Zhang Chengren – Inheritor of the Art of Dianhong Tea Production

Zhang Chengren – Inheritor of the Art of Dianhong Tea Production

Zhang Chengren, a Han Chinese from Fengqing County, Yunnan Province, is a recognized inheritor of the traditional craft of Dianhong tea production, a national intangible cultural heritage.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China announced the fifth batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage representative inheritors, and Zhang Chengren, the director of the Tea Science Research Institute of Dianhong Group, was named as a national-level representative inheritor.

Zhang Chengren has dedicated 30 years of his career to the frontline of tea planting, processing, and scientific research, making significant contributions to the development of the tea industry in his humble position. He is a provincial inheritor of the “Dianhong Tea Production Techniques” and a senior engineer at the Yunnan Dianhong Group Co., Ltd.’s Tea Science Research Institute.

Zhang Chengren graduated from Fengqing Tea Vocational Technical School in July 1987 and started working at the Fengqing County Tea Bureau in August of the same year. Beginning with basic tasks in tea planting and processing, he embarked on a lifelong career in the tea industry. In October 1990, he was transferred to Yunnan Fengqing Tea Factory, focusing on tea base construction. Since January 1997, he has worked at Yunnan Dianhong Group Co., Ltd., engaging in tea cultivation, initial processing, product development, and research on tea processing. His extensive grassroots practice has enabled him to accumulate rich production experience and master technical essentials. He has achieved significant results in the selection of new tea tree varieties, the development of new tea products, tea production techniques, and the inheritance and protection of Dianhong tea production skills.

Over the years, Zhang Chengren has devoted himself to collecting and protecting tea germplasm resources, collecting rare and endangered tea materials, and continuously exploring Fengqing tea planting techniques. Through his efforts, the number of preserved tea germplasm resources increased from over 60 to more than 1,000. In promoting low-yield tea garden transformation technology in Fengqing County, Zhang guided farmers to complete the transformation of over 3,000 acres of low-yield tea gardens within three years, achieving doubled output, improved tea quality, and increased economic benefits. In tea garden planning and planting, he summarized the successful experience of “dense planting for high yield” in new tea garden development. He explored modern tea garden management techniques, including winter pruning of tea trees and mechanical harvesting, weeding, and no-till management techniques, achieving successful experiences and promoting them.

As a party member and a senior tea engineer, Zhang Chengren is always innovative and takes the lead in his work. He proactively organized experiments on new tea processes and products, leading his team to develop new Dianhong products such as “Classic 58,” “Dianhong Jinqu,” “Plateau Red,” and “China Red.” The successful development of “Classic 58” in 2006 filled the gap of special-shaped Dianhong tea, promoting product upgrades and exploring the potential red tea market. This achievement won the third prize of the Lincang Science and Technology Award in 2008. “Classic 58” and “Dianhong Jinqu” won the first prize in the 2009 National Famous Tea Competition. “Plateau Red” and “China Red,” with their unique quality styles, are popular among consumers and have become high-end market products.

In his leisure time, Zhang Chengren enjoys visiting tea mountains, where he feels a deep connection with the tea trees. In 2014, he was named a provincial inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage “Dianhong Tea Production Techniques” (the fourth-generation inheritor of “Dianhong Tea Production Techniques”) by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture. Zhang feels gratified by society’s recognition of his dedication to the practice of Dianhong tea production techniques.

Honors and Awards

• On December 28, 2017, Zhang was included in the recommended list of the fifth batch of national-level representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage.
• In June 2022, he was evaluated as qualified in the 2021 annual transmission activities of Yunnan Province’s national-level intangible cultural heritage representative inheritors (public announcement).

张成仁，男，汉族，云南省凤庆县人，红茶制作技艺（滇红茶制作技艺）非遗传承人。

国家文化和旅游部公布了第五批国家级非物质文化遗产代表性项目代表性传承人名单，其中，滇红集团茶科院院长张成仁被认定为国家级非物质文化遗产代表性传承人。

他自参加工作至今，30年都在茶叶种植、加工、科研第一线，一直在平凡的工作岗位上，默默无闻地为茶叶产业发展做出积极地贡献。他就是“滇红茶制作技艺”省级传承人，云南滇红集团股份有限公司茶叶科学研究院高级工程师张成仁。

张成仁1987年7月毕业于凤庆茶叶中等职业技术学校，同年8月分配到凤庆县茶叶局工作。从那时起，张成仁从种茶和制茶的基本工作开始，步入一生为之努力的茶叶事业。1990年10月，他被调至云南省凤庆茶厂工作，主要从事茶叶基地建设工作。1997年1月至今，张成仁在云南滇红集团股份有限公司，一直从事茶树栽培种植管理、茶叶初制加工、茶叶产品研发、加工的研究工作。长期的基层实践，让张成仁积累了丰富的生产经验，逐渐掌握了技术要领。在茶树新品种选育、茶叶新产品开发、茶叶制作工艺、滇红茶制作技艺传承保护等领域取得了较好的业绩。

多年来，张成仁专注倾心收集保护茶树种质资源，收集到了一些珍稀、濒危茶树种质材料，脚踏实地的不断探索凤庆茶叶种植技术。在他的不懈努力下，茶树种质资源保存数量由60多份达到1000多份。在参加凤庆县低产茶园改造技术推广工作中，张成仁通过实施低产茶园技术改造，三年内指导茶农累计完成低产茶园改造3000多亩，实现了产量翻番，茶叶品质提高，经济效益增加的目标；在茶园规划种植工作中，他总结出了“密植高产”的新茶园发展成功经验。他积极探索现代茶园管理技术，大胆尝试茶树冬修剪，探索机械采茶、除草、茶园免耕管理技术取得成功经验并普及推广。

作为一名党员，作为一名茶叶高级工程师，张成仁时刻勇于创新，带头干事。他主动组织开展茶叶新工艺、新产品试验，带领团队先后开发了“经典58”、滇红金曲、高原红、中国红等滇红新产品。2006年研制成功的滇红“经典58”新产品，填补了没有特形滇红茶的空白，推动了产品升级换代，开发了红茶潜在的消费市场。2008年，该成果获得临沧市科学技术奖三等奖。“经典58”、滇红金曲荣获2009年全国名优茶评比一等奖。高原红、中国红等，以其独具特色的品质风格，深受消费者追捧，现已培育成高端市场产品。

平日里除了工作时间，张成仁有闲暇便到茶山里走走看看，对他而言，茶山茶树如同老友般熟悉和亲切。2014年，张成仁被云南省文化厅命名为非物质文化遗产“滇红茶制作技艺”省级传承人（“滇红茶制作技艺”第四代传承人）。“成绩是大家的，是同事的，如果没有平台，我一个人也不能做成什么……” 对于社会的认可，潜心滇红茶制作技艺实践的张成仁觉得很欣慰。

所获荣誉
2017年12月28日，入选第五批国家级非物质文化遗产代表性项目代表性传承人推荐名单。
2022年6月，云南省国家级非物质文化遗产代表性传承人2021年度传承活动评估情况为合格（公示）。