Local farmers are busy picking tea leaves as the weather gets warmer in Rizhao, Shandong province.

Rizhao is renowned as the "hometown of green tea" in northern China. The city has a tea planting area of about 19,933 hectares, with an annual output of 19,000 tons of dried tea and a value of 3.7 billion yuan ($581 million) as of March 2022.

Farmers dressed in traditional clothing pick tea leaves at a tea garden in Lanshan district in Rizhao, Shandong province on April 16. [Photo/Dazhong News]

Children play at a tea garden in Lanshan district in Rizhao, Shandong province. Rizhao is a major tea production area in northern China. The early batch of spring green tea is considered to be the best and most expensive due to its special fragrance and taste. [Photo/Dazhong News]

An aerial photo taken on April 16 shows farmers picking tea leaves at a tea garden in Rizhao, Shandong province. [Photo/Dazhong News]

Farmers pick tea leaves at a tea garden in Rizhao. The city has ideal growing conditions for green tea, and the green tea in this region is considered to be high quality. [Photo/Dazhong News]

Villagers pick fresh tea leaves as the spring tea harvest begins in Rizhao, Shandong province. [Photo/WeChat account: zhiborizhao]

Rizhao boasts a booming tea industry and the city is building an influential brand of green tea. [Photo/WeChat account: zhiborizhao]

A tea plantation in Rizhao. The city has grown into a major green tea producer in China. [Photo/WeChat account: zhiborizhao]

The freshly picked tea leaves [Photo/WeChat account: zhiborizhao]