Landscape Design and Sustainable Tourism at the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden, a World Heritage Site in Fujian, China

Abstract

Wuyi Mountain in China is listed on the World Natural and Cultural Heritage List. With the vigorous development of urban cultural tourism, the sustainable development of heritage sites has become the focus of academic and industry circles, among which the rational use and scientific planning of natural resources have become increasingly prominent. In this context, in-depth research on resource development and protection strategies in the Wuyishan area has important practical significance and theoretical value. Therefore, this paper presents a case study of the tourist tea garden landscape design practice at the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden, located in Wuyishan City. This paper underscores the significance of incorporating the site’s existing natural environment resources, particularly its plant resources, into the tea garden landscape design, while adhering to principles within the framework of world heritage. The research method includes extensive field surveys combined with GIS analysis and biodiversity surveys, covering the topography and slope of the tea plantation, current natural resources, statistics on the number of tourists after completion, and the related benefits of local enterprises. These planning concepts are realized through a series of infrastructure measures, which are divided into four angles: restoring mountains and rivers, rereading cultural context, sorting out style and appearance, and improving functions. The design practice is carried out in different areas. Simultaneously, the creation of a distinctive tourist destination enables tourists to fully engage with nature and tea culture, while simultaneously fostering the growth of cultural tourism in world heritage sites. This study proposes a planning practice case, which provides a framework and ideas for designing tea gardens. From the aspects of resource protection and utilization, cultural inheritance and display, and tourism service improvement, it provides a model and method that can be used as a reference for the landscape design and planning of similar tea gardens, which will help promote the healthy development of the Chinese tea culture tourism industry. It also provides useful practical experience for the protection and development of world heritage sites.

1. Introduction

Wuyi Mountain is located in Wuyishan City, Fujian Province, China [1]. It was listed on the “World Natural and Cultural Heritage List” by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee on 1 December 1999. It is China’s fourth dual heritage site after Mount Tai, Mount Huang, and Mount Emei–Leshan Giant Buddha, and is one of the 35 dual heritage sites in the world [2,3]. Wuyi Mountain has been producing famous tea since ancient times and is famous for its “thousand-year-old Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism” culture [4]. Wuyi Mountain, a world cultural and natural dual heritage site, has a forest coverage rate of 79.2%, 3728 plant species, and 5110 animal species. It is the only place in the world that produces authentic Dahongpao [5]. The Wuyi Mountain Tea Research Institute is located in the core area of Wuyi Mountain, which is built on the site of the Yuan Dynasty Imperial Tea Garden, facing the famous Yunu Peak. It is China’s first tea science research institute and the oldest rock tea research institution in Wuyi Mountain. It also retains the most complete germplasm resource bank in Wuyi Mountain. It collects more than 200 representative Wuyi-famous clusters and many endangered precious tree species. This is the location where Wuyi Mountain’s purest genes are found. Wuyi Mountain receives the majority of its widely planted varieties from this location. Currently, Wuyi Mountain’s integration of tea and tourism revolves around “eating, living, traveling, shopping, and entertainment”, thereby continuously enhancing the tourism industry. Therefore, the rational expansion of functional areas based on local natural resources shapes the planning and design of the tea garden. This study examines this concept through the practical example of the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden.

China is the birthplace of tea and tea culture. Naturally, there are many Chinese scholars involved in the existing research on tea gardens. Among the many types of spatial planning sites to be designed and planned, the tourist tea garden is a unique type; it has public service functions, academic functions, tourism functions, and industrial economic functions, and these functions are conflicting [6,7]. In the existing planning practice of sightseeing tea gardens, there are mainly four types: (1) Picking tea gardens: Mature tea gardens, orchards, vegetable gardens, flower gardens, and fishing areas are opened in the gardens, allowing tourists to pick tea, fruit, vegetables, enjoy flowers, fish, and other activities in the gardens, and meet the various needs of tourists through the process of sightseeing, picking, tasting tea, and purchasing [8,9]. (2) Popular science tea gardens: This type of tea garden includes the cultural type and the technical type. The former garden type concentrates on popular science, exploring the history of traditional tea culture, the background of regional tea culture, the types of tea and tea sets, tea making technology, and craftsmanship. On the other hand, the latter showcases high-tech, modern agricultural production facilities, including factory seedling cultivation, multi-span greenhouses, soilless cultivation, and the cultivation of genetically modified new varieties. (3) Tourist tea gardens: This type of tea garden emphasizes the harmonious coexistence of tea gardens and the surrounding environment, with rich vegetation resources and beautiful landscapes. Tourist tea gardens provide outdoor activities such as hiking, exploration, rock climbing, and vacation health services to attract tourists who love nature. (4) Comprehensive tea garden: This type of tea garden integrates production and sales, leisure and vacation, popular science education, sightseeing experience, etc. This type of tea garden is large in scale, high in level, and comprehensive. Comprehensive tea gardens have industrial economic functions and realize economic benefits through the production and sale of tea. This type of tea garden provides a variety of tourism activities and leisure and vacation services to meet the diverse needs of tourists. Some scholars have explored the development of regional sightseeing tea gardens from the perspective of development history [10] and explored the architectural design elements of leisure sightseeing tea gardens from the perspective of sightseeing space design [11] and the relationship between tea garden sightseeing imagery, tourist experience, and behavioral intention [12]. At the same time, a large number of scholars have explored design practices based on plant patterns [13], non-tea plant configuration and layout [14], the integration of art forms and landscapes in tea garden landscape design [15], and the expression of tea culture in tea gardens [16,17,18,19]. Other scholars have created and implemented the landscape of tea gardens based on 4D holographic projection digital art projects [20] or dynamic balance theory [21]. The focus on tea gardens varies in international experience. For example, some scholars focus on the interpretative analysis of the heritage value and form of the tea cultural landscape [22] and the system design, management, and equipment in the tea garden [23,24,25]. This is equivalent to operating the tea garden as one of the local industries and revitalizing the economy.

Therefore, and also because of the complex characteristics of the use functions of sightseeing tea gardens, planners face many challenges when designing such places. These challenges include the following: (1) Complexity of topography: Tourist tea gardens are often located in mountainous and hilly areas with rich terrain and large undulations. To fully display the beauty of natural mountains and meet the needs of tea production and tourism, reasonable terrain transformation and landscape design are necessary. (2) Variability of climatic conditions: The climatic conditions of tea gardens vary greatly in different periods, such as rising temperatures and continuous spring rains in spring but often cold weather in spring, heavy rains and floods in early summer, and falling temperatures and dry weather in autumn. This requires full consideration of climatic factors in the design, selection of suitable tea tree varieties and planting methods, and reasonable setting of drainage and irrigation systems. (3) Diversity of functional requirements: Tourist tea gardens need to meet not only the basic needs of tea production but also the various needs of tourists, such as sightseeing, picking, tea tasting, and leisure. This requires reasonable functional zoning and landscape design in planning to provide a rich and diverse tourism experience. (4) Depth of cultural expression: Tea culture is an important part of Chinese traditional culture. Tourist tea gardens need to fully display the connotation and characteristics of tea culture in their design. This includes material culture (such as tea picking, tea making, tea tasting, and tea discussion), institutional culture (such as tea policy, tea law, etc.), behavioral culture (such as tea etiquette, tea customs, etc.), and moral culture (such as tea ethics, tea ceremony, etc.). (5) Sustainability of the environment: Tourist tea gardens need to pay attention to the protection and sustainable development of the environment while meeting the needs of tourists. This requires designers to fully consider natural environment factors in planning, adopt eco-friendly design concepts and building materials, and strengthen environmental management and monitoring. The relevant information on planning concept thinking, design suggestions, planning and design practice cases, and zoning design steps for sightseeing tea gardens has not yet been concentrated in a unified place. This is also an issue that currently receives less attention in tea garden planning research. This could potentially influence future research and thinking regarding the development of sightseeing tea gardens in similar tea-producing areas. Therefore, the researchers aim to combine the research and planning practice of tea garden landscapes, taking the case of Wuyi Mountain, a world heritage site, as a typical representative, and the zoning planning of sightseeing tourist tea garden landscapes to provide case evidence for the development framework of such sites for future planners and researchers.

