As a child, Zhou Liwei, a member of the Yao ethnic group, would wake up early in the morning, not to the alarm clock ringing or his parents' calls.

Instead, the regular pounding of tea leaves with a pot and wooden hammer, often accompanied by the singing of folk songs, would herald the start of the day.

"Pounding the leaves to make our traditional 'oil tea' remains part of our daily life," he said.

Zhou, 47, is a national-level inheritor of intangible cultural heritage linked to the unique tea of his ethnic group in Gongcheng Yao autonomous county of Guilin, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

He is also head of the local association for the traditional beverage, which can be traced to ancient medicinal drinks to help counter the humidity and other challenging aspects of the local climate. Known popularly as "oil tea", the drink is a unique Yao dietary custom, an integral part of ceremonies, rituals, celebrations and festivals.

Repeatedly pounding and boiling the fresh tea leaves, with generous portions of ginger, a sprinkling of roasted rice, nuts and other local ingredients, can aid digestion, strengthen the stomach and even help prevent malaria, among numerous other health benefits, Zhou said.