Tea farmers pick tea leaves at a tea garden in Laoshan district, Qingdao on April 20. [Photo by Zhang Jingang for chinadaily.com.cn] 

The 19th Laoshan Tea Festival opened in Laoshan district, Qingdao on April 20, the second day of the Grain Rain period.

Approximately 20,000 mu (about 1,333.33 hectares) of tea gardens in Laoshan district, Qingdao, have already begun picking spring tea, including Laoshan tea.

There are currently over 20,000 people involved in the tea industry in Laoshan district, with an annual output of over 1,500 metric tons and a production value of over 600 million yuan ($82.8 million). Tea has helped promote local industry and increased local farmers' incomes.

In recent years, the local area has standardized tea farming through the "cooperative + base + farmers" model, increasing farmers' incomes and contributing to rural vitalization.

Grain Rain is the sixth of the 24 solar terms in the traditional Chinese solar calendar, which signals the end of cold weather, a rapid rise in temperature, and harvest time for spring tea. Spring tea during Grain Rain is rich in vitamins and amino acids, which can help to remove heat from the body and is good for the eyes. It is also said that drinking tea on this day prevents bad luck.