As a type of landscape with multiple functions such as natural environment, tourism, and culture, the design and development of tourist tea gardens face many challenges, including complex terrain, changeable climatic conditions, diverse functional requirements, and high coordination requirements between cultural expression and care for the natural environment. At present, although there have been many relevant studies on tea garden landscape planning, there is still a relative lack of specific planning and practical cases for ecotourism tea gardens in world heritage sites. Therefore, this study takes the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden in Wuyishan City, Fujian Province, as a case study and attempts to explore and answer the following three specific research questions: (1) How can a tourist tea garden in a world heritage site effectively integrate and utilize local natural resources? (2) Based on the existing tea garden landscape, what functional zoning and planning and design methods can effectively reflect the characteristics of the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden? (3) What actual benefits did the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden generate after the landscape planning and design were completed?

2. Study Area and Methods

2.1. Study Area

The Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden project site is located on the northwest side of No. 368 Baihua Road, Wuyishan City, Nanping City, Fujian Province, China (Figure 1). The project site connects to the city’s main road, Baihua Road, in the southeast, and to Huangbo Avenue, the planned city’s main road, in the northwest. The straight-line distance to the airport is about one kilometer. It is surrounded by tourist tea mountains and covers an area of about 350 acres (Figure 2). The scientific research and commercial service plots are narrow and long, similar to the Chinese character “山”, with an available area of about 55,000 m². The project site consists of the existing planned construction site and tea garden site, covering an area of about 700 mu, or 46 hectares in total. The planned construction land spans 68 mu, with an overall plot ratio of 0.6, and the building area spans 45,356 m² (Figure 3). The overall site is high in the north and low in the south, with a height difference of about 10 m. The introduction of a stream in the north of the base will ensure that the water quality meets the national drinking water standards. The planning approach begins with the water system landscape in the center of the base and connects the functions of each part into a whole.

2.2. Research Method and Process

The research method includes extensive field surveys combined with GIS analysis and biodiversity surveys, covering the topography and slope of the tea plantation, current natural resources, and statistics on the number of tourists after completion and the related benefits of local enterprises (Figure 4). The research process consists of the following phases: (1) Combination of field survey and GIS analysis: Conduct extensive field surveys to cover the topography, slope, and other geographical features of the tea gardens. Use geographic information system (GIS) technology to accurately analyze the tea garden terrain data to intuitively present the spatial distribution of the tea gardens and provide basic geographic information support for subsequent research. At the same time, combined with the first-hand data obtained from the field survey, accurately grasp the actual topographic and geomorphological characteristics of the tea gardens. (2) Biodiversity survey: Conduct a biodiversity survey based on the current natural resource status of the tea gardens. Count the plant species, insect species, and other biological resources in the tea gardens, evaluate the biodiversity level of the tea garden ecosystem, understand the health of the ecosystem, and provide a basis for the formulation of natural environment protection strategies. (3) Historical document analysis: The researchers obtained basic information and background knowledge about the Wuyishan World Heritage Site and the tea garden project site by consulting the literature and government-published superior planning documents and relevant policy documents, including landscape planning, land use planning, industrial planning, and tourism development planning, to gain an in-depth understanding of the current development status of the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden. In addition, historical books such as local chronicles further deepened the researchers’ understanding of the history and local culture of the area. (4) Field visits and observations: Conduct field surveys from February 2018 to December 2020. By visiting local government staff, tea production companies, residents, and tourists, collect information about the development process of Wuyishan heritage tourism and the attitudes of all parties towards the planning and design of the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden. In the process of field observation, more intuitive information is obtained to help researchers extract in-depth design ideas that are more in line with local development needs. (5) Data statistical analysis: Count the number of tourists after the tea garden is built and collect relevant benefit data from local enterprises. Through data analysis, evaluate the effectiveness of the tea garden in the tourism industry and economic development, and provide data support for the formulation of industrial development strategies.

2.3. Superior Planning and Land Use Adaptability Analysis

Superior planning provides guidance and a foundation for the implementation of the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden. First, the “13th Five-Year Plan for Tourism Development in Fujian Province”, established Wuyi Mountain and Wuyi New District as one of the three major tourism distribution centers and tourism core cities in the province, clarified its leading position in the province’s green leisure tourism belt and the cultural tourism zone in northwest Fujian, and emphasized the strategic deployment of building a “Greater Wuyi Tourism Circle” [26]. The “Nanping Tourism Industry Development Plan (2017–2025)” outlines the product requirements for Wuyi tea cultural tourism, leveraging the deep-rooted origins and global influence of Wuyi tea to enhance tea tourism beyond simple purchases and consumption [27]. The plan also aims to learn from successful tea industry development models like the Yunnan Dayi Tea Industry, with the ultimate goal of expanding, strengthening, and deepening the Wuyi tea industry. The superior planning clearly indicates the need to promote the Wuyi Star Tea Tourism Factory Upgrading Project. Therefore, we should enhance and refine this plan based on the overall plan, conduct further research on relevant construction indicators, and gain valuable construction experience. As a famous tourist destination, Wuyishan’s regional development plan focuses on the promotion and expansion of the tourism industry. To enhance Wuyishan’s overall tourism economy, it is crucial to closely integrate the tea garden’s planning with the tourism industry.

Based on the field survey and on-site observations, the researchers created and recorded the land use of the site, as shown in Figure 5 below. The types include service land, commercial land, hotel land, entertaining land, basic tea mountain protection land, ecological protection land, square site, water land, green landscaping, and land for transportation facilities. Among them, the largest area is basic tea mountain protection land. Following an examination of the current land use, the researchers confirmed that the site’s land planning use was more dispersed and complex than the previous plan. Furthermore, the site adaptability analysis identifies additional guidelines for planning practice (Figure 6). Based on the field survey and discussions conducted by the design team, (1) it was determined that the area on the north side of the site is near the planned urban main road. The terrain is relatively flat and simple to develop and build. It serves as the garden’s main entrance. (2) It is situated in the center of the site, in a sunny area with a suitable slope, making it ideal for the development of a tea mountain planting and viewing area. (3) Node 3 is situated at the western boundary of the site. Natural forests surround it, providing significant privacy. It has a wide view to the west and the main scenic area of Wuyi Mountain can be seen from a distance. It is suitable for the construction of a business club. (4) Node 4 is located adjacent to the site where the business club is being constructed. It is a northwest-facing valley with lush native vegetation and a pond formed by a spring. It is quiet and natural, suitable for the construction of a forest luxury hotel. (5) Node 5 is a native forest belt that isolates the quiet area in the west of the site and the open mountain in the middle. It is suitable for ecological forest restoration and the development of tourism projects such as forest walks. (6) Node 6 is the highest point in the area. It is currently a viewing pavilion. The proposal aims to enhance both the current environment and the landscape of the viewing platform. (7) Node 7 is adjacent to the vocational and technical colleges. The original quarry abandoned its pit, resulting in the formation of a large fan-shaped section. The project requirements guide the construction of the Starry Sky Book House. (8) Node 8, located in the eastern part of the site, is a low-lying area that serves as a landscape corridor. It is recommended to introduce a water system, restore its ecology, and build landscape nodes such as water streets, wetland landscapes, and field landscapes around the water system. (9) The waterfront landscape belt, serving as the visual center of the base and boasting a large water surface area, combines with the base’s existing vegetation to form the hub of the entire garden. (10) Node 10, a relatively complete and concentrated plot, is suitable for construction. To connect the sightseeing factory area with the tourist tea gardens, we can build a tourist reception center and a distribution square. (11) Node 11 is situated at the intersection of the production plant area and the leisure landscape area. Wuyi Mountain boasts the widest variety of tea trees planted there. The proposal calls for the construction of an ecological education landscape area alongside the sightseeing factory. (12) The native forest area is only separated from the military protection area by a wall and is restricted construction land. The main consideration should be the forest conservation function.

