Tongxiang has for the past 300 years been one of the biggest producers of the white chrysanthemum, called Hang Bai Ju. Photo by Gao Erqiang / China Daily

White chrysanthemum

There are many different kinds of chrysanthemum in China, and Tongxiang has for the past 300 years been one of the biggest producers of the white variety, called Hang Bai Ju in Chinese.

Back in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), most of the white chrysanthemum in the country was sold in Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang province, which explains how it got the Hang prefix.

Every year, factories in Tongxiang produce around 4,000 metric tons of white chrysanthemum tea that are then sold across the country.

White chrysanthemum is known for its detoxification effects and drinking white chrysanthemum tea is believed to be beneficial for the liver and eyes.

Chen Chunfa, who founded a white chrysanthemum tea factory in 1985, said that the best white chrysanthemums are those with larger buds and more leaves, and are harvested before the flower fully blossoms.

Tongxiang has for the past 300 years been one of the biggest producers of the white chrysanthemum, called Hang Bai Ju. Photo by Gao Erqiang / China Daily