Special Report: Tea leaves Hangzhou as the 2009 Expo draws to a close

A fresh cup of morning tea is the preferred start of the day for many people, both at home and abroad. Its gently warming allure is enough to tempt many from their beds and set them on course for even the most grueling of days ahead.

It is perhaps appropriate then that the people of Hangzhou, one of China's most beautiful cities, opt to mark the beginning of the seasonal cycle with their annual tea festival. Arguably the perfect pick-me-up in a year that is likely to be more demanding than most, the 2009 China West Lake International Tea Culture Expo, to give it its more formal title, will see its last stirring tomorrow when this year's event draws to a close.

This year's event, the fifth held in the city, opened on March 27, amid a rousing overture and a multi-gong salute. The success of the 2009 expo has further underlined the status of Hangzhou, capital of the eastern province of Zhejiang, as China's "Tea Capital."