3. Results

3.1. Existing Natural Resource Survey Results

3.1.1. Topography and Slope Survey Results

Through field investigation and analysis, the researchers found the base terrain is mainly low mountains and hills, with the overall terrain being high in the north and low in the south. Most areas are between 200 and 250 m above sea level, with the highest point being 252.5 m above sea level, and the terrain is quite undulating (Figure 7 and Figure 8). Figure 8 shows the specific slope distribution. Most areas have a slope between 10% and 30%, while the hills typically have a slope between 40% and 50%, with a small portion experiencing an extreme slope of more than 90% (Figure 9). Tea planting, as well as the planning and design of various functional areas, closely correlate with the slope. In terms of geological conditions, the tea garden is in a typical Danxia landform area, with obviously exposed rocks in some areas and unique landforms, which puts special demands on landscape design and natural environment protection measures. In the core area of Wuyi Mountain, numerous rock surfaces coexist with sparse soil and mud, resulting in a distribution pattern of tea gardens primarily planted with stonemasonry, on slopes, and in pits [28,29,30]. Tea trees have the characteristics of liking acid and fearing alkali, and the pH of the soil suitable for tea tree growth is between 4.5 and 6.0. The soil in the forests of Wuyi Mountain and in areas with a higher concentration of tea trees is acidic, typically having a pH value between 4.5 and 6.5. Therefore, Wuyi Mountain is also a natural paradise for tea tree growth [31]. In addition, the park has relatively abundant water resources. There is a natural stream on the north side of the park, which has water all year round and can meet the water needs of the tea garden irrigation and natural environment landscape. The microclimate has distinct characteristics, with abundant annual rainfall (average annual precipitation is about 2000 mm), average annual temperature of about 17–19 °C, and high relative humidity, which is suitable for the growth of tea trees and other native tree species. In addition, the vegetation coverage rate in the park is relatively high. In addition to tea trees, there are also large pine forests, mixed forests, and shrubs. Vegetation types are diverse and the animal and plant resources are rich, forming a relatively stable ecosystem. From the perspective of relevant policies and regulations, Fujian Province strictly prohibits the opening of new tea gardens in mountains with a slope of more than 25% and severe soil erosion and fragile ecology. If steep-slope tea gardens are not conducive to ecological transformation, we should return the tea to forests. Therefore, when planning and designing tourist tea gardens, the slope, particularly in areas distributed below 25%, is a crucial consideration.

3.1.2. Current Natural Resources Survey Results

Native tree species are an important part of the local ecosystem [32]. They adapt to the local climate, soil, and other natural conditions, and together with other native organisms, they form a stable ecological community. Preserving native tree species in tea garden planning can maintain ecological balance and provide a favorable natural environment for tea gardens. At the same time, investigating the original plant resources can provide a basis for the planning and layout of tourist tea gardens. Through field investigation, this study preliminarily identified the current vegetation types on the base, which mainly include tea mountains, pine forests, mixed forests, fire-proof forests, wastelands, vegetation depressions, plant resource pools, vegetation around water bodies, and bare land areas. These classifications are mainly based on the land use and land cover status observed during the field survey. Among them, “tea mountain” refers to the area where tea trees are mainly planted artificially; “pine forest” and “mixed forest” are semi-artificial or natural woodlands that grow for a long time on the base, containing a certain proportion of native plants and artificial vegetation; “fire prevention forest” is a tree species or vegetation belt specially planted to prevent forest fires; “wasteland” and “vegetation depression” usually refer to underutilized idle land or seasonal waterlogging areas, where naturally grown herbaceous plants or a small number of shrubs may exist; “plant resource pool” and “water body” mainly refer to aquatic or wetland plant communities; and “bare land” refers to areas that are not obviously covered by vegetation (Figure 10).

According to the survey results, the landscape resources in the site can be further divided into tea mountain landscape, pond landscape, wetland landscape, pine forest landscape, mountain trail landscape, quarrying pit landscape, architectural landscape, and overlooking platform (Figure 11). By classifying and planning the landscape resources in the site, we can give full play to the advantages of various landscape resources, create a colorful and unique tourist sightseeing and recreation space, and meet the different needs of tourists.

The researchers also confirmed the list of existing tree species found at the original site. These include the Melaleuca cajuputi subsp. cumingiana (Turcz.) Barlow, Chimonanthus praecox (L.) Link, Michelia figo (Lour.) Spreng., Vernicia fordii (Hemsl.) Airy Shaw, Prunus persica ‘Duplex’, Malus spectabilis, Prunus subgen. Cerasus, Jacaranda mimosifolia, Michelia x alba, Hibiscus mutabilis, Melia azedarach, Syzygium aromaticum, Cercis chinensis Bunge, Punica granatum, Koelreuteria paniculata Laxm., Albizia julibrissin Durazz., Schima superba Gardner & Champ., Elaeocarpus decipiens Hemsl., Lagerstroemia indica, Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus, Aglaia odorata Lour., Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L., Euphorbia cotinifolia L., Bauhinia purpurea L., Liriodendron chinense (Hemsl.) Sarg., Ginkgo biloba, Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu & W. C. Cheng, Camellia sasanqua Thunb., Camellia japonica L., Chimonobambusa quadrangularis (Franceschi) Makino, Pinus tabuliformis Carrière, Camphora officinarum, and Phoebe bournei (Hemsl.) Yen C. Yang were all confirmed. At the same time, we also recorded the colors of native tree species and the main months of their presentation in the local area, which provided a basis for the subsequent seasonal planning of landscape plants (Figure 12 and Figure 13). By rationally utilizing existing tree species and other native plant resources, we can reduce dependence on external resources and reduce the construction and operation costs of tea gardens. At the same time, we can protect the local natural environment, promote the development of biodiversity, and achieve the unity of the economic and social benefits of tea gardens.

3.2. Planning Concepts and Characteristics

In the previous research methods and analysis section, the research team clarified the natural environmental conditions and resource characteristics of the base through methods such as base terrain mapping, slope analysis, and current vegetation investigation, providing a basic foundation for landscape planning and design. Specifically, the results of the site terrain slope analysis (Figure 9) show that the base is high in the north and low in the south, with obvious undulations in the terrain. The slope in most areas is between 10% and 30%. This slope distribution is suitable for tea tree planting, but it also requires that the relationship between slope and soil and water conservation and stability be fully considered during the planning and design process. In addition, through the investigation of the current vegetation resources of the base (Figure 10 and Figure 11), the spatial distribution of different land use types such as tea trees, pine forests, mixed forests, fire prevention forests, and wastelands within the base was clarified. This survey further clarified the regional characteristics of vegetation distribution and its landscape utilization value and became a direct basis for planning and designing spatial layouts. The Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden incorporates nature as the “base” and humanity as the “picture” in its main planning concept. The “base” is that nature and the environment are the keynotes of the landscape, and a large number of native plants are used to save construction and maintenance costs. The “picture” involves creating a humanistic landscape on a green base by uncovering historical and cultural stories that convey regional characteristics and cultural spirit. This includes the following: (1) The project is positioned as a tourist tea garden, emphasizing natural environment protection and sustainable development, conforming to the needs of the times, and achieving coordinated development of society, economy, and environment. In the planning and design of tea gardens by cleverly combining natural ecological resources and cultural landscape elements, we create ecological corridor demonstration nodes with local cultural characteristics, rich visuals, and complete ecological functions, to achieve balance and coordination between tea planting areas, forest vegetation areas, and human activity areas in the tea garden ecosystem. (2) Highlight the natural theme and strengthen the landscape pattern of “mountains, water, forests, and fields”. Taking the tourist tea garden as an example, the green landscape base refers to the plant-based ecological patch composed of the existing tea tree planting areas, woodlands, and other vegetation within the base; the blue landscape base specifically refers to the streams, ponds, wetlands, and other water bodies within the base. These water bodies are important ecological elements in the region, playing important functions in ecological regulation and landscape beautification. In addition, the planning and design strive to rationally arrange artificial service facilities within the ecological buffer zone to avoid damage or excessive interference of facilities on ecological patches, to minimize the negative impact on the ecosystem, and to achieve coordination and unity between the landscape and the ecosystem. Through the detailed division and reasonable layout of the ecological space of mountains, woodlands, water systems, and farmlands within the base, the spatial relationship of natural environment elements such as natural vegetation, water areas, and farmland landscapes in the area will be further strengthened, highlighting the relatively natural vegetation landscapes, water wetlands, secondary forests, and other landscape areas with natural environment and semi-natural characteristics in the area. Through the above measures, harmonious coexistence of people and natural landscape can be achieved in the overall planning of the tea garden. (3) Inherit the spirit and context of the site and create a cultural environment with regional characteristics. This study continues and strengthens the original natural environment landscape characteristics of the site by protecting the existing vegetation, landforms, water systems, and other natural ecological elements within the base. At the same time, we will explore and integrate the rich local historical and cultural resources and present them in a moderate form of tourism development, which will not only ensure the sustainability of the natural environment but also meet the diverse needs of tourists for regional cultural experiences. Combined with the survey results in Section 3.1.1, the research team planned a road system in the tea garden that focuses on cultural and tourism experiences, including the Green Axis Tour, 1 km Detour Route (15~20 min), Tourist Area of the 1st Class, 2 km Detour Route (30~40 min), Tourist Area of the 2nd Class, Dirt Road, Tourist Area of the 3rd Class, and other divisions (Figure 14). The overall planning of the tea garden was further formed as presented in Figure 15.

