Zuo Ruyu, a tea master from Taiwan, developed the Taining Gongfu tea system in Meikou township, Fujian province. The system integrates techniques from Taiwan with local ones. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Her dedication to tea and her commitment to cross-Strait exchanges stem from her upbringing. Born into a tea-making family in Taiwan, Zuo inherited techniques for making six major kinds of tea and has since developed more than 100 new tea products in about 20 years.

She was invited to inspect Taining's tea-growing mountains in 2018. Attracted by the area's pristine environment and diverse varieties of tea, she determined to settle and develop her career there. That choice received strong support from the local government.