Wenchuan Earthquake 10 Years On: Survivors brew up new hope from handmade tea

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Wu Hong's life seems destined to be associated with tea. She has been picking tea leaves in the wild since childhood. When the catastrophic earthquake struck her hometown 10 years ago, a fallen tea tree protected her from the boulders. Then she came up with the idea of starting her tea business.

WU HONG TEA FARMER "Since the earthquake, my outlook on life has changed. I thought, 'We shouldn't just live for ourselves.' Then I decided to establish a tea cooperative, as it's the tea tree that saved my life. And, my village has an abundance of wild tea trees."

Both her husband and son in middle school lost their lives in the disaster. Despite the great blow, Wu Hong decided to rise from the ashes on her own strength. But she encountered unexpected obstacles.

WU HONG TEA FARMER "I first asked five households to join me, but they all refused, as they had no idea about agricultural cooperatives and they worried they might suffer greater losses if it failed."

Wu Hong didn't give up. She kept selling her bold ideas to the villagers while exploring tea-making techniques from different places. Now, more than 100 families have joined the cooperative with capital or tea gardens. Some villagers are also employed to work here.

YANG JINGHAO BEICHUAN "The tea is made in a very traditional way — they are all handcraft in about 10 steps. And this is just another aspect which makes the tea so distinctive and increasingly popular in both the domestic and overseas markets."

The cooperative produces some 1,500 kilograms of tea each year, which brings considerable benefits to the shareholders, especially those from poor families.

CHEN DAIFENG VILLAGER "In the past, my family could only get about 1,000 yuan selling the tea leaves every year. Now we can earn about 8,000 yuan. This has greatly improved the livelihood of my family."

A decade on, Beichuan has experienced massive changes, with multiple industries developing rapidly. Wu Hong says she will seize the opportunity to expand the business, but she will never change her rare tea-making craftsmanship, as she considers it a way to rewarding people who have helped.

WU HONG TEA FARMER "I will never use machines even if it limits what we can produce. Our tea trees grow naturally and the tea should also be made in the old way."

Xie Chunmei is Wu Hong's daughter. The 22-year-old was still at primary school when she lost her father and brother. She is now a skillful tea maker and specialist. She says she will carry on her mother's undertaking with gratitude and optimism.