My Hangzhou Stories:A brief history of Longjing Tea
Summary
TLDRChris, an economics teacher in Hangzhou, introduces Longjing tea, a famous green tea from the Longjing Mountains near West Lake, China. Longjing tea has deep cultural roots, dating back to the Song Dynasty when a monk popularized it. The tea is known for its delicate fragrance and refreshing taste. The script highlights the history of Longjing tea, its unique harvesting process, and its connection to local traditions. Visitors to Hangzhou can explore tea culture at the China Tea Museum and enjoy the serene atmosphere of the Longjing tea village.
Takeaways
- 🍃 Longjing tea is a renowned green tea from China, often referred to as the 'Queen of Green Tea'.
- 🌿 It is deeply ingrained in Chinese culture, being one of the seven daily necessities mentioned in ancient texts.
- 📜 The history of Longjing tea dates back to the Song Dynasty, with significant contributions from a monk named Bientai.
- 🏞 The tea is grown near West Lake in Hangzhou, an area known for its scenic beauty and rich tea culture.
- ✅ Authentic Longjing tea can be identified by its uniform packaging and logo, with a QR code for verification.
- 🌱 The production of high-quality Longjing tea is labor-intensive, requiring thousands of tea buds for just 500 grams.
- 📆 The best time to pick tea is around the solar terms of Pure Brightness, Grain Rain, and before Summer Begins.
- 🏛 The China Tea Museum in Hangzhou is a must-visit for tea enthusiasts, offering insights into tea history and culture.
- 🌳 The museum is surrounded by tea gardens and features over 100 Chinese characters for 'tea' written by famous calligraphers.
- 🌸 In March, the Longjing tea village comes alive with the spring season, offering a vibrant atmosphere for tea lovers.
- 🍵 Visitors can experience the traditional tea-making process and enjoy the beauty of tea leaves in a tranquil setting.
Q & A
Who is the speaker in the video script?
-The speaker is Chris from Oxford, United Kingdom, who has been teaching economics in Hangzhou for about three years.
What is the significance of Longjing tea in Chinese culture?
-Longjing tea is considered an important part of daily life in China, being one of the seven daily necessities, which also includes firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.
What does the term 'queen of the green tea' refer to in the script?
-The term 'queen of the green tea' refers to Longjing tea, highlighting its high status and quality among green teas.
Where is Longjing tea originally from?
-Longjing tea originally comes from the Longjing Mountain near West Lake, as mentioned in the script.
Who is credited with making Longjing tea famous according to the script?
-A monk named Bientai is credited with making Longjing tea famous during the Northern Song Dynasty.
What is the significance of the well called 'Longjin' in the script?
-The well called 'Longjin' or 'Dragon Well' is significant because it was believed to be connected to the sea and inhabited by dragons, which is why the tea and temple were named after it.
Why did Emperor Qianlong visit Longjing village multiple times as mentioned in the script?
-Emperor Qianlong visited Longjing village multiple times due to the tea's unique fragrance and flavor, which attracted him and many others to Hangzhou.
How is the authenticity of West Lake Longjing tea ensured according to the script?
-Authenticity of West Lake Longjing tea is ensured through uniform packaging and a logo, with a QR code that provides information about the tea farmer and verifies the tea's origin.
What is the best time to pick tea leaves for superior Longjing tea as per the script?
-The best time to pick tea leaves for superior Longjing tea is before the solar terms of Pure Brightness, Grain Rain, and before the summer begins, when the mountains are full of tea fragrance.
What is the China Tea Museum and why is it important according to the script?
-The China Tea Museum is the only national museum in China with a special theme of tea and tea culture. It is important because it provides comprehensive knowledge about tea, including its history, ceremony, sets, and making process.
How can one experience Longjing tea culture in Hangzhou as described in the script?
-One can experience Longjing tea culture in Hangzhou by visiting the China Tea Museum, strolling in the tea gardens, and enjoying a cup of Longjing tea in a tea house while observing the tea leaves dance in a glass.
Outlines
👋 Introduction to Chris and Longjing Tea
Chris, an economics teacher from Oxford, UK, has been teaching in Hangzhou, China, for three years. He introduces China's famous Longjing (Dragon Well) tea and emphasizes its importance in daily life, as reflected in the 'seven daily necessities' of firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.
🍃 Longjing Tea: The Queen of Green Tea
Longjing tea, often called the 'Queen of Green Tea,' originates from the Longjing Mountain near West Lake in Zhejiang province, known as the 'Province of Green Tea.' It is prized for its green color, fragrant aroma, sweet taste, and overall beauty.
📜 Historical Origins of Longjing Tea
Records of Longjing tea date back to the 'Classic of Tea' by Lu Yu, mentioning tea production at Tianzhu and Lingyin temples in Hangzhou. The tea became widely recognized during the Song Dynasty, thanks to a monk named Bian Tai, who promoted it among locals and officials.
