Related News
Home
» City specials
» Hangzhou
Longjing- the magical drink of dragons and poets
By Yao Minji |
March 12, 2009, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
IT is the tea given the royal thumbs up by emperors and the dream of writers and poets for hundreds of years. But Longjing tea is a magical blend of history and mythology. Yao Minji explains Intellectuals say Chinese culture involves three scents - the aromas of tea, books and ink. A typical Chinese literary figure enjoys chatting about books or writing poems with a cup of Chinese tea on the desk.
Most of them will choose Longjing tea for its subtle flavor and taste. Unlike strong black tea, Chinese green tea is milder. And Longjing tea has a particularly gentle taste - the best kind is said to taste nothing like tea, but water alone - and the aroma provokes memories of the taste which itself lasts longer than strong brews.
Countless Chinese intellectuals have compared this experience with life as they consider it life's purpose to be calm and satisfied, especially when confronting fame and money. They feel the subtle and long-lasting features of Longjing tea are an allegory for this approach to life.
This explains why so many ancient Chinese poets described their dreams of hiding in the Longjing Tea Village and working as tea planters. Many of the great writers and politicians of ancient China were also said to have wanted to escape to Longjing Tea Village - though this might just be the dreams of their enthusiasts.
Not just intellectuals think the tea should be widely promoted and admired. It has been arguably the best Chinese tea since Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) emperors gave it royal approval. In 1980s, it was selected again when the government listed the top 10 Chinese teas.
Longjing is not only the name of the tea, but also the name of the well, the Dragon Well, the tea village that contains the well and the small mountain that hosts the village. As Longjing tea became famous, the mountain, the village and the well also become one of the 10 new scenes of West Lake in Hangzhou.
Longjing Tea Village is a must-see attraction in tour guides and backpacker books. It is the origin of the legendary tea and it's only a few minutes from the West Lake and not far from downtown Hangzhou.
There are three major tea villages in Hangzhou -- Meijiawu Tea Village (see yesterday's C7), Longjing Tea Village and Maojiabu (to be introduced tomorrow).
The legendary well sits on top of the hill, a small and aged place surrounded by hordes of tourists much of the time. The 2-meter diameter well doesn't look very special at first glance. But it is special because half of the water is underground water while the other half is spring water from the mountain.
The two kinds of water have different densities, qualities and weight, among many other factors, and this generates a distinct difference, a little ripple which can be glimpsed if you stir the water.
In the old times, villagers believed that the ripple was a sign of a dragon and showed that a dragon lived beneath the well. Because the well never dried up, even during droughts, villagers believed it was connected to the ocean, and a dragon king ruled over it. This dragon was believed to sleep under the well in a secret tunnel. Hence, they named it Dragon Well and believed the water from the well contained the magic power of the dragon king.
Some villagers and local residents in Hangzhou still believe the legend and treat water from the well as having magical properties.
The village is home to about 300 tea farmers, whose houses and tea plantations pack the mountain. Many of the villagers are richer than might be expected, looking at the BMWs parked in their yards or the latest electronics inside their houses.
Most of them have turned their homes into tea houses offering meals and selling Longjing tea. The average price for a meal is 30 yuan (US$4) a person. As the most famous Longjing tea plantation, the village has become quite commercialized. We were welcomed by tea farmers all along the path asking us to dine in their tea houses or buy their tea.
If you love the scent of the tea, it's possible to stay there for a few days - the Landison Longjing Resort opened at the end of last year. The 51-room retreat is at the foot of Longjing mountain, on the way to the village. The resort also provides a tea picking package where guests can pick their own tea in the resort's own tea plantations.
It's better not to look like a first-time visitors (although that can't always be helped). Villagers will spot this and begin the hard sell. How to appreciate Longjing tea
Surprisingly, local tea farmers in Hangzhou say Longjing tea should not be made in complicated and delicate Chinese tea-making sets or even tea pots. They serve the tea simply in glasses which lets the leaves expand in the water and lets the visitor appreciate the pure green, a feature of the tea that is just as important as its taste and flavor.
Unlike most teas, Longjing tea takes time and education to appreciate it properly. Many people are disappointed when they have their first taste of the legendary tea, because it often has a bland taste or a vague, earthy smell. They expect something magnificent.
But the blandness is the beauty of Longjing tea. The best Longjing is said to taste almost like water, with the vague aroma of green tea.
Incorrect way of making tea could result in the earthy smell. Longjing tea leaves are so tender that it's easy to burn or under-cook them.