These planning concepts are realized through a series of infrastructure measures, which are divided into four angles: restoring mountains and rivers, rereading cultural context, sorting out style and appearance, and improving functions. The design practice is carried out in different areas.

3.2.1. Restoring Mountains and Rivers

Restoring mountains and rivers involves reorganizing the water bodies in the garden, integrating the introduction of water systems, restoring the natural environment landscape, properly handling the remaining quarrying sites, and reproducing the historical water veins and natural environment patterns (Figure 16). The main practices include the following: (1) repairing the exposed surface and slope protection and carrying out natural environment restoration on the basis of the original mine pit; effectively preventing soil erosion; protecting the soil structure; and laying the foundation for the stability of the landscape pattern. (2) Restoring regional vegetation based on the existing vegetation of the garden to form three isolation zones. Pinus tabuliformis Carrière primarily composes the original forest belt on the south side of the base. The 1950s and 1960s saw large-scale sowing based on the original foundation. The 1990s saw a gradual destruction of the forest. This design will restore the natural environment of the forest and carry out weak development tourism projects such as forest walks to restore its role in species migration and improve microclimate, which will help maintain biodiversity and balance. (3) There was originally a spring inside the base. Local residents often came here to fetch water for drinking, seeking peace and health in the process. The development of the quarry led to its gradual abandonment. This design aims to revitalize the original spring, respect the original terrain, and restore the water body in the site to resemble a natural river valley stream in Wuyi Mountain. It also aims to improve the microclimate environment and strengthen cultural connections. The original ponds and weirs were repaired to prevent leakage, and a transit water system was introduced to create a surrounding water system that is conducive to the recycling of water resources and improves the water resource utilization efficiency of the entire region. At the same time, it can promote soil moisture conservation and fertility, which is conducive to the growth and harvest of tea. The circular water system can also be combined with the surrounding green space, vegetation, and other natural landscapes to form a richer ecological landscape level. (4) The low-lying area in the east of the site assumes the function of a landscape corridor. Therefore, we construct landscape nodes, such as water streets, wetland landscapes, and field landscapes, around the water system on the northeast side to connect different ecological patches. At the same time, ecological corridors can promote gene exchange between species, enhance their adaptability and survival abilities, and improve the stability and resistance of the ecosystem.

In addition, refer to the survey results in Section 3.1.2 to plan the plant landscape in the tea garden. For instance, the image nodes depict various seasonal scenes, including Buddha’s finger, camphor shade, lotus pond, azalea, crape myrtle, cedar pond, maple brocade, pine waves, tangerine pond, red osmanthus, and falling cherry blossoms (Figure 17). Additionally, seasonal tree species that symbolize the four-season landscape combine with the overall plan’s axis to form a plant landscape axis, which shows people the changing of the seasons like a seasonal clock. The design is based on the premise of preserving the original ancient trees, optimizing and beautifying the existing vegetation, planning the disordered green space system, planting landscape seasonal tree species, and using ground cover and climbing plants to cover the greening dead corners before and after the building. Simultaneously, the park utilizes appropriate characteristic tree species, rare flowers, and trees, and judiciously pairs seasonal flowering plants with colorful foliage trees and shrubs. Three horizontal and six vertical green landscape axes are formed in the garden, and landscape tree species of different types and seasonal phases are planted, respectively, striving to make the plant landscape in the garden rich and diverse, with scenery in all seasons, beautifying the garden environment and making the garden landscape iconic and recognizable (Figure 18). Specifically, it can be divided into the following seasonal phases: (1) A green landscape from February to April: At the beginning of the new year, the garden looks brand new; “the spring scenery fills the garden”. White or pink peach blossoms, white purple-leaf plums, weeping willows with new buds, and various plants are full of spring. Under the gentle sunshine, they set off a poetic beauty. Therefore, in the layout of green landscapes, attention should be paid to the selection of tree species during this period. For example, Malus spectabilis with white or pink petals, white Vernicia fordii (Hemsl.) Airy Shaw, rose-red Prunus persica ‘Duplex’, pale yellow Michelia figo (Lour.) Spreng., romantic Prunus subgen. Cerasus, ornamental Salix babylonica L., etc. In addition, shrubs and grasses should be used, such as Rosa chinensis Jacq., Jasminum nudiflorum, Melaleuca cajuputi subsp. cumingiana (Turcz.) Barlow, Cornus kousa subsp. chinensis (Osborn) Q. Y. Xiang, Rhododendron simsii Planch., etc., to achieve a rich green landscape. (2) A green landscape from April to June: A green landscape can be arranged in the form of “points”, “lines”, and “planes”. Points: Throughout the garden, the prominent parts of the green landscape present a dotted landscape, such as teahouses and hotels, lawns, tree arrays, or along the waterfront. Lines: The “boulevard” of the garden should have outstanding tree species, such as precious tree species, colorful romantic tree species, special tree species with distinct seasonal phases, or tree species with majestic tree shapes, such as Washingtonia filifera (Linden ex André) H. Wendl., Jacaranda mimosifolia, Liquidambar formosana Hance, etc. Planes: This component mainly refers to the tree array landscape created at the main and secondary entrances. The keynote tree species, Jacaranda mimosifolia, boasts blue flowers and blooms from April to May. During this period, the garden also arranges green landscapes in other spaces. Tree species can be selected, such as Michelia x alba, Hibiscus mutabilis, Nerium indicum or Nerium oleander L., Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis, etc. (3) A green landscape from June to August: The number of tourists during this period is the highest in the whole year. Wuyi Mountain’s subtropical monsoon climate, characterized by hot summers, necessitates the arrangement of more shaded leisure spaces within the greening layout. In addition, the unique green landscape in summer should also be considered; whether it is flowers, leaves, or fruits, the scenery is pleasant. Therefore, the greening tree species can be selected from the bright red inflorescence of Albizia julibrissin Durazz. and Punica granatum L., yellow or red flowers of Plumeria rubra L., tender green of Fatsia japonica (Thunb.) Decne. & Planch., white flowers of Arachnis, yellow-spotted variegated Alpinia zerumbet ‘Variegata’ and Rohdea japonica (Thunb.) Roth, etc. (4) A green landscape from August to October: In order to make tourists feel relaxed and happy during this period, we should pay attention to the sensory effect of greening during this period, so we should choose autumn landscape plants with distinctive leaves, such as the Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii Makino, Aglaia odorata Lour., and Jasminum sambac (L.) Aiton with unique fragrance, the yellow-flowered Cassia bicapsularis, Hibiscus mutabilis L., and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis for viewing flowers, the red-leafed of Euphorbia cotinifolia L. and Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ for viewing leaves, and the Punica granatum L. for viewing fruits, etc. (5) A green landscape from October to December: As winter arrives, trees gradually enter a dormant period, and deciduous trees gradually show their leaves falling and bare trunks, during which visitors can enjoy the beauty of their branches. In addition, major autumn tree species should be planted to add to the beauty of the garden’s colors so that visitors can not only enjoy the branches but also the flowers, leaves, and fruits. Therefore, during this period, white or pink Bauhinia purpurea L. can be selected as the main tree species, and shrubs and grasses can be added, such as Murraya exotica L. and Nandina domestica Thunb. for fruit viewing, chrysanthemums for flower viewing, and red-leafed Euphorbia cotinifolia L. for leaf viewing. (6) A green landscape from December to January: This is the period between the four seasons. The green landscape should have falling leaves, changing colors, and new leaves. The tree species can be selected with the yellow–green young leaves of the Ficus religiosa L. as the main tree species, accompanied by red-flowered Cercis chinensis Bunge, Camellia, yellow-flowered Chimonanthus praecox (L.) Link, etc., supplemented by green lawns and herbs to create a “green landscape”.

