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Teapot in a pond at the Longjing Imperial Tea GardenThe Longjing Imperial Tea Garden is a historic Chinese-style garden that is located at the famous Longjing village (Longjingcun) near Hangzhou's West Lake. When Chinese people hear the name Longjing, most of them will think of the green tea that is cultivated at and around that village. Longjing tea (literally translated as "Dragon Well tea") is one of the most famous kinds of green tea in China. During the time of the Qing dynasty, it was bestowed the status of imperial tea (Gong Cha).

There are many legends surrounding Longjing tea and the Longjing village (Longjingcun). One of them speaks of the Qianlong Emperor visiting this place multiple times during his tours of the Jiangnan region. His favourite spot at this hill village near Hangzhou's West Lake was a southern-style Chinese garden (a.k.a. Jiangnan-style garden) that is now known as the Longjing Imperial Tea Garden (in Chinese: 老龙井御茶园). Visitors won't have much trouble finding this place, as there are signs pointing towards it from the main road that leads up from the city of Hangzhou. Most visitors simply take a taxi from this city to Longjing village but there are also bus connections.

View at the Longjing Imperial Tea GardenOn the premises of this heavily-forested garden at the foot of a terraced hill, visitors will find several traditional Chinese buildings (a restaurant, tea houses and a tiny museum) along narrow winding paths and crisscrossing stone stairways. As you walk up the steps that lead further up the hill, you will reach quiet tea plantations. The entire garden has the feel of a tranquil private hideaway, which makes it very different from the often-crowded gardens in Suzhou, Yangzhou or Nanjing.

After walking up and down the steep hill paths at the Longjing Imperial Tea Garden, try some Chinese cuisine at the on-site restaurant which cooks its dishes with Longjing tea leaves! The garden's outdoor and indoor tea houses are the ideal spot to try some authentic Longjing tea. It is brewed with spring water from the Dragon Well which is also found at the site of the Longjing Imperial Tea Garden. The Dragon Well is located quite close to the entrance area with its giant teapot. There is some dispute whether the tea was named after this specific well. Some people argue that the well gave its name to the entire village which then gave its name to the tea.

Tea fields near Longjing villageSince the Longjing Imperial Tea Garden is located at the rear of the village, visitors might consider making it either the first or last stop during their visit of the Longjing village. Making it the last stop would have the advantage that you could have dinner there. A late visit would also give you the opportunity to take photos under different lighting conditions as it is slowly getting dark. At nightime, the garden is subtly illuminated by carefully placed lighting which gives it the feeling of an enchanted fairyland!

Even though this page focuses on the Longjing Imperial Tea Garden, there are more things to see and do when visiting Longjing village. If you have time, you should absolutely visit Hugong Temple where you will find 18 tea shrubs that were personally designated as "imperial tea" by the Qianlong Emperor. There are several other tea houses, tea gardens, tea shops and a tea museum throughout the village as well. At some of these places you can not only buy/taste Longjing tea but also learn more about it and perhaps even observe how the tea leaves are roasted by hand! Most visitors also spend some time walking along and through the tea plantations which stretch out into all directions. That is especially enjoyable in the spring when you will see tea pickers in traditional garments at work all over the terraced hills. At the top of these hills, you will enjoy formidable views that may reach all the way to the cityscape of Hangzhou!

Come and enjoy some freshly brewed Longjing tea at the Longjing Imperial Tea Garden near Hangzhou!

How to get to the Longjing village near Hangzhou's West Lake?

On the following Google map, you can see the location of the Longjing Imperial Tea Garden (the blue icon) and the Amanfayun (the yellow hotel bed icon) which is our recommended hotel nearby. Further below on this page, you can read a review of this hotel's services and amenities. In case you are planning a trip to China, you could support this website by using the provided affiliate links to check prices and book your hotel accomodation!

You can book hotels in China with both of our affiliate partners Agoda and Trip.com. No matter whether you choose Agoda or Trip.com, you will find many offers on each of these platforms that will allow you to make a risk-free booking with the possibility of free cancellation until a clearly stated date and time, sometimes as late as on the intended date of arrival. However, some deals require prepayment and don't permit cancellation without fees. In that case, the incurred cancellation fees are clearly stated.

When following an Agoda link, the search results will show you prices, availability and special offers for your chosen dates with the recommended hotel in the top search position as well as for other hotels in the same area. Links to Trip.com will take you to the specific hotel webpage where you can then search for availability, prices and special deals with your chosen dates.

The provided information was thoroughly researched from various hotel booking websites. Chinese History Digest is not responsible if any information regarding the provided services and amenities might have changed.

Recommended Hotel near Hangzhou's Longjing Tea Fields

The Amanfayun that is reviewed below is the closest 5-star hotel to the Longjing Tea Fields near Hangzhou. In addition to the links to Agoda that are used in the review below, this 5-star hotel is also available for booking on Trip.com by following this link.