Both sides of the Taiwan Straits held a tea competition at Fliport Garden Hotel in Xiamen city on May 27, 2014, news.xmnn.cn reported.

One hundred and twenty kinds of black tea competed to enter the final competition, to be held in Taipei city. As an important activity of the China Cross-Straits Tea Culture Festival, the tea competition was co-hosted by the Cross-Straits Tea Union, China Township Enterprises Association, China Cross-Straits Ties Cartel Association, Strait Economy and the Culture Exchange Center of Fujian province.

Events for of the China Cross-Straits Tea Culture Season started on April 13, 2014. The tea competition includes various districts from five provinces and seven regions, including Taiwan, Shandong province, Henan province, Fujian province and Guizhou province.

The tea samples include Black tea, Tieguanyin, Green tea, Oolong tea, fermented tea and Oriental Beauty. The preliminary round will be completed before May 30, and the final will be held in Taipei city on June 27, where the “king of tea” will be named.

Qiu Bingkun, mayor of Miaoli city, Taiwan, attended the opening ceremony and was invited as a witness to the cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and the mainland.

Last year, Miaoli city and the mainland cooperated on a new black tea with both the flavor of black tea and oolong tea. “Miaoli city will continue cooperation with the mainland,” Qiu said.

The tea culture season goes from April to July. Besides the tea competition, the tea culture season also offers tea culture trips, the Tea Industry Health and Security Summit Forum and a public auction.