The Herbal Tea Culture Festival officially kicked off on the morning of May 23rd in front of the Zhongxin Pavilion at the Guangzhou Cultural Center, drawing thousands of local residents and tourists to the scene.

Designated as a national intangible cultural heritage (ICH), herbal tea is known as the "life-saving elixir" for Cantonese people and has also become a symbol of Chinese wellness on the global stage. This year's festival takes a fresh approach by combining technology, fashion, and social interaction to rebrand traditional herbal tea, particularly Xia Sang Ju (a kind of Chinese herbal drink), transforming it from a bitter medicinal brew into a trendy health essential for young people.

At the Xia Sang Ju craft booth, visitors not only got to try their hands at making herbal tea granules but also took home a range of creative spin-offs, including throat lozenges and even herbal cola with Xia Sang Ju flavor.

Elsewhere, booths showcasing the traditional skills behind Yee Tin Medical Oil and Tongqiao Jiuxin Relief Oil offered engaging games such as "Herbal Medicine in Poetry" and "Nine-grid Ingredient Challenge", helping participants deepen their understanding of the aromatic herbs used in traditional Chinese medicinal oils.

Interactive experiences were a highlight of the day, including free herbal tea tastings, stamp collection activities based on the 24 solar terms, and lucky draws for merchandise with ICH elements."I was just visiting the cultural center today and happened to stumble upon this event. It's fun and educational. I got to learn about traditional Chinese medicine while enjoying the games," said one local resident attending the fair.

Source:Lingnan on the Cloud

从“药罐子”变身“健康潮品”，来凉茶文化节趣享清凉一夏！

5月23日上午，凉茶文化节启动仪式”在广州市文化馆中心阁前门楼举行。现场上千名市民游客参与了此次活动。

凉茶作为国家级非遗，不仅是“广东人的续命水”，更是走向世界的“中国健康符号”。今年的凉茶文化节，通过“科技+潮流+社交”组合拳，让传统夏桑菊凉茶从“药罐子”变身“年轻人口袋里的健康潮品”。

在夏桑菊制作技艺活动体验展位，市民群众不仅能体验夏桑菊颗粒搓制工艺，还能将夏桑菊润喉糖、夏桑菊可乐等系列产品带回家。

在二天油制作技艺和通窍救心油制作技艺两个项目的体验展位，市民朋友参与“诗词里的中药”“九宫格辨原料”等互动游戏，进一步加深对传统中医药药油中使用到的各种芳香药材的认识。

现场还设有夏桑菊凉茶试饮、特色二十四节气印章集章以及非遗文创产品抽奖等丰富互动环节。“今天来逛市文化馆，偶遇这个活动，一边玩还能一边学到传统中医药知识，很有趣，体验感挺好。”一位参与游园会的市民表示。

文｜记者 周欣怡

图｜主办方提供

翻译｜杨钧雅

英文审校｜林佳岱