A tea garden in Xinchang county, Shaoxing, Zhejiang province [Photo provided to ezhejiang.gov.cn]

Xinchang county, Shaoxing, Zhejiang province recently held its annual tea culture festival online in an effort to promote its local Dafo Longjing tea amid the COVID-19 epidemic.

The festival consisted of seven online activities, including livestreams, tours, interactions, and shopping.

This is the first time that the festival, now in its 14th year, has been held online.

"Moving the festival online is not a last-minute decision, but represents a future trend," said Lyu Tian, deputy chief of the county.

According to organizers, previous festivals were costly in terms of human resources, materials, and funds and reached only a small audience, but moving it online has allowed it to spread its influence rapidly and to focus more on consumer engagement and experience.