The Carlos Machado Museum opens the temporary exhibition titled "Tea Paths" at the Sacred Art Centre of Colégio Church in Ponta Delgada next Friday, November 27, at 6 PM. It will be open to the public until April 3, 2016.

This exhibition is the result of the work carried out by the museum's Intangible Cultural Heritage team on Gorreana tea plantations. This factory was chosen given the longevity of its production unit; it was founded in 1883.

The research started on the field on October 2013 and was carried out using and Cultural Anthropology. It is primarily intended to acknowledge the value of tea growing on S. Miguel as well as to pay tribute to all those involved in the cultivation of "Camelia sinensis" and in local tea production.

Tea was introduced in the 19th century by the Society for the Promotion of Agriculture of São Miguel, which was aided by the practical teachings of four Chinese citizens, two from Macau and two from Hong Kong.

The island of São Miguel is currently one of the only places in Europe where tea is grown. There are two planting and processing units: Porto Formoso Tea, reopened in 2001, and Gorreana Tea Plantation.

Moreover, there are also small domestic plantations, mainly around the places where the old factories are located. Some people still produce their tea using traditional techniques.

The Regional Directorate for Culture informs that this and other events may be consulted in the Cultural Agenda of the CulturAçores Portal at the following address: www.culturacores.azores.gov.pt.