Suzhou's Taihu region has entered its spring rainy season. The fine rain, as delicate as oil, nourishes the land, coaxing tender Biluochun buds to emerge in Dongting Mountain’s tea gardens.

As one of China's ten most famous teas, Biluochun has been highly regarded since the Sui and Tang dynasties. Dongting Mountain, by Taihu Lake, is its primary home, with more than a thousand years of cultivation history. This legacy has given local farmers an intimate understanding of the tea's needs. On these drizzly spring mornings, just before the crucial picking season, they ascend the mountain to check on the growth of the precious buds.

The cool, damp weather is perfect for the slow development of the tea shoots, allowing them to gently absorb the fragrances of surrounding fruit trees—a key to Biluochun's complex aroma. The half-centimeter buds, a vivid emerald green, appear plump and vibrant in the rain, signaling a promising harvest ahead. In just two weeks, the harvest will begin across more than 7,000 acres of tea fields on Dongting Mountain. An output of over 300 tons of finished tea is expected, a prospect that fills both farmers and tea lovers with eager anticipation.