a cup of longjing tea and tea leaves
Longjing tea, China’s gem of green tea hails from the picturesque West Lake region in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.
It boasts a legacy spanning over 1,200 years, woven into the very fabric of Chinese tea culture. Distinguished by its vibrant green hue, Longjing tea seduces the senses with its intoxicating aroma and sweet, refreshing flavor.
Each leaf delicately unfurls, resembling a bird’s tongue, presenting a visual feast that complements its ‘4 wonders’: verdant color, enticing fragrance, mellow sweetness, and artful form.
top grade longjing
The provenance of Longjing tea is a tale of 3 distinct types: West Lake Longjing, Qiantang Longjing, and Yuezhou Longjing.
While the West Lake variety, cultivated within a 168-square-kilometer expanse, is revered as the true West Lake Longjing, the latter 2 are embraced as Hangzhou Longjing tea.
Each kind offers a unique testament to the region’s rich tea heritage, inviting connoisseurs and casual sippers to indulge in a cup of history.
map of longjing tea production area
Dragon Well Tea Origin
Tracing dragon well longjing green tea noble lineage back to the Tang Dynasty.
Longjing tea has flourished through a millennium of cultivation, perfecting its craft through the Song and Yuan Dynasties before achieving fame in the Ming Dynasty.
farmars are picking longjing tea in the tea mountain
During the Qing Dynasty, Longjing tea reached its zenith, becoming a jewel in the crown of China’s tea tradition.
It has undergone a remarkable transformation over its storied history, ascending from obscurity to renown. Longjing tea has transcended borders today, earning its place as a globally celebrated icon of the finest green teas.
Its journey from a local delight to an international sensation is a testament to its unparalleled quality and enduring legacy.
Dragon Well Tea History: Ancient
Originated in the Tang Dynasty
The illustrious history of Longjing tea is chronicled in ‘The Tea Sutra,’ penned by the revered Lu Yu, known as the Sage of Tea during the Tang Dynasty (733-804 A.D.).
In those early days, the tea known as Longjing was yet unnamed.
Lingyin Temple
‘The Tea Sutra’ speaks of high-quality tea from the Tianzhu and Lingyin temples in Qiantang, hinting at the nascent stages of what would become a world-renowned tea.
These temples, nestled within the scenic embrace of West Lake, benefit from the nurturing cradle formed by the famed Feilai Peak.
This area’s moderate climate and generous rainfall create an idyllic haven for cultivating tea.
Monks from the Lingyin and Tianzhu temples planted and harvested their tea, using it to welcome visitors with warm hospitality.
Sushi is tasting longjing tea
Historical records, including musings by Su Shi, the esteemed ‘Mayor of Hangzhou’ during the Northern Song Dynasty, recount the journey of Longjing tea trees from Tiantai Mountain to Hangzhou by Xie Lingyun, a renowned poet and Buddhist scholar.
The advent of Buddhism and Taoism during the Sui and Tang dynasties saw the rise of West Lake’s majestic mountains and serene landscapes, providing fertile ground for the widespread planting of Longjing tea alongside the establishment of temples and Taoist abodes.
a village in the dragon well tea mountains
Teas from these areas, celebrated for their exceptional quality, were proudly listed among the local specialties.
Named "Longjing" after the Song Dynasty
Longjing, whose name echoes the mythical depths of its origins, was once called Longhong—a perennial spring that remarkably withstands even the harshest droughts.
old longjing spring
Ancient lore held that this resilient spring, now known as the Dragon Well, was a portal to the sea, harboring dragons within its enigmatic waters, thus inspiring its name.
A mere 500 meters from this storied well lies the venerable Longjing Temple.
Ruins of Song Guang fu yuan
Established circa 949 A.D., the temple was later known as Shousheng Yuan during the Northern Song Dynasty.
It was once the retreat of the renowned Northern Song monk, Master Bian Cai (1011-1091 A.D.), who, alongside literary giants like Su Dongpo and Qin Guan, would partake in the tea ritual.
old longjing writen by Sushi(老龍井)
The legacy of these tea gatherings is immortalized by Su Dongpo’s calligraphy, ‘Old Longjing,’ which graces the hanging rock at the base of Shifeng Mountain to this day.
With Hangzhou’s ascension as the Southern Song Dynasty’s capital, the tea cultivation art saw unprecedented refinement.
‘Tujing,’ a Song Dynasty text, chronicles that only teas from Bao Yun, Xiang Lin, and Bai Yun were deemed worthy of imperial tribute, a distinction that marked the beginning of a classification system for Longjing tea based on its origin.
picking dragon well tea in a tea plantation
Yet, during the Song era, Longjing tea remained a delicacy savored primarily by scholars and poets in the vicinity of West Lake, its reach limited by the era’s transportation and production capabilities.
