# Longjing Tea Village, Hangzhou

> Longjing (Dragon Well) is a tea village in the hills south-west of West Lake, home of West Lake Longjing green tea. Walking the terraces is free and open any time; the Eighteen Imperial Tea Trees garden costs about ¥10 (unofficial), daytime. Allow 1.5–2 hours, half a day with the hike to Meijiawu. Bus 27 or a taxi.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/longjing-tea-village

- City: [Hangzhou](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou), China
- YesGo score: 34/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 1 h 30 min
- Entry: Free; Imperial Tea Trees ¥10
- Opening hours: Village and tea terraces open 24 hours; Imperial Tea Trees garden daytime from 8:30, closing time unconfirmed
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Admission: Free — the village, trails and tea terraces have no gates or ticket booths
- Eighteen Imperial Tea Trees: Unofficial: ¥10, ¥5 for children, students and seniors
- Garden hours: Daytime from 8:30; sources disagree on closing time
- Tea at a farmhouse: Unofficial: ¥30–80 a glass or pot — ask before you order
- Picking season: Late March to April; the prized pre-Qingming tea is picked before 4–5 April
- Bus: Route 27 from the north shore of West Lake to the Longjing Chashi (龙井茶室) terminus, about 25 min
- Taxi or DiDi: Unofficial: ¥35–45, 25–35 min from the lake
- Payment: Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign Visa/Mastercard; carry some cash
- Chinese name: 龙井村 (Lóngjǐng cūn), Dragon Well Village
- Coordinates: 30.22187, 120.09807
- Facts checked: 05.11.2026

## Key facts

- **Free** — the village and tea terraces — no gates, open around the clock (source: China Xian Tour; Shenzhen Bendibao; Travel China Guide)
- **18 bushes** — given imperial status by the Qianlong Emperor near Hugong Temple, as the legend goes (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Shenzhen Bendibao)
- **¥10** — unofficial entry price for the Eighteen Imperial Tea Trees garden (Lao Longjing) (source: Nick Kembel; SmartShanghai; Dahepiao ticket site)
- **5 areas** — of classic West Lake Longjing: Shifeng (Lion), Longjing (Dragon), Yunqi (Cloud), Hupao (Tiger) and Meijiawu (Plum) (source: English Wikipedia; SmartShanghai)
- **Pre-Qingming** — tea picked before 4–5 April (mingqian) is the most prized (source: English Wikipedia; Wanderin China; Chinavigators)
- **Pre-Grain Rain** — yuqian tea, picked before about 20 April, ranks second (source: English Wikipedia; ChinaTravel)
- **By hand** — the leaves are pan-fired and pressed by hand in a wok, which gives them their flat shape (source: English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **8 Scenes** — the Eight Scenes of Dragon Well in the surrounding hills, inscribed by Qianlong (source: English Wikipedia; SmartShanghai)
- **500 g** — one jin — the unit tea shops quote prices in (source: Nick Kembel; SmartShanghai)
- **≈ 160** — teahouses in neighbouring Meijiawu village (source: Travel China Guide; ChinaTravel)

> **Watch out for the friendly tea pitch** On the main street people will wave you in for a free taste. It nearly always ends in a sales pitch, and prices are quoted per jin (500 g), so a few thousand yuan is not the price of a small tin. Do the maths before anything is weighed, ask the price of a glass before ordering, and skip the ‘farmers’ selling by the road.

## 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](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/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.

## How to get to Longjing Tea Village

1. Take **Metro Line 1** to **Longxiangqiao** (龙翔桥). Route 27 stops are a few minutes’ walk away, near the north-east corner of the lake.
2. **Bus 27** follows the north shore of West Lake, then climbs Longjing Road into the hills to its terminus, **Longjing Chashi** (龙井茶室, Longjing Teahouse), at the village — about 25 minutes. Pay with the Alipay transit QR code or exact cash. Check the route on Amap or Apple Maps on the day; Google Maps is unreliable in China.
3. Or get off at **Shuangfeng** (双峰, China National Tea Museum; buses 27 and 87 stop here) and walk up Longjing Road — about 2 km and 35 minutes uphill, past the Dragon Well spring.
4. A **taxi or DiDi** from the lake takes 25–35 minutes and costs roughly ¥35–45 (unofficial). Taxis are scarce in the village, so book DiDi inside Alipay for the ride back.
5. For **Meijiawu**, take a taxi (about 30 minutes from downtown) or hike over the Shili Langdang ridge from Longjing in about an hour.

## 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

|  | Longjing village | Meijiawu | Tea Museum |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | Village, spring, Imperial Tea Trees | Valley of teahouses, picking | Tea exhibitions and garden |
| Entry | Free; garden ≈ ¥10 | Free | Free, passport needed |
| Getting there | Bus 27 to the terminus | Taxi or ridge hike | Bus 27 or 87 to Shuangfeng |
| Time | 1.5–2 hours | 1–2 hours | 1–1.5 hours |
| Best for | First visit, history | Spring picking, lunch | Learning about tea, rainy days |

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.

## Before you go

Tick off what’s ready — your ticks are saved in this browser.

