Our Trips
Guides Hangzhou West Lake and Dragon Well Tea Plantation Hike - Zhejiang
Best Travel Time: Year-round
Length of Journey:2 Days or longer
Departure Date:Upon request
West Lake both by boat and getting a bird's eye view from the top of the Leifeng Pagoda; strolling the night market;The China Tea Museum; open mountain vista from the tea terraces;sampling tea and fresh cooking of local farmers at the Dragon Well village
Day–to–Day Itinerary Click Here
The glory of Hangzhou has been made known worldwide by Marco Polo as far back as in 13th Century AD when he said that it was "beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world". The city itself has been the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty from 1123 till 1276. Besides it's political significance, it was also a place where commerce and cultural arts flourished. Many famous Chinese poets, writers, and painters from ancient to modern have lived here at some point in history, and their important works have been largely influenced by the beautiful landscape, centered on the West Lake and its surrounding hills. Today's Hangzhou is a modern city in perfect harmony with its beautiful natural surroundings. Besides the West Lake, which is the main attraction, another highlight of Hangzhou is tucked away in the mountain valleys which is only a stone throw away from the city center - the Dragon Well tea plantations.
Dragon Well (Long Jing) is a village where the famous green tea, Dragon Well Tea is grown. It is said that the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynaty visited this area once, and had ordered Dragon Well Tea to be made a tribute to his court after having a taste, because he had found the taste so exquisit. It is now the national drink of China, and the best quality tea is grown right in the valley of Long Jing Village, and must be picked just before the spring rain starts in April. It is said that in the ancient times, these tender leaves before the spring rain had to be dealt with so delicately that virgins would have to pick with their mouths and the leaves are kept close to their breasts, where the leaves can be kept at the perfect temperature without drying out before processed. Today the Dragon Well village is a popular place as a leisure day out for the locals, they would come here to sample tea and taste fresh farm cooked food at one of the many tea houses and restaurants surrounded by tea terraces. For those who enjoy the outdoors, the hike in the tea terraces is going to mark the highlight of your trip to Hangzhou.