At 7 a.m. on April 13, the tea gardens in Bali Village, Nihe Town, Lujiang County were already bustling with activity. Rows of tea bushes stretched across the rolling hills, their branches heavy with golden tea buds that shimmered in the morning light, cloaking the slopes in what appeared to be a layer of golden armor. Over 300 tea farmers, carrying bamboo baskets on their backs, moved diligently between the rows, seizing the most valuable time of the year to harvest what they call the "golden spring."