- [ ] Alipay or WeChat Pay working with my foreign card
- [ ] Some small yuan notes
- [ ] 龙井村 saved in my map app
- [ ] Shoes for steps and hill paths
- [ ] Not the Qingming holiday weekend
- [ ] A budget in mind before tasting tea

## Hangzhou sights with a view

Hangzhou places with a view, scored by YesGo.

- [West Lake](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/west-lake) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free; island boat ¥55
- [Leifeng Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/leifeng-pagoda) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥40
- [Longjing Tea Village](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/longjing-tea-village) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; Imperial Tea Trees ¥10
- [Liuhe Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/liuhe-pagoda) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥20 + ¥10 to climb the pagoda

## A tea day in Hangzhou

Lingyin Temple in the morning, Longjing village and the walk down to the Tea Museum at midday, West Lake and Hefang Street in the evening. Add it to your route and YesGo sets the times and walks.

1. [Lingyin Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/lingyin-temple) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free, book 1–7 days ahead
2. [Longjing Tea Village](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/longjing-tea-village) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; Imperial Tea Trees ¥10
3. [China National Tea Museum](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/china-national-tea-museum) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Free, passport needed
4. [West Lake](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/west-lake) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free; island boat ¥55
5. [Hefang Street](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/hefang-street) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free

> **Go on a weekday morning** Before 10 am the terraces are quiet, the light is soft and the tour coaches haven’t arrived. Climb the path above the village first and save the tea for after — many family kitchens only open around noon.

## Don’t confuse

‘West Lake Longjing’ is the tea’s name, not just this village’s: leaf from the whole protected zone around [West Lake](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/west-lake) can carry it. The city of Longjing in Jilin province, in China’s north-east, has nothing to do with tea. And West Lake itself is 4–5 km away — there are no plantations on its shore.

## Tips

- 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

### How do I get to Longjing Tea Village from West Lake?

Bus 27 from the north shore runs to the Longjing Chashi terminus at the village in about 25 minutes. A taxi or DiDi takes 25–35 minutes.

### Is Longjing Tea Village free?

Yes, the village and terraces are free and open 24 hours. The Eighteen Imperial Tea Trees garden costs about ¥10 (unofficial), and farmhouse tea is extra.

### When is the best time to visit Longjing?

Late March to mid-April, during the spring harvest — on a weekday, avoiding the Qingming long weekend in early April.

### Can you pick tea at Longjing?

In spring, yes — mostly in Meijiawu, where farmers offer paid sessions of 30–60 minutes for about ¥50–100 (unofficial). Outside spring it’s rarely available.

### Is Longjing village or Meijiawu better?

Longjing has the Dragon Well spring and the Imperial Tea Trees; Meijiawu is a larger valley of teahouses and better for picking. A ridge trail links them in about an hour.

### How long do you need at Longjing Tea Village?

1.5–2 hours for the village, the garden and the terrace path; half a day with the Tea Museum and the hike to Meijiawu.

### Where are the Eighteen Imperial Tea Trees?

At Lao Longjing, at the foot of Shifeng hill above the village, next to Hugong Temple and an old spring.

### How much does Longjing tea cost?

Shops quote per jin (500 g); top spring grades run from roughly ¥1,300 to ¥6,800 a jin (unofficial). Check for the West Lake Longjing origin mark.

### Do I need a tour to visit Longjing?

No — the bus is simple and entry is free. A tour helps if you want to learn the grades, see roasting and buy at a fair price.

## How we checked

Free access to the village is confirmed by several guides and a Chinese city listing. We didn’t find an official page for the Eighteen Imperial Tea Trees garden: ¥10 comes from Nick Kembel’s guide (updated this autumn), SmartShanghai and a ticket site; one guide says ¥5, probably the concession fare — so the row is marked unofficial. Garden closing times disagree (17:00 vs 23:00), so we give only the opening time. Bus 27 and its Longjing Chashi terminus are confirmed by Nick Kembel, Frommers and a Chinese travelogue; we found no official timetable. Bus numbers to Meijiawu differ between sources (103; 12 and 180), so we suggest a taxi or the ridge trail. Most sources tie the 18 bushes to Qianlong, one Wikipedia passage names Kangxi — hence ‘legend says’. Tea, taxi and picking prices are unofficial.

## Sources

- English Wikipedia: Longjing, Hangzhou; Longjing tea; West Lake; Wikidata Q15890667
- Chinese Wikipedia: Longjing Village (龙井村) — Xihu District, spring, Hugong Temple, garden
- Russian Wikipedia: Longjing tea — legend of the 18 bushes, roasting
- Nick Kembel: Longjing Tea Village guide — bus 27, Imperial Tea Trees, tea prices, trails
- SmartShanghai: Longjing Village — tea garden, five growing areas, prices per jin, Meijiawu
- Shenzhen Bendibao: Longjing Village — entry, bus, Hugong Temple, picking season
- Dahepiao: Eighteen Imperial Tea Trees garden — address, ticket price
- China Xian Tour, Travel China Guide, ChinaTravel: Longjing and Meijiawu — entry, seasons, teahouses
- Chinavigators: tea picking in Meijiawu, seasonal tea prices, buying tips
- Hangzhou Hiking Guide: trails between Longjing, Meijiawu and Jiuxi

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