3.2.2. Rereading Cultural Context

Rereading cultural context involves tracing back history, sorting out Wuyi culture, Zhuzi culture, and tea-Zen culture, and providing reasonable support for infrastructure construction and functional improvement.

Through field investigation and analysis of historical archives, the research team learned that Zhu Xi was a famous thinker, philosopher, and educator in the Southern Song Dynasty. He was the culmination of Confucianism since Confucius and Mencius and was honored as “Zhu Zi” by later generations. Since the late Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu Zi’s ideas have served as the primary framework for governing society. His ideas of seeking knowledge through investigation of things, establishing education, and self-examination of integrity were not only of great significance at the time but also had a profound impact on later generations. Nanping City (including Wuyishan City under its jurisdiction) in Fujian Province is the place where Zhu Zi’s Neo-Confucianism sprouted, developed, and reached its peak. Zhu Xi’s great-grandson Zhu Qian crossed the sea to Jincheng, Jeolla Province, Goryeo (now Sin-an gun, South Korea) in 1224. After settling here, he spread Zhu Zi’s Neo-Confucianism and became the founding ancestor of the Zhu family in South Korea, with generations of descendants. Zhu Zi’s culture greatly influenced the building of numerous academies in South Korea. UNESCO has listed the nine existing Korean Neo-Confucian academies, including Yeongju Shaoxiu Academy and Andong Taoshan Academy, as World Cultural Heritage. Koreans deeply root Zhuzi culture and Confucianism in their daily lives, subtly influencing etiquette such as respecting elders and maintaining order between the young and the old. The year 2024 marks the 800th anniversary of Zhu Qian’s eastward voyage. Zhu Xi’s Zhuzi doctrine, founded on the basis of inheriting Confucianism, not only has a profound impact on Korean society and culture but also has become a link to promote cultural exchanges between China and South Korea [33]. But in the past, people who came to Wuyishan City specifically for Zhuzi culture were still a minority. Therefore, we planned and designed the Starry Sky Book House and Exchange Center at the venue to promote regular lectures and seminars on Zhuzi culture, attract tourists and scholars interested in Zhuzi culture to participate, and thereby enhance the cultural taste of the tea garden (Figure 19, Figure 20, Figure 21 and Figure 22).

In the planning and design of the tea garden landscape, the elements and concepts of Zhuzi culture are integrated to inherit and promote the excellent traditional Chinese culture. The architectural style and elements of Zhuzi culture are used as a reference to create a tea garden landscape with a strong cultural atmosphere. At the same time, the educational concepts of Zhuzi culture are integrated into the planning of tea gardens. Through the construction of the Starry Sky Book House and Exchange Center and the holding of tea culture lectures and tea art performances, tea culture knowledge is popularized to enhance the public’s cognition and interest in tea culture. In the development process of tea gardens, we can also learn from the innovative spirit and open and inclusive attitude of Zhuzi culture, actively introduce new technologies, new varieties, and new models, and promote the innovative development, transformation, and upgrading of the tea industry.

On the other hand, ancient China is where tea-Zen culture originated. Following the introduction of Buddhism to China, Zen gradually emerged, with tea playing a significant role in temple life. Then, with the introduction of Buddhism, tea also merged with the lives of monks and became a part of the monks’ Zen lives. Tea culture and Zen thought began to merge. The Tang Dynasty gave tea-Zen culture a more specific and clear meaning, and it began to prevail among temples and literati, leading to the creation of numerous literary works. Zen emphasizes the understanding of the true meaning of Buddhism through daily practice and life experience. Tea’s refreshing properties and cognitive aids make it an ideal practice partner for Zen monks, leading to a close integration of tea and Zen. During the Song Dynasty, there was a further development of tea-Zen culture, a rise in tea-drinking competitions, a closer connection between tea and Zen, and the emergence of numerous stories of Zen enlightenment through tea and Zen tea schools. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the people widely embraced tea-Zen culture, fusing it with secular life to create a rich and diverse tea-Zen culture. Based on such a rich historical and cultural background, the design team integrated tea and Zen culture into the site planning of the tea garden and designed a Zen teahouse area, extending the original tea culture and Zen culture into modern tourism (Figure 23 and Figure 24).

3.2.3. Sorting out Style and Appearance

First, the team sorted out the style of tea mountains, woodlands, and structures in the area and demolished structures that did not conform to the overall style (Figure 25). Secondly, for the design considerations of cultural and tourism planning, the dense jungle of the base is not suitable for large-scale development and construction of luxury hotels, so the forest homestay area was planned (Figure 26). Therefore, this zoning plan chooses a location with higher terrain or close to natural landscapes such as streams, that is, the woodland area around the tea garden, to ensure that it can be integrated into the natural environment without causing damage to the landscape of the tea garden while providing a better view and living experience. Simultaneously, the homestay adopts a decentralized layout, dispersing the rooms or building units throughout the woods to minimize its impact on the natural environment. Connecting the rooms through winding paths creates a quiet and private living atmosphere. Its building materials are mainly wood; it makes full use of local wood resources to create buildings with natural texture and affinity. The use of wood not only meets the requirements of environmental protection but also integrates with the surrounding forest environment to create a harmonious and unified landscape effect.

3.2.4. Improving Functions

The research team added multiple functions such as leisure, vacation, study tours, science popularization, meditation, and cultural experience to further enhance the space’s cultural and tourism functions (Figure 27). This resulted in a four-story seamless recreation area that is accessible both day and night. This recreation area includes the following: (1) Large toilets, which are distributed in large service areas and core areas. (2) Small toilets, distributed in small stations. (3) Electric car stations are scattered in various areas, with simple wooden pergolas as the basic units, and different arrangements and combinations are made according to the site requirements. The units primarily consist of wood and rough stone, with a variety of details. (4) Resting pergolas are scattered in various areas, with simple thatched sloped roof pergolas serving as the basic units. Different arrangements and combinations are made based on the site requirements. The primary materials for the units include wood, rough stone, and aluminum imitation thatched roofs. (5) Service facilities are uniformly made of logs as the main material, highlighting the natural and rough characteristics of the setting. The design of these node-type functional areas also aims to maintain the overall consistency of the tea garden’s style.

4. Discussion

4.1. Phased Construction and Sustainable Development

The planning principles prioritize environment construction, mountain greening, soil and water conservation, dam building, and water storage, with road and municipal facility construction coming in second, and site preparation coming in third. The construction order of supporting buildings and facilities is determined according to investment conditions and importance, as shown in Figure 28.

The first phase of construction includes the following: (1) Mountain greening: Restore the regional vegetation on the basis of the existing vegetation in the garden to form three isolation zones. (2) Soil and water conservation: Repair exposed surface and slope protection and carry out ecological restoration on the basis of the original mine pit (Figure 29). (3) Dam building and water storage: Prevent leakage and repair the original pond and weir, introduce a transit water system, and create a surrounding water system. (4) Node construction: Carry out the construction of the strategic center and central axis landscape avenue.

