Events and News 2023

The Yellow Earth Foundation relies entirely on volunteers for its operation.  Only with their support have we been able to carry on our work till this day.  To thank our volunteers for their support over the years, we held a tea-tasting event for them on the occasion of “Spring Commences Festival” on 4 February.  We invited Mr. and Mrs. Airy Wan, proprietors of “Flower. Grass. Tea” tea room, to talk about Chinese tea culture, the six major groups of Chinese tea and the correlation between tea-drinking and health.  We shared the taste of a variety of splendid Chinese teas. Everyone was very interested in tea culture and, apart from tasting tea, asked many questions.  There were lots of chatting and laughter in a relaxing and joyful afternoon.

Please go to Picture Albums

The Yellow Earth Foundation has been working with Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University (the University) since 2021 on agricultural projects.  We provide funds and the University provides technical guidance to establish demonstration farms to promote the planting of new varieties and industrialized farming, with the aim to increase the income of local farmers.

Due to the epidemic, we have not been able to conduct on-site inspections of our funded projects until June 2023.  On 4 June 2023, YEF representatives met with professors from different departments of the University to discuss the direction and cooperation model of new projects in the future.  Also present were students from YEF who were studying or starting their own businesses at the University.

Please see   Photo Album

On 5 June 2023, YEF went to Songshu Village, Tianming Town, Chenggu County, Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province to inspect the tea planting project we funded.                    The project is a co-operation between Northwest Agricultural Science and Technology University and a local enterprise.  It aims to cultivate a new tea tree variety to improve the quality and yield of tea so as to increase the income of farmers.

The project, led by Professor Wang Weidong, cultivates a special variety of tea tree “Zhonghuang No. 3”.  This variety contains high amino acids and the finished product has high economic value.

The saplings we sponsor need to be cultivated for three years before they are suitable for tea production.  It turns out that when the tea trees were still small, weeds next to the saplings should not be weeded to avoid damaging their roots, and corn were planted next to them to provide shade for the young trees.  We also donated insect traps to farmers for better pest control.

A local tea company in Tianming Town, Chenggu County is responsible for daily maintenance of the demonstration base.  The owner of the tea plantation, General Manager Ma, is the second generation of the company.  After studying in the city, he returned to his hometown to take over.  He has been trying to find ways to use the entire tea tree to generate economic benefits so that farmers can earn income even after the peak tea picking period.  He made tea from the bigger leaves after the Qingming Festival for export purposes, and also used the leftover tea leaves to make disposable paper cups of tea.  It is like fixing tea bags to the bottom of the cups and is suitable for occasions such as meetings where the participants would not care too much about the quality of the tea.  Tea is prepared simply by adding hot water, and after the event the tea and cups can easily be discarded.

Traditional agriculture needs such innovative thinking leaders.  It is very reassuring to cooperate with such an enterprise to look after the demonstration base for us.

Please see pictures of our visit at   Photo Album

On June 7, 2023 we went to Nanpo Village, Manchuanguan Town, Shanyang County, Shangluo City to inspect the red flesh walnut project we funded.

The Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University established a walnut experimental demonstration base in Shanyang County as early as 2007 to promote and teach local farmers to grow walnuts.  Over the years, results have been very good, but the price of walnuts has dropped to very low in recent years.  As a result income of walnut farmers has dropped significantly.  The University then introduced a new variety: red-flesh walnuts.  The inner membrane of the new variety is red and contains rich anthocyanins.  The price is more than ten times that of ordinary walnuts.  We funded saplings of the new variety and gave them to farmers so that they would switch to plant them.  The project is led by Professor Peng Shaobin and is a collaboration with the local forestry bureau.  A local farmer takes the lead in establishing a cooperative with 50 acres of land to serve as a demonstration farm.

Please see pictures of our visit at   Photo Album

On 9 June 2023, we took the high-speed train from Xi’an to Dingxi to visit the Dingxi No. 1 Secondary School.  Due to the pandemic, we have not visited the school for three years and there have been quite some changes.  We discussed with the principal about various student aid options for the next school year.  We also visited the recently set up school history museum, which has a large section about Yellow Earth Foundation on display.  YEF has been active in the school since 2010.  We are honoured to be part of the history of Dingxi No. 1 Secondary School.

Please see pictures of the visit at  

On 10 June 2023, we held a celebration luncheon for the our students who graduated from Dingxi No. 1 Secondary School this year.  In the past, we would hold an off-campus activity for every YEF graduating class, but it has been suspended for three years due to the pandemic.  We met this year’s graduating class for the first time after 3 years of sponsorship, so it felt very special.

Three YEF alumni who have received financial aid during their high school years accepted our invitation to attend the banquet and share thoughts and experience with their junior alumni.  During the banquet, the graduating students actively communicated with each other.  Some students came to the stage to talk about their feelings after the college entrance examination.  Adding to the fun and joyfulness,  even the school principal sang on stage.  The atmosphere was harmonious and happy.

Towards the close of the banquet,  I asked the students to write thank you cards to their sponsors and I posted them on return to Hong Kong.  At the end of the banquet, the students enthusiastically came forward to take photos and selfies with us.

For pictures of the event please see-

Dingxi No. 1 Scendary School also posted a report on the YEF’s visit on its school website. Please go to their website for the report – https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/3m1wOnnQJaTkpWzOUpxEhg