As the 2026 Guangdong City Basketball League (Yue BA) is underway, we're launching a poster series that looks at the game through the lens of Guangdong's rich agricultural and cultural heritage. Each edition highlights one city and the signature product that defines its industrial identity.
Now, the series continues with Chaozhou, Jieyang, and Yunfu, three cities, three treasures, one rising Guangdong.
Chaozhou, the city that steeps champions
Chaozhou Tea. Spirit Steeped.
On the misty slopes of Fenghuang (Phoenix) Mountain, a tea like no other has been cultivated for over a thousand years. Fenghuang Dancong oolong tea, known as the "perfume of teas", is China's most aromatic tea variety, with each tree said to carry its own unique fragrance.
The numbers speak to its growing global stature. In 2026, the Fenghuang Dancong tea brand was valued at 4.141 billion yuan, ranking among China's top 50 tea regional public brands. By the end of 2025, Chaozhou's tea plantations had expanded to 13,213 hectares, producing 39,800 tons of dry tea with an output value exceeding 9.5 billion yuan.
Chaozhou isn't just growing tea; it's building trust. In December 2025, the city launched a blockchain-based traceability platform that tracks every leaf from an ancient tea tree through harvesting, processing, and distribution. Each product now carries a unique QR code, a "quality ID", allowing consumers to trace the tea's origin, tree age, aroma type, and processing history with a single scan.
Designated as a National Geographical Indication Protected Product and recognized as an Important Chinese Agricultural Cultural Heritage, Fenghuang Dancong tea has also earned a spot on the China-EU Agreement on Geographical Indications list, opening doors to premium markets across Europe.
In Chaozhou, tea is not only a drink, it's also a ritual of focus and patience. And on the court, every player knows: the perfect shot, like the perfect brew, cannot be rushed.
Jieyang, the city that carves victory
Jieyang Jade. Game Upgrade.
Jieyang may not mine jade, but it has mastered it. Known as the "Jade Capital of China" and the "Jade Capital of Asia," this ancient city has transformed raw stone into a local treasure and a national industry.
The scale is remarkable. Over 100,000 people are employed in Jieyang's jade sector, with nearly 5,000 merchants and more than 500 design and carving studios operating across the city. A complete industrial chain has taken shape, integrating raw jade auctions, creative design, precision carving, trade, exhibitions, tourism, and conventions.
What makes Jieyang extraordinary is its craftsmanship. "Yangmei Jadeite Carving," a national intangible cultural heritage, is renowned for its precision, ingenuity, and refinement, qualities that have earned "Jieyang Craft" the highest reputation in the jade industry. The city has certified over 739 professional jade carvers, and approximately 14,000 skilled artisans work across the region.
Jieyang is modernizing tradition. Local enterprises now integrate 3D printing and laser engraving alongside hand carving, achieving both mass customization and high-end bespoke work. The Jieyang Vocational and Technical College offers gemology programs, while the "Jade Culture Creative Industrial Park" connects global designer networks through digital platforms.
From imperial adornments to Olympic medals, jade has always symbolized victory in Chinese culture. In Jieyang, that symbolism lives on. And on the court, every player knows: true winners are crafted, not born.
Yunfu, the city that warms the game
Yunfu Cinnamon. Roll to score.
In the hills of Yunfu, a different kind of treasure grows. Luoding cinnamon, known as the "golden bark", has been harvested here for over three centuries, transforming this southern city into China's cinnamon heartland.
Yunfu's Yunan County has a history of over 300 years in cinnamon cultivation. Leveraging its unique ecological advantages, the county's total cinnamon planting area has now exceeded 437,600 mu (approximately 29,173 hectares). Annually, the county exports 35,000 tons of cinnamon bark and 200 tons of cinnamon oil, with products reaching international markets such as Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.
Yunfu isn't just harvesting bark; it's adding value. From traditional cinnamon bark and oil extracts to cinnamon tea, spices, cooking wine, and health products, the city is building a complete value chain. "Every part of the cinnamon tree is useful," local farmers say, even the wood chips can be ground into fragrant powder.
Innovation is taking root. The Guangdong Pharmaceutical University has established a Cinnamon Industry Research Institute in Yunfu, applying science to traditional cultivation and processing. Meanwhile, international platforms are opening new markets for Yunfu cinnamon across Latin America and Southeast Asia.
In Yunfu, cinnamon represents warmth, energy, and endurance, "the golden bark" that has sustained families for generations. And on the court, every player knows: victory belongs to those who can warm up well, stay steady, and finish strong.
Author & Poster | Jiang Chang