The second phase of construction includes the following: (1) Road planning: Make rational use of the original road and carry out reasonable upgrading and transformation based on demand classification. (2) Water supply and drainage system: Overall planning and layout of the garden water supply system, mainly for the landscape design of the drainage system on both sides of the road. (3) Grid facilities: The garden grid and the factory grid are independent of each other, and the grid is preset according to the maximum load of the garden. (4) Node construction: Based on the deepening of the plan of Linjian Hotel and Xingkong Bookstore, the construction of the two nodes will be carried out first, and the construction of the main entrance will be completed.

The third phase of construction includes the following: (1) Site preparation for the plots to be built. (2) Supplementary node construction: Supplementary construction of the exchange center, Wuyi Water Street, secondary entrance, and other nodes.

4.2. Planning Principles Followed in Development

Furthermore, the researchers used sustainable tourism of the site as the core of their planning practice and summarized six main planning principles based on their relative importance. These include the following: (1) The principle of respecting natural environmental resources: We support the construction of an ecological security pattern by fully combining the existing natural resource characteristics, such as terrain, water quality, and vegetation, to maintain and restore the original functions of the landscape corridor and surrounding areas. (2) Localization principle: Fully explore and highlight local cultural characteristics, respect local customs and ethnic landscape characteristics, and prioritize the use of excellent broad-leaved tree species and paving materials with local characteristics. (3) Humanization principle: Highlight the people-oriented principle, focus on slow lanes, improve the road sign system, emergency rescue system, and the construction of supporting facilities closely related to the personal safety of tourists. (4) Convenience principle: Strengthen the connection between the roads in the area and the public transportation network, improve the transfer system, facilitate tourists’ entry, and use the “large concentration, small dispersion” method to set up service facilities for their convenience. (5) Holistic principle: While highlighting its own characteristics, some similar design techniques and languages are used in different planning parts to create a unique and recognizable landscape space. (6) Principle of Economy: Pay attention to the use value of the land, consider the feasibility of development and construction and the economic benefits in the management process, reduce the volume of the project, and control the cost without reducing the quality and aesthetic requirements.

4.3. Benefits After Construction and Challenges

Following the completion of the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden and its full use and function, the venue hosted a total of 15 large-scale study tours, 23,022 online Wednesday cloud tea parties, and thousands of offline tea parties, encompassing all terminals and drawing in more than 140,000 participants (Figure 30). The Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden has evolved into a prominent national agricultural industrialization enterprise, integrating various aspects such as tea breeding and planting, production and processing, business sales, scientific research, tea tourism, cultural and creative development, and tea culture communication. In 2022, the brand’s value was CNY 1.12 billion, and the accumulated tax was nearly CNY 180 million. Located in Wuyi Mountain, a world heritage site, the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden places significant emphasis on preserving the excellent tea germplasm resource garden of Fujian and Taiwan. It has grown to become the largest tea germplasm resource garden in Wuyi Mountain and even in China, boasting the richest varieties and the strongest scientific research strength. Statistics show that the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden maintains and cultivates 365 types of tea tree varieties, cultivates famous clusters, and innovates more than 2700 types of germplasm resources, thereby establishing a national tea species gene bank. Furthermore, it contributes to the cultural function of the venue and initiates a variety of research and study activities (

Table 1. Statistics of Sino-foreign research and study activities carried out by the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden.

Type	Name	Time	Number of Visitors
Fujian, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan	The establishment of the “Friends of Wuyi” in Macau and the 2023 Macau-Nanping Youth Exchange Activities	28 October 2023	40+
	Fujian and Taiwan Artists Exchange Activities	3 December 2023	20+
	“Love Fujian, Tea Fragrance on Both Sides” Series of Activities	24 October 2023	100+
	Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau University Students Exchange Tea Culture	28 October 2023	40+
Outside China	Mid-Autumn Festival Tea Party for International Students in China	12 September 2024	40+
	Visit and exchange for the 23rd “Chinese Bridge” World University Chinese Competition	18 August 2024	150+
	Capacity building workshop for the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs of the Solomon Islands	31 May 2024	20+
	“Discover the Beauty of China” experience tea culture for diplomats stationed in China	1 November 2023	20+
	Study tour of Busan branch of Korean Tea Association	11 October 2023	30+
	The Chief Minister of Penang, Malaysia, and his delegation visited	1 September 2023	20+
	The first “Youth Journey, Fujian Appointment”—2023 Overseas Youth Study Camp	15 July 2023	50+
Other provinces in China	Tea culture study activities for students of Changle No. 2 Middle School and Changle No. 6 Middle School in Fujian Province	8 July 2024	1000+
	Study activities of Yifu Primary School in Guilin	31 May 2024	100+
	Study practice activities of Changle No. 1 Middle School on “Knowing Wuyi and exploring the secrets of World Heritage”	7 May 2024	1000+
	“Double reduction” classroom of Wuyishan Experimental Primary School	13 October 2023	350+
	Study and research for primary school students in the post-epidemic era	9 December 2022	380+
	Tea processing course practice for 2020 undergraduates of the Department of Tea Science of Zhejiang University	1 August 2023	30+
	National radio and television integrated media reporters conducted research and study in Fujian	24 November 2023	50+
School-Enterprise Cooperation	Co-construction of a school-enterprise cooperation practice base with Fuzhou University of Foreign Studies	10 October 2023	100+

Source: The authors based on data provided by the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden.

).

However, this design practice still encountered some challenges at the time. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on many fields, and the promotion of cultural tourism projects is no exception. As a comprehensive garden aimed at promoting traditional Chinese tea culture and integrating natural landscapes with human history, the construction process of the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden has unfortunately been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the original plan, this project not only includes a series of core facilities such as the strategic center, communication center, Starry Sky Book House, Wuyi Water Street, and a forest hotel, but also interactive tea culture experience areas such as the tea garden greenway and Zen teahouse, aiming to create a multifunctional space integrating education, leisure, and tourism so that tourists can get close to nature while deeply understanding and experiencing China’s long-standing tea culture. Due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of the project has faced unprecedented challenges. To stop the virus from spreading, strict measures have been put in place in many places, such as limiting people’s ability to move around and canceling events that are not necessary. This has directly affected the mobility of workers, the supply of construction materials, and the complexity of managing construction sites. In addition, the pandemic has also impacted the garden’s fundraising, as donations have decreased, investments have become more cautious, and the overall decline in tourism has made the expected source of income uncertain.

Therefore, only part of the original ambitious design content can actually be constructed. The first priority is the infrastructure construction of the strategic center. As the soul of the garden, this area is crucial for the inheritance and display of tea culture. Despite the many difficulties, the construction team of the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden did not give up but actively sought innovative solutions, such as using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology to reproduce some unfinished physical experiences online so as to attract remote audiences and maintain the popularity and appeal of the project. At the same time, the research team is also flexibly adjusting the construction plan, looking forward to gradually completing the remaining design content when conditions permit, and finally realizing the full completion of the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden, continuing the original intention of promoting Chinese tea culture, promoting cultural exchanges, and ecotourism.

4.4. Comparison with Other Tea Gardens

In addition, based on a large number of case studies, the researchers selected four successful cases of tea garden construction, namely the “Japanese Makunoen Tourist Tea Garden”, the “Zhangping Yongfu Tourist Tea Garden”, the “Fuzhou Lianjiang Changlong Tea Farm”, and the “Hangzhou Longwu Tea Village”, and conducted detailed analysis and research. Whether it is the Japanese Makunoen Tourist Tea Garden, Zhangping Yongfu Tourist Tea Garden, Fuzhou Lianjiang Changlong Tea Farm, or Hangzhou Longwu Tea Village, they have completed the effective excavation of culture and exerted their resource advantages, so that the tea garden has shifted from the single development of tea production to the development of the tourism industry with cultural resources as the leading factor. Summarizing their referenceable methods and experiences in driving the economic development of tea gardens through tea garden construction, it has great reference significance for the innovation of planning ideas for the improvement of tea garden landscapes under the background of rural revitalization, thus providing a theoretical basis and guidance for the development of tea garden landscapes in the future construction area and even the whole country.