Yuan Dynasty
During the Yuan Dynasty, the renown of Longjing tea remained a whispered secret, its delights primarily shared among the literati.
Yu Ji (1272-1348 A.D.), celebrated as a ‘Four Great Men of the Yuan Dynasty’ and a tea connoisseur, immortalized the Pre-rain Longjing in verse.
longjing spring
Upon savoring the tea made with the pure waters from Longjing spring, he crafted the timeless lines in ‘Deng Wenyuan’s Visit to Longjing’: ‘Cooking and frying the golden buds, I don’t want to take them after the rain.’
This poignant phrase captures the essence of Longjing tea, heralding the premium buds picked before the Grain Rain Festival as treasures as precious as gold.
His poem is the earliest text to meticulously document Longjing tea leaves’ visual splendor and distinctive qualities.
dragon well tea cake
In an era when tea was commonly compressed into cakes for conservation and ease of transport, innovations in tea culture flourished.
The literati and the elite grind these Longjing tea cakes into fine powder, whisking them into boiling water to form a frothy elixir.
The brew’s hue and its foam’s persistence were the measures of its excellence in the traditional ‘fighting tea'(Tōcha) ceremony.
Famous in the Ming Dynasty
In the Ming Dynasty, Longjing tea transitioned from monastic exclusivity to widespread folk consumption, a democratization of shape led by the reforms of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang.
Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang
His decree to cease the production of complex dragon well tea cakes, which required intensive labor and resources, paved the way for the ascendancy of loose-leaf teas, with Longjing tea at the forefront of this revolution.
The ‘Zhejiang Plaque’ from the Jiajing era (AD 1522 – 1566) attests to the superiority of Longjing tea over other Hangzhou County teas, noting the optimal harvest time before the Grain Rain Festival and the exacting standard of one leaf per tea bud.
grade 1 longjing tea
Such meticulous cultivation led to scarcity; thus, Longjing tea’s value soared.
Responding to the burgeoning demand, the villagers in the vicinity of Longjing Village took to planting their own tea trees, thereby nurturing the roots of a burgeoning tea industry.
Thrived in the Qing Dynasty
Amidst the Qing Dynasty, Longjing tea distinguished itself from its peers and entered an era of unparalleled prominence.
Emperor Qian Long
Emperor Qianlong, an avid patron of Longjing tea, visited the West Lake Longjing tea gardens on 4 separate occasions, a testament to his deep appreciation for this exquisite brew.
He not only observed the meticulous picking and processing of the leaves but also bestowed the honorific title of ‘Imperial Tea’ upon the 18 tea bushes in front of Hu Gong Temple.
Imperial Tea Garden
The distinctive flat and smooth appearance of Longjing tea leaves, which we recognize today, also originates in the Qing era.
Xu Ke, a literary figure of the late Qing Dynasty, remarked on the uniqueness of Longjing tea, noting its vibrant dark turquoise hue—a stark contrast to the darker tones of other green teas.
While other teas often bore a curled shape, the flattened, straight appearance of Hangzhou’s Longjing set it apart from all others.
History of Longjing Tea: Recent Modern
Longjing tea’s fame expanded throughout the Republic of China era, establishing the distinctive West Lake Longjing as ‘the first of China’s famous teas.’
Long jing Town
Despite the era’s turmoil and the impact of war on Longjing tea production and farmers’ livelihoods, this period marked a pivotal chapter in the tea’s legacy.
The 4 renowned varieties—’Shifeng, Longjing, Yunqi, and Hupao’—became symbolic of this time, highlighting the tea’s diversification and geographical significance, a lineage tracing back to the Tang and Song Dynasties.
Shifengshan Tea Plantation has a favorable geographical and ecological environment
The 1930 publication ‘Zhejiang – Tea Chapter’ underscored this. West Lake tea’s pinnacle was Shifeng Longjing, followed by the esteemed Yunqi and Hupao, each celebrated for their remarkable color and flavor.
After the post-liberation, the government’s commitment to Longjing tea cultivation brought revolutionary changes.
The land reform policies unleashed rural productivity, catapulting tea production to new heights. Notably, Meijiawu Village in West Lake Township thrived as a ‘wealthy village’ due to Longjing tea.
Shifeng Longjing tea from group cultivars
Comrade Zhu De’s 1950 inspection of Longjing Village inspired his poetic tribute to its prosperity and testament to the tea’s role in elevating farmers’ incomes.
Advances in production technology, the establishment of dedicated tea research institutions, and specialized marketing agencies fostered a cohesive system encompassing research, production, purchasing, and marketing.
Longjing tea sale and marketing institutions
These agencies managed the logistics of tea production, including the provision of equipment and resources.
