On August 28, the 2026 Qingdao International Autumn Tea Industry Expo officially opened at the Qingdao International Convention Center. Hosted by the Shandong Tea Culture Association, the event runs through August 31. As the largest, most prestigious, and most influential annual tea industry event in northern China, the expo spans an exhibition area of 20,000 square meters and brings together nearly 600 branded tea enterprises in Qingdao for a spectacular showcase of the tea industry.
The Opening Ceremony was held at 9:30 a.m. Attendees included Chu Ruiyun, First-Class Inspector of the Shandong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Zhong Gaopei, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Mayor of the Fu'an Municipal People's Government; Gong Jianmei, Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Yongding District CPPCC Committee and prospective chairman; Wu Xiaoping, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Taishun County Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Liu Chao, Director of the Laoshan District Agricultural Comprehensive Service Center in Qingdao; Zhao Jianshe, President of the Shandong Tea Culture Association; Jiang Chonghuan, President of the Qingdao Tea Association; Kuang Xin, Vice President of the China Tea Marketing Association and President of the Qingdao Tea Culture Research Association; Ji Wenshang, President of the Qingdao Tea Processing Association; and Pan Baoliang, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Qingdao Yaxiong Convention and Exhibition Co., Ltd., among other leaders and guests. Additionally, Zhang Zhongcan, Vice President of the International Tea Culture Research Association and former Deputy Secretary of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee, delivered a video address to extend his warm congratulations on the expo.
At the Opening Ceremony, guests engaged in in-depth exchanges on core topics such as the integrated development of tea culture, tea industry, and tea science and technology, as well as the quality improvement and upgrading of the tea industry in northern China. Participants reached a consensus that, guided by this integrated development concept, China's tea industry is embracing unprecedented opportunities. The expo serves as a practical initiative to implement this vision, playing a profound role in promoting exchanges between the northern and southern tea industries and fostering the dissemination of tea culture and the prosperity of the tea economy. Through this platform, premium tea resources from core southern producing areas are efficiently connected with the vast northern market, achieving coordinated development across the upstream and downstream of the industry chain.
In terms of exhibition layout, Hall 1, the Premium Brand Tea Pavilion, gathers renowned teas from major core producing areas across the country. Government pavilions from Fu'an Tanyang Black Tea, Taishun Sanbeixiang, Laoshan Green Tea, and Zhangjiajie Meicha made a strong presence, demonstrating the commitment and achievements of various producing regions in driving high-quality development. Meanwhile, well-known brands such as Baishaxi Anhua Dark Tea, Feng Dianhong, and Bingdao Impression Pu'er are all present. Furthermore, over a thousand varieties of fine teas, including Wuyi Rock Tea, Pingyin Rose Tea, Rizhao Green Tea, Mengding Mountain Tea, Guangxi Liubao Tea, Zhangping Shuixian, and Huangjing, are available for visitors to sample and purchase on site. The expo is dedicated to building a high-standard, branded industry exchange platform to forge deep connections between producing and consuming regions, allowing consumers to savor fine teas from across the nation right at the venue.
Beyond the rich variety of tea categories, Hall 5 features a meticulously curated Tea Ware Aesthetics Exhibition. Exhibits include Yixing purple clay, Jingdezhen ceramics, Jian ware, iron teapots, and tea space accessories, showcasing masterpieces and rare treasures from renowned artisans. This pavilion not only offers visitors an immersive experience of Oriental tea lifestyle aesthetics but also comprehensively highlights the profound heritage and contemporary charm of Chinese tea culture. In recent years, driven by the rise of the "China Chic" trend, the integration of traditional tea ware with modern living spaces has emerged as a new market trend. This pavilion precisely captures this demand, attracting numerous tea culture enthusiasts and collectors.
To further enrich the expo's content, a series of thematic events have been scheduled, including the Song-Style Diancha Competition, the Presidents' Economic Resource Matchmaking Conference, and the "Moonlit Laoshan · Mid-Autumn Tea Art Gathering." Through multi-dimensional scenarios, immersive interactive experiences, and precise business matchmaking, these events aim to drive both foot traffic and sales, comprehensively empowering the high-quality development of the tea industry. With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, events like the "Moonlit Laoshan · Mid-Autumn Tea Art Gathering" seamlessly blend traditional festival culture with the tea industry, stimulating holiday consumption potential.
As the most promising tea consumption market in northern China, Qingdao boasts a permanent population of over 10 million, providing a massive consumer base and broad market prospects. With the upgrading of consumption patterns among northern residents, tea has transitioned from a traditional gift item to an everyday health beverage. The expo will further invigorate the tea consumption market in Qingdao and the broader northern region, providing a high-quality matchmaking platform for national tea enterprises to expand into the north. As the event unfolds, this annual grand gathering of the northern tea industry will undoubtedly inject strong new momentum into the sector's prosperity and growth.