Through the research and summary of the construction of these four tea gardens, we can find that they have certain similarities in concepts, planning methods, and strategies, and they all have reference value. They all explored the local regional advantages and characteristic resources and used them as the basis for tea garden planning and development, clarified the theme of tea garden development, and demonstrated its extraordinary appeal. They also developed and constructed tea gardens based on the premise of implementing the concept of ecological planning and following the principle of “moderate development”. For example, (1) in the process of development, Japan’s Maki-no-en Tea Garden focused on the all-round integration of tea tourism and broke the traditional single tourism model. In addition, the Maki-no-en Tourism Tea Garden has further expanded the industrial chain and developed tea-related products, such as tea deep-processing products, such as tea soap, tea socks, tea towels, etc., and perfectly integrated tea into traditional Japanese Kaiseki cuisine, etc., attracting tourists and professional tea drinkers from all over the world. (2) In view of its weakness of shallow tea culture, the Yongfu Tourist Tea Garden has taken a different approach. Starting from the regional cultural characteristics, it took “flower viewing in tea fields” as the theme and interplanted a large number of cherry blossoms in the tea garden, which bloom at a similar time to azaleas, to attract a large number of people to visit, thus achieving the goal of boosting the economic development of the tea garden. (3) The Fuzhou Changlong Tea Farm has explored the cultural connotation in depth, opened up red tourism routes, improved the cultural connotation and taste of the tea garden, and promoted local tourism, catering, and specialty consumption by launching parent–child tours, in-depth tours, and tea picking projects. (4) The Hangzhou Longwu Tea Village has effectively improved the living environment by improving the village environment and renewing infrastructure, laying the foundation for later tourism development. In addition, Longwu Tea Village initially formed a good tourism and vacation service system, and the overall business format has developed well. The tea village is developing in a diversified direction, creating momentum for other business formats. These excellent cases can make full use of the resource advantages in the region and integrate the resources of their own industrial base, forming their own industrial characteristics and cultural characteristics, attracting tourists, and stimulating economic growth, thus achieving rural revitalization. At the same time, this is of great reference significance for the improvement and optimization of tourist tea gardens under the background of rural revitalization. In the later stage of improving the landscape of tourist tea gardens, it is necessary to improve the environment of tea gardens, give play to the advantages of local resources, and enhance the tourists’ experience through cultural excavation and expansion of the industrial chain, so as to stimulate the tourism industry and ultimately promote the economic growth of tea gardens.

4.5. Management of Tea Garden: Balancing Conservation Policy and Development

Technology is the driving force behind community development, and it is also the driving force that accelerates the contradiction between community development and natural environment protection. On the one hand, mechanized technological innovation and tea tree variety improvement have promoted the construction of modern tea gardens in Wuyi Mountain and enhanced people’s ability to transform nature. On the other hand, the slow development of pollution-free pesticide and fertilizer research and development technology has also restricted the promotion of tea garden management methods.

During the identification of issues related to the dispute over the tea forests in Wuyi Mountain, it was found that there was less deforestation and tea planting in nature reserves and scenic areas. Although the original nature reserves and scenic areas only confirmed the rights of collective forests to administrative villages, they implemented unified management of forest land in nature reserves through ecological compensation or economic support. The original nature reserves achieved unified management of collective forests in the core area and buffer zone by demarcating ecological public welfare forests. On the basis of ecological public welfare forests, the original scenic area management committee also paid community resource usage fees to alleviate the development pressure of the community and achieve unified management of collective forests in the scenic area. The collective forest in the upper reaches of the Jiuqu River protection zone in Wuyi Mountain is collectively self-governing by community residents. In the absence of effective systems and supervision, collective forests owned by village collectives in the upstream protection zone of Jiuquxi, where the right of use is vacant, often become the first choice for illegal tea garden reclamation. According to field investigations, most of the illegal tea gardens are collective forests owned by village collectives located in remote mountainous areas. It can be seen that the tragedy of the commons in which collective forests are eroded by tea gardens is caused by defects in the property rights system.

Regarding the ecological transformation of tea gardens, the original Wuyi Mountain Nature Reserve and Scenic Area have launched pilot projects for the construction of tourist tea gardens in cooperation with demonstration households, while in the upstream protection zone of Jiuquxi, there is only publicity about pollution-free tea gardens. Field investigations found that in the tourist tea garden transformation in the pilot area, the Wuyi Mountain Nature Reserve and Scenic Area has established a mechanism for community participation in protection. The Wuyi Mountain Nature Reserve and Scenic Area is coordinated by the protected area management agency, and through incentives, community residents are mobilized to actively participate in the protection and management of the protected area, mainly focusing on fire prevention and tourist tea garden transformation. In contrast, the Wuyi Mountain Nature Reserve and Scenic Area use agreements as a guarantee for community participation, and the content of community participation is mainly tourist tea garden transformation and agricultural technology training.

The change in the concept of tourist tea garden construction, the improvement of product processing technology, and the defects of the community management system of nature reserves are the root causes of the contradictions between the pilot area and the community. In terms of consciousness, the community’s traditional ecological concept of tea garden construction has changed, and more attention has been paid to the short-term economic benefits brought by tea production. At the technical level, the improvement of tea picking and processing technology has enhanced the community’s influence on ecology, while the weakness of industrial development technology has also made the community overly dependent on natural resources. At the institutional level, the vacant ownership of collective forest land has caused the tragedy of the commons in which collective forests have been transformed into tea mountains, and the uneven distribution of the right to use collective forest land has exacerbated the contradictions within the community. The passive community participation protection and management system, which regards the community as the opposing party, has further exacerbated the contradictions between nature reserves and communities, resulting in the lack of effectiveness of the severe crackdown on tea mountain remediation. All these problems and phenomena require balancing the interests of tea gardens, protection policies, and development and construction processes in order to achieve better sustainable development.

4.6. Relationship with Global Frameworks

In the development process of the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden, respecting local natural resources, especially germplasm resources, is the most important link. This is also consistent with the concept of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the outcome of the 2022 United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity, and the inclusion of UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention into its national biodiversity strategy and action plan (Decision 45COM 7.2) [34]. Biodiversity is fundamental to human well-being, a healthy planet, and economic prosperity. This is especially consistent with the contribution to the goal of biodiversity conservation. The diverse planting patterns of the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden have formed a rich microecological environment, providing habitats for many organisms. For example, the unique local stone seat method allows the organisms attached to the tea garden to improve the soil with their metabolites, while also attracting insects and microorganisms to survive and reproduce here, which meets the requirements of protecting biological habitats in the framework and helps maintain regional biodiversity. In addition, the Wuyi Mountain area where the tea garden is located is rich in biodiversity. The development of the tea garden focuses on natural environment protection and does not destroy the native vegetation on a large scale, allowing the tea garden to blend with the surrounding natural ecosystems. Many wild animals and plants can survive in the tea garden and surrounding areas, which promotes the maintenance of species diversity and meets the framework’s goals of curbing species loss and promoting species recovery. In addition, it also raises public awareness of biodiversity conservation. The framework emphasizes the importance of public participation in biodiversity conservation. The Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden promotes biodiversity conservation knowledge to tourists and local residents by holding tea culture festivals and ecotourism activities, raising public awareness of the value of tea garden ecosystems, and enhancing public awareness of biodiversity conservation.

