The Seventh China International Tea Expo ended in Hangzhou Saturday after the clinching of more than 40 million yuan (US$4.8 million) worth of deals, including over 4 million yuan (US$480,000) in spot transaction.

More than 1,000 Chinese and foreign tea merchants attended the four-day exposition, which opened on September 29 at the Zhejiang World Trade Center in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province.

A variety of China's brand-name teas, including Longjing, Oolong and jasmine tea, tea sets and tea packages were put on display at 135 booths in the 4,400-square-meter exhibition hall.

The exposition also featured tea ceremonies performed by professionals from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

The event, which opened for free, received more than 10,000 tea tasters, retailers and ordinary citizens.

China was the first country in the world to plant tea. To date, China's tea production accounts for 26 percent of the world's total.

Scientific studies show that drinking tea helps reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease and cancer.

(Xinhua News Agency October 3, 2004)