Tongren mayor sees prosperous future for city

Tongren also plans to cooperate with major domestic tourism agencies and online celebrities from markets such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to promote the city's major attractions and expand its exposure, Mu said, adding it will improve tourism services and provide better guides for foreign tourists.

The city has also initiated measures to provide specialty products to lure foreign guests and contribute to Guizhou's ambition to become a world-class tourist destination, he said.

Netizens have dubbed Tongren the global super factory for matcha, with products such as matcha powder having been sold to over 40 foreign countries and regions. Sales last year exceeded 1,000 metric tons, Mu said.

He said the city can produce 4,000 tons of fine matcha powder a year, ranking top in China and second in the world in terms of output.

Matcha is made from fresh and tender tea leaves that have been cut and dried. With its unique flavor and medicinal properties, matcha and its derivatives have been widely applied in food and cosmetics.

"We will upgrade the production of biological tea gardens for matcha, especially those in the core region around Fanjing Mountain, making the city a major primary raw material base for matcha in China," Mu said.

"In addition, we will extend the industrial chain to provide diversified products from matcha, such as in drinks, chocolates, noodles and facial masks," he said, adding the city will also increase the industry's added value.

According to a white paper released by the China Center for Information Industry Development a year ago, China has become the world's largest producer of matcha and the largest consumer of matcha products.

It suggested that the matcha industry in China will continue to expand. By 2027, global matcha production is forecast to reach 12,000 tons, with China and Japan expected to remain the primary regions driving growth.