The spring tea harvest is well under way. There are some places to pick fresh tea on scenic plantations and many teahouses in the city where you can savor cha. Chen Ye reports.

The first thing Li Shengrong does every morning after he gets up is walk to his glass cupboard and choose from dozens of teas, selecting his Tea of the Day.

Li has been a tea enthusiast for more than 30 years and runs a teahouse in Shanghai's Xuhui District.

His wife complains in jest that the first thing he does in the morning is inhale his precious tea - before giving her a kiss.

Li says he likes black tea in the morning, green tea at midday and afternoon and dark tea, or post-fermented tea like Pu'er, in the evening.

When he isn't running his tea house, 57-year-old Li spends most of his time with tea, which is an integral part of his life. He says he's never been without tea.

"My wife teases, saying I love teas more than I love her because every morning instead of kissing her chin and saying good morning, I always move fast to my cupboard, choose a tea, open the tea caddy and take a deep breath of the fragrance. This puts me in a pleasurable mood all day."

After choosing his Tea of the Day, Li turns to his tea table and begins to boil water for kung fu tea, or a tea ceremony. This is how he treats friends.

The third floor of Li's teahouse is filled with sunshine and a Maitreya Buddha reclines on his favorite marble tea table. Tea tables are usually made of wood, but he prefers marble surface with elaborate wood carving.

After washing each piece on the marble tea table including six small cups, he begins adding tea to the teapot.

"I love making kung fu tea in front of my friends. Usually I add hot water and fill the teapot until it overflows a little. I let the water stand for a few seconds to warm the pot before pouring it out. I like to see my friends' faces and they think oh my god, the water is coming out," Li says with a laugh.

Then he starts washing tea leaves, and keeps an eye on the temperature of the electric kettle.

"Temperature is the key to kung fu tea," Li says, pouring a cup of hot and fragrant Dragon Well (Longjing) Tea.

The first cup is not perfect but the second and third cups are the best, with pronounced flavor and fragrance.

Long history

Tea drinking has a long history in China and is an integral part of the culture. Tea processing was underway in the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Traditional Chinese medicine holds that each type of tea has different properties and benefits for the human body. Drinking black tea (often called red tea, or hong cha) in the morning can help rid the body of chill, and increase the circulation of blood, which is sluggish after sleeping. It sharpens mental faculties.

Drinking green tea at midday helps to suppress anger and control excessive "liver fire." Tea's polyphenols are powerful antioxidants with many health benefits.

Additionally, drinking dark tea (hei cha) like Pu'er in the evening is good for digestion and dissolving fat. Pu-erh is famous for helping to metabolize fat.

"Chajing," also known as the "The Classic of Tea" is the world's first monograph on tea, written by Lu Yu in 758. It's a bible for tea enthusiasts.

"Drinking tea every day is my attitude for enjoying life," Li says. "'The Classic of Tea' teaches that tea symbolizes harmony and the mysterious unity of the universe. For Buddhists, Taoists or Confucians, tea expresses something universal."

Surging prices

However in the past few decades, people have focused more on the price of fresh tea and what type of tea will become the next King of Tea, Tie Guanyin (a variety of Oolong tea), Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe) Tea or Pu-erh.

Reports on this year's harvest show that the prime Dragon Well Tea from West Lake costs 180,000 yuan (US$28,567) for 500 grams. Some say the price is ridiculous, affordable only by wealthy connoisseurs or those presenting gifts to officials.

Still, just as some people believe fine red wine is part of French culture, so tea represents Chinese culture and the latest West Lake Dragon Well is considered the near equivalent of Chateau Lafite.


China has six kinds of teas:

Green tea, black tea, dark tea, Oolong tea, yellow tea and white tea. Here are 10 of China's best teas

West Lake Dragon Well Tea (Longjing Tea)

Price: 350 yuan/100g

Type: Green tea


Yellow Mountain Maofeng Tea (Maofeng Tea)

Price: 100 yuan/100g

Type: Green tea


Tie Guanyin Tea

Price: 50-80 yuan/100g

Type: Oolong tea


Dongting Biluochun Tea

Price: 158 yuan/100g

Type: Green tea


Xinyang Maojian Tea

Price: 20 yuan/100g

Type: Green tea


Keemun Tea

Price: 66 yuan/100g

Type: Black tea


Da Hong Pao

Price: 75 yuan/100g

Type: Oolong tea


Lu'an Guapian Tea

Price: 98 yuan/100g

Type: Green tea


Taiping Houkui Tea

Price: 400-600 yuan/100g

Type: Green tea


Junshan Yinzhen Tea

Price: 50-130 yuan/100g

Type: Yellow tea


Tea retreats in Shanghai

Drinking cha in a teahouse and watching the passing scene is a good way to get a feel for the city. For example, peaceful, 150-year-old Huxin Ting in busy Yuyuan Garden is an ideal place for soaking up atmosphere.

Other recommended tea oases are Sijiaoting in Gulin Park, Delong Teahouse at Kangjian Road in Xuhui District and Tianyi Tea Plaza. There tea lovers can while away the time and buy good tea.

Here are a few tea retreats:

Jingyuan Tea Art House

Situated in downtown Shanghai, this tea house doubles as a small art gallery, with comfortable facilities and a relaxing atmosphere.

Address: 1 Wulumuqi Rd M.


Old Shanghai Teahouse

An ideal place for exotic teas.

Address: 385 Fangbang Rd M.


Delong Tea House

A traditional teahouse with a tranquil atmosphere, a friendly boss and an entire third floor devoted to tea drinking and a kung fu tea ceremony.

Address: 72 Kangjian Rd



Around Shanghai

Since fresh tea is coming onto the market, tea lovers can visit tea plantations, watch the harvest and buy tea on-site.


West Lake

This is the home of Dragon Well, one of China's most famous teas. The best place to pick tea is in Longjing Village near Xiwen Mountain.


Taihu Lake

Famous for Biluochun Tea, another legendary tea, Taihu Lake near Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, is an attractive destination in spring tea-picking season. Biluochun Tea was originally grown on Dongting Mountain near Taihu Lake.


Yellow Mountain

Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) is the best place for Huangshan Maofeng Tea, where people gather in May to pick tea and appreciate Hui-style architecture.


Lushan Mountain

Lushan Yunwu Tea, another legendary tea, is grown on Lushan Mountain where many important figures built vacation retreats.