They supported technological and logistical advancements for tea farmers.
With government support, tea districts transitioned from traditional methods to modern practices, such as adopting electric frying pans, cultivating new Longjing tea varieties, and advancing harvesting techniques.
Supply and Marketing Cooperative
Establishing grading standards propelled Longjing tea onto a scientific and regulated development path.
Its exemplary quality and yield earned it the prestigious ‘gift tea’ designation for international dignitaries.
A notable moment came in 1972 when President Nixon’s visit to China was marked by the gift of Longjing tea, catapulting its reputation to global renown.
4 tins of tea
Longjing tea’s enduring legacy is a testament to its intrinsic quality and its rich historical and cultural roots, further nurtured by the supportive policies of successive governments.
The Modern History of Longjing Tea
Longjing tea’s prominence was further solidified in 1979 when it took center stage at the National Foreign Trade Green Tea Quality Evaluation Competition.
With 5 of its products deemed excellent, Hangzhou Shifeng’s Special Grade Longjing earned the High-Quality Product Prize from China’s Ministry of Commerce, followed by the prestigious National Quality Award in 1981.
shifeng longjing tea mountains
As China’s private economy burgeoned, businesses and local investors quickly recognized and promoted the burgeoning fame of Longjing tea.
This period saw an unprecedented expansion of Longjing tea production beyond Hangzhou, across the entire Zhejiang region, giving rise to the industry term ‘Zhejiang Longjing.’
The expansion underscored the economic boom of Longjing tea in the 80s and 90s, leading to its widespread cultivation across China and even claims of overseas production.
To safeguard the integrity of Longjing tea, national and local authorities instituted protective measures against counterfeiting:
Mechanized Processing for Longjing Tea
The late 1990s introduced mechanized processing to Longjing tea, particularly the development of flat tea frying machinery, which enhanced productivity but initially produced tea suited only for mid-range markets due to the technology’s infancy.
Concurrently, the Tea Research Institute’s selection of the Longjing 43 variety allowed for earlier germination, extending the harvest period and boosting the yield of premium early spring Longjing tea.
Entering the new century, the absence of clear legal recognition for ‘what is Longjing tea?’ led to ambiguity.
In 2001, the ‘West Lake Longjing Tea Origin Protection Management Measures’ were introduced, delineating the geographical boundaries for authentic Longjing tea.
The subsequent 2002 national standard ‘Geographical Indications Products Longjing Tea (GB / T 18650)’ provided legal and operational means for Longjing tea naming and production, establishing a standardized system for this millennium-old heritage.
Dragon Well Tea Story
China’s prestigious status as a prolific tea-producing and -consuming nation is celebrated through its myriad teas, each with its narrative.
18 Tea Trees in the Imperial Tea Garden
West Lake’s Longjing tea, Dongting’s Biluochun, and Anxi’s Tieguanyin are emblems of this rich tradition. Longjing tea, in particular, is steeped in the lore that intertwines history with the art of tea.
Legend has it that during Emperor Qianlong’s sojourns through the verdant landscapes south of the Yangtze River, he chanced upon the serene Hu Gong Temple near Longjing Village.
There, a temple monk presented him with the local tea. Renowned for his discernment in tea, Qianlong was immediately struck by its excellence.
The tea, with leaves resembling tiny bird tongues, boasted a deep green color and clarity, allowing its fragrance to waft through the air.
The leaves bottom of Shifeng Longjing tea
Upon tasting, he found the flavor irresistibly fresh and sweet, prompting him to inquire about its name and provenance, thus learning its origins at the temple.
Qianlong’s gaze fell upon the lush tea bushes before Hu Gong Temple, where 18 tea trees stood as vibrant testaments to nature’s craft.
The sight, set against the backdrop of Shifeng mountain, stirred in him a sense of destiny, intertwining the ‘Longjing’ name and the auspicious number 18 with his imperial aspirations.
Longjing Village from Shifeng Mountain
Charmed by the tea’s visual and sensory appeal, he declared these trees as ‘Imperial Tea.’
This anecdote is just one of many that embroider the tapestry of Longjing tea’s history—a story that I’ve also touched upon in the “Longjing tea guide”, where each story adds a layer to its mystique and reverence.
Conclusion
The essence of Longjing tea, with its profound history and rich cultural tapestry, permeates every facet of Hangzhou, binding the city to its most cherished brew.
The legacy is not reserved for historians or connoisseurs. It is shared with all who find joy and solace in the ritual of tea drinking.
Each sip of Longjing is a voyage across millennia, a moment where the echoes of ancient poets resonate in the present.
We invite you to continue this journey with us—should you have tales of Longjing tea, please contribute to our comment section.
EN 
JA