Longjing Tea, West Lake Dragon Well Tea

As a type of green tea gaining a great reputation all over the world, Longjing tea grows near West Lake, Hangzhou of Zhejiang Province, and is characterized by its green color, delicate aroma, mellow taste and beautiful shape.

With a long history of over 1,200 years, Longjing tea was named after the Dragon Well in Longjing Village which lies at the north-west foot of Wengjiashan Mountain in the west part of West Lake.

Thanks to Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty , Shifeng Longjing tea has earned a high reputation. The legend went that the Emperor Qianlong visited Lion Peak Mountain during his Hangzhou travels, and he saw some ladies picking the tea at the foot of the mountain. He was so interested in their movements that he decided to have a go himself. While picking the tea, he received the news of his mother’s illness, so he carelessly put the leaves in his right sleeve and left Hangzhou for Beijing. He visited his mother immediately upon his arrival in Beijing, and Empress Dowager smelt the fragrance of the leaves from his sleeves and wanted to have a taste. Emperor Qianlong ordered it to be brewed for her, and she found herself completely refreshed after drinking a cup of tea, and she even praised it as a remedy for all ills. From then on, Shifeng Longjing tea was listed as the tribute tea especially for Empress Dowager.

Both the picking and making processes of Longjing tea are elaborate in order to make sure it retains its high quality and original flavor, according to which Longjing tea is classified into six grades . Much importance is emphasized on the timeliness of the leaves being picked, and the tea leaves which are picked before the Qingming Festival or after the Grain Rain Period are considered to be the top grade, while the ones picked before the Grain Rain Period or after the Qingming Festival are considered worthless.

Longjing tea is a delicious beverage with potential health benefits owing to its rich antioxidants; however, it’s also rich in caffeine which could deleteriously affect some tea drinkers.