Workers pick tea leaves at a tea garden in Longwucha village of Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, March 20, 2019. Hangzhou is a major production region of China's Longjing tea. [Photo/Xinhua]

For tea lovers around the world, a pilgrimage to Hangzhou tea culture expo on March 30 is an opportunity to taste the freshest and most delicious tea of the year, according to a news conference on March 22.

The expo, running until June, will feature 18 categories aiming to showcase the long history of tea culture in Hangzhou and promote Hangzhou's city brand as the "tea capital of China".

The opening ceremony will be held in Longwu Tea Town, a characteristic town themed on Hangzhou's tea culture.

An array of experience activities, including tea-leaf frying, tea performance and tea tasting will be staged during the expo.

In an attempt to spread Hangzhou tea culture on the international stage, a featured exchange activity between China and France will also be held with expats being invited.

This year's expo is being organized by the Hangzhou government, the China International Tea Culture Research Institute, the China Tea Science Society and the Hangzhou Tea Culture Research Institute.

The news conference on Hangzhou tea culture expo is held in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, on March 22. [Photo/Xinhua]