Zheng Funian (right), the fourth generation inheritor of Zisun tea-making, in Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/hz66.com]

Zheng Funian is the fourth-generation inheritor of Zisun tea-making in Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province.

Harvest season recently began for local spring tea, which is the busiest time of the year for Zheng, who started making tea at the age of 16.

Traditional tea-making is not only more time-consuming than machine processing, but also a challenge for tea makers. The smallest mistake at any step in the process will change the taste of the tea, according to Zheng.

The tea maker can only fry about five kilograms of Zisun tea per day, at a cost of 4,000 yuan ($615.38) per kg.

Zheng, who now has five apprentices, said his main goal is to preserve traditional Zisun tea-making techniques.

Zisun tea is primarily grown on Guzhu Mountain in Huzhou's Changxing county and was a used as a tribute to the emperor during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), which lasted for more than 600 years.

It was hailed as the best tea by Lu Yu in The Classic of Tea, which is said to be the world's first monograph on tea culture.

The output value of the tea industry in Huzhou is expected to reach 5.6 billion yuan this year, according to local authorities.

Harvested Zisun tea in one of Zheng Funian's workshops. [Photo/hz66.com]

 Zheng Funian fries tea by hand. [Photo/hz66.com]