To most people, tea is just a drink. But to Ye Qitong, a Da Hong Pao master grower and blender (配制工) in Wuyishan City, the drink is a work of art. He always wants the traditional skill to keep alive. The 75-year-old man is Wuyi Mountains' most famous tea expert and the local farmers all raise their thumbs as a sign of respect when referring to him.

    Ye says Da Hong Pao tea is a good friend and he spends a huge amount of his time dealing with it and trying to better understand it. Most of Ye's time is spent researching blending skills and passing on his knowledge to students. Ye's biggest concern is that the number of people who can master traditional Da Hong Pao tea blending skills and have truly got its essence (本质) is still too low. As the masters grow older, Ye is worried that these skills may be lost and the long-lasting aroma (芳香) of Da Hong Pao will grow weak.

    "Wuyishan has more than 1,800 tea producers. However, as machinery entered the process (流程), workers are fewer and fewer and they really just press buttons, so they never learn the traditional skills connected to picking and blending," he said.

    "The situation is very worrying, but I am relieved that the recent booming (繁荣的) market for Da Hong Pao tea has prompted (激起) a desire among many young people to learn necessary skills," he said.

    He advises the local government to build some schools to encourage the master blenders and growers to teach more students. He believes that this is the only way to solve the problem.

    "Da Hong Pao tea is a drink with a life of its own. People can almost taste the history, culture, spirits and moods that completely used up the masters who make it," he said.