures, offering a glimpse into the core of the global ‘Yunhua’ trade; after enjoying a special Dai-style barbecue dinner, check in at the Kunming Kariad Hotel to rest.
Industry Focus:
Complete the traceability of dual agricultural origins—from Pu’er tea to fresh-cut flowers—gain an initial understanding of the trading models and market scale of the ‘Yunhua’ industry, and establish a connection between the origins of distinctive agricultural products and primary trading markets, laying the groundwork for subsequent digital trade matchmaking.
Day 4: Kunming → Yiwu · Conclusion of the Flower Tour · Launch of the Digital Trade Tour
Morning｜Conclusion of the Kunming flower industry tour + journey to Yiwu
To review the key findings of the Dounan flower industry inspection, summarising the trading characteristics and industry challenges of the fresh-cut flower production region; followed by a transfer to Kunming Changshui International Airport for a flight to Yiwu, marking the start of the journey to connect agricultural production regions with digital trade.
Afternoon | In-depth visit to Yiwu Agricultural Products Market
Explore the major agricultural product distribution centre in Central Zhejiang and the National Key Leading Market for Agricultural Industrialisation, gaining first-hand insight into the operational model of this core commercial hub for ‘buying globally and selling globally’
Key Focus of the Visit:
1. Gain an understanding of the comprehensive layout of the Agricultural Trade City, covering vegetables, fruit, processed foods, grains and oils, with a particular focus on examining the operational models of the tea and speciality agricultural produce zones;
2. Observe the global agricultural supply chain integration system of the Agricultural Trade City, which leverages Yiwu’s international trade advantages, and learn the logic behind the integration of agricultural produce origins with distribution markets;
3. Engage in discussions with market operators to explore pathways for cooperation regarding the entry of Yunnan’s speciality agricultural products, such as Pu’er tea and fresh-cut flowers, into the Yiwu market.
Industry Focus:
Gain an in-depth understanding of the operational models and global supply chain structures of national-level agricultural product distribution centres; establish a bridge connecting Yunnan’s speciality agricultural products from their places of origin with Yiwu’s global trade hub; and explore pathways for upgrading the circulation of agricultural products from their places of origin to distribution centres.
Day 5: Yiwu · Digital Empowerment · Implementing Results
Morning | In-depth visits to e-commerce enterprises
Explore leading agricultural e-commerce companies in Yiwu to learn key insights into the online marketing of agricultural products, digital operations and brand building, and gain first-hand experience of the digital trade transformation of distinctive agricultural products.
Key Focus of the Visit:
1. Observe the full operational process of agricultural e-commerce enterprises, including online operations, live-streamed sales and supply chain management;
2. Learn the pathways and digital operational techniques for upgrading Pu’er tea and distinctive agricultural products from ‘local specialities’ to branded goods;
3. Gain an understanding of the domestic channel layout for agricultural e-commerce, as well as the qualifications and standard requirements for cross-border trade.
Key Activities | Industry Exchange Symposium + Cooperation Signing Ceremony
Host an industry exchange symposium on agricultural origins and digital trade, inviting Yiwu e-commerce enterprises and market operators to engage in in-depth discussions with the delegation. Explore pathways for integrating Yunnan’s distinctive agricultural products—such as Pu’er tea and fresh-cut flowers—with digital trade and global markets, and identify key areas for cooperation. Complete the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate the implementation of collaborative outcomes between agricultural origins and the digital trade sector.
Afternoon | Return Journey and Summary
Summarise the outcomes of this full-industry-chain study tour, which spanned from the Pu’er tea mountains and Kunming flower market to the global shelves of Yiwu; present Yiwu’s distinctive agricultural produce as souvenirs; travel by coach to Yiwu Airport to conclude this in-depth study tour on digital trade in agricultural origin regions, and return to respective destinations.
Industry Focus:
To comprehensively study core experiences in digital trade and brand building for agricultural products; to clarify the pathways and standards for connecting distinctive products from agricultural origins to global markets; to promote in-depth cooperation between the Pu’er tea and fresh-cut flower industries and Yiwu’s digital trade and global supply chains; and to complete the full-industry-chain inspection cycle from agricultural origins to global shelves.
Personalised service throughout the trip
• With professional agricultural industry study tour mentors, digital trade business matchmakers and tour guides on hand to ensure the smooth running of the itinerary, traceability checks and business negotiations;
• The tea plantation itinerary features local tea farmer guides, the flower itinerary features industrial guides from the Dounan Market, and the Yiwu itinerary features expert e-commerce industry commentators, ensuring the professionalism of traceability and site visits at every stage;
• Unique experiences such as Pu’er tea tasting and fresh flower souvenir making are provided throughout the trip, with complimentary customised tea cakes and handmade bouquets offered as lasting mementos of the industrial tour;
• Accommodation throughout the trip is in boutique guesthouses in the tea-growing regions and high-end city hotels, complemented by dining experiences featuring local tea-growing region specialities, Yunnan cuisine and Yiwu delicacies, balancing the experiential aspect with comfort to provide an ideal environment for industrial exchange; • A dedicated business vehicle is provided throughout the trip, including conne