Longjing Tea Village, Hangzhou

Is Longjing Tea Village worth visiting?

Yes, if you like tea or want a green, quiet half day after the crowds at West Lake — especially in spring, when pickers are on the slopes and woks are roaring in the farmhouses. The village is a free walk through tea terraces 20–30 minutes from downtown, with a cup of fresh Dragon Well tea at the end.

It’s less rewarding if tea leaves you cold and you only have one day in Hangzhou: then West Lake and Lingyin Temple come first. The village itself is small — a stream-side lane of farmhouses, most with a tea room — and the real draw is the hillside above it.

Longjing (龙井, ‘Dragon Well’) is one of five classic growing areas of West Lake Longjing tea, alongside Shifeng, Yunqi, Hupao and Meijiawu. The name comes from an old spring by the former Longjing Temple, already famous in the Song dynasty.

When is the tea picking season?

The best window is late March to mid-April, the first spring flush. The most expensive grade, mingqian, is picked before the Qingming festival on 4–5 April; yuqian follows, picked before Grain Rain around 20 April. During these weeks you see pickers with baskets on the terraces and hand-roasting in the farmhouses.

Avoid the Qingming long weekend itself: half of Hangzhou drives up the narrow road. Pick a weekday just before or after. Summer and autumn harvests exist but produce cheaper leaf, and outside spring most hands-on picking stops. The terraces stay green most of the year.

What to see in Longjing village

• Eighteen Imperial Tea Trees (Lao Longjing, 老龙井御茶园) at the foot of Shifeng hill. Legend says the Qianlong Emperor drank tea here at Hugong Temple and made these 18 bushes ‘imperial’. Next to them, an old spring trickles from a stone dragon’s mouth into a pool.
• Dragon Well spring by the former Longjing Temple, on the road about 500 m before the village — the well that named both the village and the tea.
• The terraces above the village — a path climbs from the main lane; 15–20 minutes up you see the whole valley.
• Farmhouse tea rooms — verandas and courtyards facing the slopes; in spring you can watch the leaves being wok-roasted.
• Eight Scenes of Dragon Well — a stairway into the forest across Longjing Road to pavilions with Qianlong’s inscriptions. Several halls are shut; go only if you like quiet trails.
• Shili Langdang ridge — a hiking path along the crest between Longjing and Meijiawu with views over rolling tea hills.

Guided tour or on your own?

Going independently is easy: one bus, free entry, signposted lanes. A tour earns its price if you want to understand the tea — telling the growing areas and grades apart, seeing roasting up close, tasting several pickings and buying at a fair price. A guide also reads the Chinese-only signs for you.

On your own, keep it simple: walk the terraces and the Imperial Tea Trees garden yourself, drink tea at one farmhouse that names its price first, and don’t buy at the first shop. For hands-on picking in spring, Meijiawu farmers offer sessions — unofficially ¥50–100 for 30–60 minutes.

Buying Longjing tea without getting ripped off

Shops price tea per jin, which is 500 g. On the main lane, unofficially, top spring grades go for anything from ¥1,300–1,500 up to ¥6,800 a jin. A 50 g tin at ¥3,500 a jin is ¥350 — convert to grams before the leaf goes on the scale.

Genuine West Lake Longjing carries the geographical-indication mark (西湖龙井) on the pack. ‘First-flush’ tea at a bargain price is almost certainly from elsewhere. A glass of tea at a farmhouse runs about ¥30–80 (unofficial), sometimes waived if you buy leaf.

Payment: Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card works almost everywhere here, including the bus and DiDi. Keep small yuan notes as a backup in case a scan fails.

Longjing, Meijiawu or the Tea Museum

The garden price is unofficial. For a full tea day: the museum first, walk up Longjing Road to the village, hike over to Meijiawu and taxi back.

Hangzhou sights with a view

Hangzhou places with a view, scored by YesGo. Tap a column header to sort.

Nearby and on your route

37

China National Tea Museum

Hangzhou, China

1 h 15 min · Free, passport needed · 38 min walk

Yes — add to my route: China National Tea Museum

28

Lingyin Temple

Hangzhou, China

2 h 30 min · Free, book 1–7 days ahead · 40 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Lingyin Temple

How to do it right

• Start at the China National Tea Museum on Longjing Road and walk up: 35 minutes uphill past the Dragon Well spring.
• The Imperial Tea Trees garden is small — 15–20 minutes. The terraces are the real sight, so climb the path above the village.
• Want to pick leaves yourself? In spring, Meijiawu farmers are more likely to offer it.
• Buy small: 50 or 125 g. Fresh green tea loses its aroma fast, so a big bag isn’t worth it.
• Many family restaurants open around noon; for an early lunch try near the Tea Museum or in Meijiawu.
• Bus 27 runs back along the north shore of West Lake — handy for an evening by the water.

Questions