5. Conclusions

5.1. Research Findings

The Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden in this study is located on the world heritage site of Wuyi Mountain. The planning of the tea garden fully utilizes the rich landscape resources of the site, deeply explores the local culture, and constructs a series of functional areas to implement the planning practice and reap the benefits of research and exchange activities. Simultaneously, it establishes a distinctive tourist destination, allowing tourists to immerse themselves in nature and tea culture, while also fostering the growth of cultural tourism within the world heritage site. On the other hand, rural revitalization is the general background of the current era, and its core is “industrial prosperity”. Most tea gardens are located in rural areas, which can serve as a carrier of rural revitalization and build a bridge for the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy to promote the realization of rural reform. At the same time, in order to avoid the phenomenon of “a thousand tea gardens look the same” in the process of improving the tea garden landscape, when developing the local tea garden landscape, the characteristic culture of the tea garden should also be incorporated into the blueprint planning of rural revitalization, and gradually and solidly penetrated into all aspects of rural revitalization. Finally, in response to China’s call to develop the rural revitalization strategy and rural tourism, planning should take advantage of the “east wind” of the tourism industry and vigorously publicize and promote the rural revitalization model with the tea garden landscape as the medium, so as to promote the continuous development of the regional economy, organically integrate rural revitalization, cultural development, and tourism industry, form a unique characteristic brand, and maximize benefits. The construction of the tourist tea garden is completed through the following ways: (1) Based on the natural and cultural resources of the tourist tea garden, the design strategies of deeply exploring cultural value, creating an immersive tourism experience, optimizing spatial layout, designing for nature, and improving the living environment are proposed. (2) The landscape improvement and optimization practice of the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden in the context of rural revitalization is proposed: Based on the theoretical basis, design principles, and design strategies, the tea garden is planned according to the functional zoning of “one axis, one center, multiple points and nine zones”, and the design concept of taking nature as the “base” and humanity as the “map” is proposed. Secondly, the infrastructure construction in the tea garden is improved from the aspects of traffic flow planning, public service facilities planning, water supply and drainage planning, etc., and the overall appearance of the tea garden is improved. Finally, on the basis of preserving the original texture of the tea garden, the tea garden space is planned and integrated. By planning the tea garden’s characteristic tour routes and participatory activities, and combining the creation of landscape nodes, the “agriculture + culture” model is realized, forming three major sections of agricultural entertainment, vacation, and cultural experience, creating a comprehensive tea garden that allows urban people to return to nature and experience their hometown, while also combining health care and other functions, and becoming a new tourism node in Wuyishan City. (3) Relying on the regional characteristics of tea gardens and the advantages of local cultural resources, various tourism resources can be used to develop new forms of tea garden tourism, transforming agricultural resources into industrial advantages, and “empowering” agricultural production. This can further promote the construction of a rural natural environment and regional culture. At the same time, it can also strengthen the dissemination of tea culture and enhance consumers’ tourism experience, thereby promoting rural revitalization and sustainable development. This study presents a planning practice case that offers a framework and ideas for designing a tea garden. At the same time, tea garden areas should be reasonably divided according to the topography, soil conditions, and climate characteristics of different world heritage sites. For example, in mountain heritage sites, we can learn from the Wuyi Mountain stone terrace tea garden and terraced tea garden models to build terraced tea gardens, which can prevent soil erosion and make full use of terrain resources; in plain or gentle slope heritage sites, we can refer to the flat tea garden model to carry out large-scale and standardized planting.

5.2. Limitations and Future Research

As an innovative leisure tourism development model integrating the tea industry and tourism industry, the tourist tea garden has a wide range of research scopes, covering the fields of landscape design and tourism planning and involving multidisciplinary knowledge such as tea science, natural environment, and architecture. From the macro-regional layout to the micro details of tea tree planting, and from the overall scenic area planning to the local landscape element design, all are within the research field of landscape planning and design of tourist tea garden scenic areas. Its planning and design are restricted by many factors such as the natural environment, traffic conditions, tea garden foundation, local cultural customs, and public aesthetics. These factors are not only the limiting conditions of planning and design but also the basic premise that must be comprehensively considered. With the progress of society and economic development, the relevant concepts and technologies of landscape planning and design of tourist tea garden scenic areas continue to innovate. However, this study is not without its limitations. This includes (1) the complexity of multidisciplinary integration. Since tourist tea garden research spans multiple disciplines, there are currently difficulties in integrating knowledge and methods from different disciplines. For example, there is a lack of systematic methods in applying ecological principles to tea garden landscape design to achieve the unity of natural environment resources balance and aesthetic value, resulting in some tourist tea gardens failing to fully utilize the advantages of multidisciplinary integration in actual construction, and it is difficult to achieve the best balance between landscape effects and ecological functions. (2) The concept of “ecology” used in this study mainly remains at the level of plant planting, water system utilization, and simple spatial layout, lacking in-depth analysis of ecosystem functions and demonstration of ecological processes. The weakness of this theoretical foundation is an important limitation and shortcoming of this study. The landscape design practice in this study is more focused on aesthetics than on ecology. Future research will further introduce in-depth ecological theories such as ecosystem structure and function analysis, energy flow, material cycle, and ecological health assessment to consolidate the ecological basis of planning and design and more effectively promote regional sustainable development. (3) Lack of unified standards. The current definition of the concept of tourist tea gardens is not precise enough, and there is a lack of unified standards and specifications for tourist tea garden scenic spots and tourist tea garden landscape planning and design. This makes the scales and quality of tourist tea gardens in various places different when they are built, which is not conducive to the promotion and sustainable development of the tourist tea garden model. (4) Insufficient market dynamic monitoring. Although tea garden planning is an engineering practice, long-term operation needs to be closely integrated with market dynamics. At present, there are deficiencies in the use of big data to analyze market demand and tourist behavior. For example, the calculation of the tourist carrying capacity of tea gardens and surrounding landscape resources is not accurate enough, and there is a lack of long-term dynamic monitoring mechanisms. Once the number of tourists exceeds the carrying capacity, it will not only damage the natural environment but also reduce the quality of the tourist experience.

Based on this, future research can be deepened in four aspects: (1) Research on climate adaptation strategies: In the face of increasingly severe climate change, it is urgent to study tourist tea garden strategies to adapt to climate change. For example, conduct research on the adaptability of different tea tree varieties under climate change scenarios to screen out varieties that are more resistant to high temperatures, droughts, or floods; develop ecosystem-based climate regulation technologies, such as enhancing the carbon sequestration capacity of tea gardens through reasonable tea garden vegetation configuration, regulating local climate, and improving the resilience of tea gardens to climate change. (2) AI-based landscape change monitoring: Use artificial intelligence technology to build a tourist tea garden landscape change monitoring system through deep learning analysis of high-resolution images of tea gardens, real-time monitoring of landscape dynamic information such as tea tree growth status, vegetation coverage changes, and pest and disease occurrence areas. This helps to timely discover problems in the tea garden ecosystem, provides data support for precise management, and also provides a scientific basis for the dynamic adjustment of landscape planning and design. (3) Accurate tourist carrying capacity monitoring and improvement of tourism experience: Combined with social media data analysis, machine learning algorithms, and tourist satisfaction surveys, long-term dynamic monitoring of the tourist carrying capacity of tourist tea garden scenic spots is carried out. Social media data can be used to analyze information such as the source of tourists, their interests, and preferences; machine learning algorithms can predict tourist flows at different times based on historical tourist data and real-time monitoring data; and tourist satisfaction surveys can directly provide feedback on the tourist experience. By combining these data, we can accurately calculate the tourist carrying capacity and optimize the operation and management of scenic spots accordingly, thereby enhancing the tourist experience of tourist tea garden tourism destinations such as world heritage sites. (4) Deepen research on tea culture and landscape: In terms of the application of tea culture, we will deeply explore the connotation of tea culture and integrate it into tea garden landscape design and tourism activity planning to enhance the cultural added value of tourist tea gardens. In the study of tea garden landscapes, we will further explore innovative landscape forms and layouts to create more attractive tea garden landscapes. For example, we will study the tea garden scenic area sign system, build a clear, beautiful, and culturally distinctive sign system, and enhance the recognizability of the scenic area; strengthen the study of the relationship between tea garden productivity and tourist participation and optimize the combination of tea garden production activities and tourism experience projects; carry out tea garden landscape evaluation research and establish a scientific and reasonable landscape evaluation index system; and provide a quantitative basis for the optimization of tourist tea garden landscape planning and design.