Tasting Gongcheng Oil Tea, Savoring Osmanthus Delicacies, Viewing Guilin Stone Inscriptions: Hong Kong and Macau Youth Easily Captivated by Guilin

The mountains stretch in rolling waves, and the lifestyles of people vary. Differences in soil, temperature, humidity, sunlight, and even slope orientation of these mountain regions have a significant impact on the growth and production of tea trees. In Guangxi, unique terrains and landforms are abundant, giving rise to the saying 'one mountain, one tea, one tea, one flavor.' When it comes to Guangxi's distinctive landforms, one cannot help but mention Guilin, renowned worldwide for its stunning landscapes.

The next stop of the 'Greater Bay Area Youth Entering Magnificent Guangxi Tea Culture Experience Themed Event' was Guilin, where the youth group admired the layered green mountains, enjoyed the misty Li River, tasted the rich oil tea, and experienced ethnic customs.

'World's finest oil tea is in Gongcheng.' Following the aroma of tea, the group entered Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County to participate in the 14th Guilin Gongcheng Oil Tea Culture Festival. A bowl of rich Gongcheng oil tea was Guilin's 'welcome gift' to everyone. Gongcheng oil tea is a signature dish of the Gongcheng Yao people, and making oil tea is a unique traditional custom, said to have been named 'Soul-Refreshing Soup' by Emperor Qianlong.

The youth group personally experienced the process of making beaten oil tea, which was meticulous and full of regional characteristics. The tea leaves used are picked during the Qingming and Guyu seasons, first soaked in boiling water to reduce bitterness, then a little lard is heated in a tea pot, followed by ginger, garlic, and soaked tea leaves, which are lightly stir-fried, then pounded, and boiled with water to extract the flavor, creating a soulful tea broth. It is served with various accompaniments. When drinking tea, the Gongcheng people sprinkle in chopped green onions and cilantro, and add rice puffs, crispy fruits, fried peanuts, puffed rice, and fried soybeans. The tea broth is rich, and the accompaniments are crispy, offering a novel 'tea-drinking' experience for the youth.

In the Gongcheng oil tea processing industry, the complete production chain amazed the youth. Innovative processing, preservation, and storage technologies have allowed Gongcheng oil tea, originally only made and enjoyed locally, to reach thousands of households, enabling people across the country to taste this unique Guangxi Yao-style tea drink.

After savoring the aromatic oil tea, the group visited the Three Temples and Two Museums Scenic Area to experience Guilin's cultural landscape. The Confucian Temple, Martial Temple, Zhou Wei Shrine, and Hunan Guild Hall sit adjacent, with dougong and flying eaves complementing each other. Guided by staff, they participated in the 'Confucius Worship Ceremony,' crossed the 'Zhuangyuan Bridge,' and strolled through the halls, where colorful caisson ceilings dazzled. The roofs featured high-flying eaves and double-eave hip-and-gable roofs, adorned with glazed ceramic ornaments such as 'Two Dragons Grabbing a Pearl,' 'Twin Lions Playing with a Ball,' 'Aole Fish Frolicking in Water,' and 'Qilin Guarding the Pool,' holding high traditional artistic and cultural value.

Guilin is one of the five major osmanthus-producing regions in China. To appreciate, play with, and taste osmanthus in Guilin, the Osmanthus Commune is undoubtedly the first choice. Upon entering, the youth were immediately attracted by a towering osmanthus tree over 180 years old. Yet deeper inside, they were stunned by an osmanthus seed found at the Guilin Zengpiyan Ruins Park, dating back tens of thousands of years. This seed, currently the oldest osmanthus seed discovered in the world, confirms that China's earliest osmanthus originated in Guilin.

Entering the Osmanthus Culture Experience Hall, everyone made osmanthus cakes by hand, tasted fragrant osmanthus ice cream, and were impressed by the dazzling array of osmanthus products at the commune. There were over fifty or sixty products, including osmanthus cakes, osmanthus wine, osmanthus tea, osmanthus essential oil, and osmanthus skincare products. Many youths were tempted by these osmanthus souvenirs and made purchases.

Leaving this scenic and fun-filled commune, the 'scent-laden' youth headed to the Duxiu Peak Wangcheng Scenic Area. Centered around Duxiu Peak, the 'King of Guilin Mountains,' this scenic area blends natural landscapes with historical and cultural attractions, creating a 'city within a landscape, landscape within a city.' The youth toured Duxiu Peak along mountain paths, seeing numerous cliff inscriptions on the rock faces, including the timeless line 'Guilin's landscape is the finest under heaven.'

Speaking of stone inscriptions, one must visit the Guihai Stele Forest Museum, the most representative site of Guilin's stone inscriptions and the only specialized stele museum in Guangxi. It not only houses handwritten works by many historical figures but also leaves behind countless precious historical documents for future generations. Strolling through the stele forest, the youth looked up and down, marveling at how every character and stroke carried the thoughts and emotions of ancient people and the spirit of their times, rich in cultural connotations. Under the guide's narration, many important historical moments and anecdotes of famous figures were unfolded, inspiring the youth to imagine the magnificent historical ups and downs.

'River like a blue silk ribbon, mountains like emerald hairpins.' In Guilin, the Guangxi journey came to an end. During this Greater Bay Area Youth Entering Magnificent Guangxi Tea Culture Experience Themed Event, the youth from Guangxi, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau traveled through several places, immersing themselves in the rich cultural heritage of Wuzhou like the mellow Liubao tea, 'lying flat' in the tranquil pastoral landscape of Hezhou, and touching the pulse of ancient Guilin’s culture through the aromas of oil tea and osmanthus. Every stop was full of surprises and gains.

Tea is a love letter naturally written to the land of Guangxi. As early summer arrives, the magnificent Guangxi, accompanied by tea, offers endless tea-tourism scenery waiting to be discovered and experienced. Let us join hands and head to Guangxi to explore its mountains and rivers.