For Longjing the best ratio of tea leaves to water is 1:50 and it's better to clean and pre-heat the glasses with hot water.
Rather than pour in all the water at once, it's suggested that you fill one-fourth of the glass at first so that the leaves are completely soaked.
Most of them will choose Longjing tea for its subtle flavor and taste. Unlike strong black tea, Chinese green tea is milder. And Longjing tea has a particularly gentle taste - the best kind is said to taste nothing like tea, but water alone - and the aroma provokes memories of the taste which itself lasts longer than strong brews.
Countless Chinese intellectuals have compared this experience with life as they consider it life's purpose to be calm and satisfied, especially when confronting fame and money. They feel the subtle and long-lasting features of Longjing tea are an allegory for this approach to life.
This explains why so many ancient Chinese poets described their dreams of hiding in the Longjing Tea Village and working as tea planters. Many of the great writers and politicians of ancient China were also said to have wanted to escape to Longjing Tea Village - though this might just be the dreams of their enthusiasts.
Not just intellectuals think the tea should be widely promoted and admired. It has been arguably the best Chinese tea since Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) emperors gave it royal approval. In 1980s, it was selected again when the government listed the top 10 Chinese teas.
Longjing is not only the name of the tea, but also the name of the well, the Dragon Well, the tea village that contains the well and the small mountain that hosts the village. As Longjing tea became famous, the mountain, the village and the well also become one of the 10 new scenes of West Lake in Hangzhou.
Longjing Tea Village is a must-see attraction in tour guides and backpacker books. It is the origin of the legendary tea and it's only a few minutes from the West Lake and not far from downtown Hangzhou.
There are three major tea villages in Hangzhou -- Meijiawu Tea Village (see yesterday's C7), Longjing Tea Village and Maojiabu (to be introduced tomorrow).
The legendary well sits on top of the hill, a small and aged place surrounded by hordes of tourists much of the time. The 2-meter diameter well doesn't look very special at first glance. But it is special because half of the water is underground water while the other half is spring water from the mountain.
The two kinds of water have different densities, qualities and weight, among many other factors, and this generates a distinct difference, a little ripple which can be glimpsed if you stir the water.
In the old times, villagers believed that the ripple was a sign of a dragon and showed that a dragon lived beneath the well. Because the well never dried up, even during droughts, villagers believed it was connected to the ocean, and a dragon king ruled over it. This dragon was believed to sleep under the well in a secret tunnel. Hence, they named it Dragon Well and believed the water from the well contained the magic power of the dragon king.
Some villagers and local residents in Hangzhou still believe the legend and treat water from the well as having magical properties.
The village is home to about 300 tea farmers, whose houses and tea plantations pack the mountain. Many of the villagers are richer than might be expected, looking at the BMWs parked in their yards or the latest electronics inside their houses.
Most of them have turned their homes into tea houses offering meals and selling Longjing tea. The average price for a meal is 30 yuan (US$4) a person. As the most famous Longjing tea plantation, the village has become quite commercialized. We were welcomed by tea farmers all along the path asking us to dine in their tea houses or buy their tea.
If you love the scent of the tea, it's possible to stay there for a few days - the Landison Longjing Resort opened at the end of last year. The 51-room retreat is at the foot of Longjing mountain, on the way to the village. The resort also provides a tea picking package where guests can pick their own tea in the resort's own tea plantations.
It's better not to look like a first-time visitors (although that can't always be helped). Villagers will spot this and begin the hard sell. How to appreciate Longjing tea
Surprisingly, local tea farmers in Hangzhou say Longjing tea should not be made in complicated and delicate Chinese tea-making sets or even tea pots. They serve the tea simply in glasses which lets the leaves expand in the water and lets the visitor appreciate the pure green, a feature of the tea that is just as important as its taste and flavor.
Unlike most teas, Longjing tea takes time and education to appreciate it properly. Many people are disappointed when they have their first taste of the legendary tea, because it often has a bland taste or a vague, earthy smell. They expect something magnificent.
But the blandness is the beauty of Longjing tea. The best Longjing is said to taste almost like water, with the vague aroma of green tea.
Incorrect way of making tea could result in the earthy smell. Longjing tea leaves are so tender that it's easy to burn or under-cook them.
For Longjing the best ratio of tea leaves to water is 1:50 and it's better to clean and pre-heat the glasses with hot water.
Rather than pour in all the water at once, it's suggested that you fill one-fourth of the glass at first so that the leaves are completely soaked.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
