As the Metok Highway was put into use, Metok County of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region has slowly step into people’s view. Development of tourism and agriculture has brought earth-shaking changes to the silent and remote county. Recently, while other places in Tibet are still under coldness left by last winter, Metok has begun to harvest spring tea.

The first tea garden in Metok was built in 2012. After a year’s experimental planting, tea leaves were observed growing well there, thus tea industry was decided to be a featured leading industry. In 2014, a long-term industry development planning was made by local government. During recent years, tea industry in Metok County has developed at a fast speed.Nowadays, area of planted tea trees has reached about 3.4 km² all over the county, in which there are 19 high-level plateau organic tea gardens. Varieties of tea trees include Fuding white, Tie Guanyin, and so on.

Through investment inviting, a tea enterprise has already entered the county, which built a temporary processing factory and buy tea leaves from local farmers. As tea leaves picking work has started from March, and will be ended by October, Metok tea will be put into market in the next half year of 2017 according to relevant worker.

This year, new tea gardens with an area of about 1.3 km² will be built, 7 new varieties will be introduced into Metok, according to local government.