Farmers pick the year's first batch of tea leaves around Grain Rain, the last solar term in the spring in Laoshan district, Qingdao. [Photo by Wang Haibin/Guanhai News]

Farmers pick tea leaves in the Laoshan Mountain area. Tea plantations in Laoshan district, Qingdao have entered the picking season recently. [Photo by Wang Haibin/Guanhai News]

Picking is typically done in the morning when leaves are most tender and fresh. Laoshan district in Qingdao, Shandong province is a famous tea production area in northern China. [Photo by Wang Haibin/Guanhai News]