Folklore of tea pickers

Tea pickers are a folk legend. She is a beautiful young girl who often wears traditional Minnan costumes and carries a basket into the mountains to pick tea. Her image is usually described as a diligent and dedicated girl who is connected with nature.

According to legend, tea pickers go to the mountains to pick tea every spring. She works in the mountains for a few days and always collects more tea than others every day. Her secret is that she can sing. She sang a moving song to attract insects on the tea tree. These insects will attract ants and eventually leave a fragrance on the tea. In this way, her tea collection is always more fragrant and delicious.

In addition, the tea-picking woman is also portrayed as the protagonist of a love story. Legend has it that there is a young man in the mountains who often peeks at tea pickers picking tea in the mountains. Slowly, he became friends with the tea pickers. They work together and sing together. Finally, they fell in love.

The image of tea-picking women has become a cultural symbol of southern Fujian, representing the hardworking, friendly and open-minded spirit of southern Fujian. She has also been portrayed as an image showing the virtues of women, and her image has been constantly interpreted and passed down, becoming an indispensable part of Minnan culture.