Longjing Village

Longjing Village, nestled in the hills southwest of Hangzhou's West Lake, is the birthplace of Longjing (Dragon Well) green tea and a central hub of Chinese tea culture. Tea cultivation in these hills dates back over a thousand years. The village takes its name from an ancient spring known as the Dragon Well, where local legend tells of a water dragon that once brought beneficial rain. During the Qing dynasty, the Qianlong Emperor visited the village and granted imperial tribute status to eighteen tea bushes at the foot of Lion Peak, establishing the area's lasting renown.

The settlement is encircled by terraced tea gardens climbing up the slopes. Stone footpaths lead past traditional farmhouses, many of which double as teahouses where visitors can sit for tastings of locally grown green tea, served in clear glasses that show the flat, jade-colored leaves unfurling. Near the edge of the village, visitors can see the historic Dragon Well spring and the protected plot containing the Eighteen Imperial Tea Bushes.

During the spring picking season, particularly around the Qingming Festival, tea farmers harvest the tender two-leaf buds across the terraced hillsides and roast the harvest by hand in large wok pans to halt oxidation and flatten the leaves. The village also connects to several scenic hiking trails, including paths over the ridge toward Meijiawu and down along the wooded streams of the Nine Creeks.