By HOU CHENCHEN and LI YINGQING in Pu'er |

CHINA DAILY |

Filonenko Rodion checks tea leaves as part of his examination at the Zhejiang A&F University in Hangzhou. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

Editor's note: China Daily presents the series Friends Afar to tell the stories of people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries. Through the vivid narration of the people in the stories, readers can get a better understanding of a country that is boosting openness.

In a laboratory at Yunnan Agricultural University, Filonenko Rodion bends over a microscope, adjusting its focus as he studies the fermentation of Pu'er tea. Nearby, water is boiled and poured over tea leaves.