Farmers spread tea leaves on griddles in sunlight. The next process is sunlight. Methods include natural, indoor or warm aging processes, according to different types of tea leaves, weather conditions and places. In most cases, silver-needle tea is made by the first method. Sunlight before 10 am and after 4 pm is the best. [Photo / China Daily] 

As a major production and export base for white tea, Fuding's total value of raw tea reached 800 million yuan ($131.14 million) in 2012 and the output from the tea industry totaled 2.2 billion yuan, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

In the first half of this year, its white tea exports totaled 1,500 tons, up 50 percent year-on-year amid a 15 percent downturn in the whole industry. The 2.69 billion yuan brand value of Fuding's white tea ranks sixth in China.

"What differentiates white tea most from green, black and other kinds of tea are the processing methods and health benefits," Chen said.

"Top-quality white tea varieties are sun dried and carefully tended until they turn grey or silver -it is known as the most original, natural and healthy tea," he said.