Tea master steeps young apprentice in ancient tradition

Workers collect tea leaves in areas around West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in late March. [Photo by Wu Yuanfeng/Shi Xiaofeng/China Daily]

The Fan family has grown and produced Longjing tea for generations.

"I started to learn the tea-panning skill when I was 14. And I haven't skipped a year yet," the 56-year-old master said proudly.

Panning tea is physically hard work. Fan shows a photo of his hands, with blisters and peeling on the palms and fingers. He has to do it with bare hands in a metal basin with temperatures up to 260 C.

"You have to touch the leaves with your hands to determine how much water is being removed," Fan said. "The length of time depends on when the leaves are picked, the weather and the drying time."

It takes him four to five hours to complete all the processes for each batch of finished tea, and he can process up to 10 kilograms in one day.