🏯 The Legend of Longjing Temple and Tea
The name 'Longjing' or 'Dragon Well' comes from a well near a small temple on Lion Peak. The well was believed to be connected to the sea, where dragons lived. Bian Tai, fond of tea, led monks to cultivate tea plantations, gradually making Longjing tea known among locals.
🌿 The Rise of Longjing Tea During the Qing Dynasty
In the Qing Dynasty, Longjing tea became renowned for its light fragrance and refreshing taste, attracting visitors to Hangzhou. Emperor Qianlong visited the Longjing village four times, further popularizing this tea, which is still harvested from the tea trees around West Lake.
🗓️ Optimal Time for Harvesting Longjing Tea
Tea harvesting in Longjing village is best done between the Chinese solar terms of the spring equinox, pure brightness, and grain rain. The process of picking tea is labor-intensive, requiring 30,000 to 40,000 tea buds to produce 500 grams of top-quality Longjing tea.
🏷️ Quality Assurance and Packaging of Longjing Tea
West Lake Longjing tea has a uniform packaging and logo system to guarantee authenticity. Consumers can scan a QR code to verify the tea’s origin and the farmer who produced it. The price of Longjing tea varies depending on the harvest time, production methods, varieties, and regions.
🏛️ Explore the China Tea Museum in Hangzhou
Located on Longjing Road, the China Tea Museum is the only national museum in China dedicated to tea and tea culture. Visitors can learn about tea history, ceremonies, and production processes, and enjoy the tea culture atmosphere amid surrounding tea gardens.
🌸 Experience the Tea Culture in Hangzhou's Tea Village
During March, when spring arrives, the Longjing tea village comes alive. Visitors can stroll through tea gardens, observe tea farmers, and enjoy a cup of Longjing tea in tea houses. The environment is filled with the fragrance of fresh tea leaves and the beauty of mist-covered mountains.
🍵 Enjoying Longjing Tea: A Local Tradition
Visitors are encouraged to experience the local tradition of drinking Longjing tea in transparent glasses, watching tea leaves float gracefully. The local phrase 'huan ying ni' welcomes everyone to this unique tea-drinking experience in Hangzhou.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Longjing Tea
💡Seven Daily Necessities
💡Bientai
💡Longjin Temple
💡West Lake
💡Chinese Solar Terms
💡Tea Picking
💡Authenticity
💡China Tea Museum
💡Tea Tourism
Highlights
Introduction to China's famous Longjing (Dragonwell) tea.
The seven daily necessities for Chinese life: firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.
Longjing tea is called the 'Queen of Green Tea' and is produced in the Longjing Mountain near Westlake, Zhejiang province.
The Classic of Tea, written by tea saint Lu Yu, mentions Longjing tea.
Historical records suggest that Longjing tea was made famous by a monk named Bientai during the Song dynasty.
The origin of the name 'Dragonwell' (Longjing) comes from the well near Longjing temple, believed to be connected to the sea and dragons.
Longjing tea became popular when Bientai and the mayor of Hangzhou, Sultan Poor, often drank it together and composed poems.
Emperor Qianlong from the Qing dynasty visited Longjing village four times to enjoy the tea.
The production of West Lake Longjing tea involves a labor-intensive process, requiring 30,000 to 40,000 tea buds to produce 500 grams.
West Lake Longjing tea has a unique logo and QR code for authenticity, allowing consumers to trace the tea to its farmer.
The China Tea Museum in Hangzhou is the only national museum focused on tea and tea culture, featuring exhibits on tea history, ceremony, and production.
The tea museum is surrounded by tea gardens, and the walking path features over 100 Chinese characters for tea engraved in calligraphy.
Hangzhou's tea village becomes especially lively in March due to the spring tea season.
Visitors can stroll around the tea villages, seeing tea leaves being picked and enjoying freshly brewed Longjing tea in the local tea houses.
Drinking Longjing tea in a transparent glass allows one to appreciate the tea leaves' beauty as they float and dance in the water.
Transcripts
hi i'm chris from oxford in the united
kingdom i've been teaching economics in
hangzhou for about three years now i'm
going to introduce china's famous long
jing tea
it is often said that we cannot live
without the seven daily necessities
every day firewood rice oil salt soy
sauce vinegar and tea which illustrates
that drinking tea has become an
important way of life for people
if jejang is called the province of
green tea long jing tea fully deserves
the title queen of the green tea
this green fragrant sweet and gorgeous
tea beauty is from the longing mountain
near westlake records about longing tea
first appeared in the classic of tea
written by t saint
lue
the two temples in chiang tang hangzhou
tianju and lingan produce tea the book
reads originally xiao tianju in hangzhou
produced shangrin tea and bayon peak in
shang tianjin produced by yunti
longing tea didn't exist until the song
dynasty
according to historical records it was a
monk named bientai who made long gnt
famous
in northern song dynasty the monk was
good friends with sultan poor who was
the mayor of hangzhou at that time they
often tasted tea and composed poems
together in his old age bientai wanted
to find a quiet place to spend the rest
of his life so he crossed the mountains
and got to a small shabby temple on lion
peak
a mountain spring near the temple flowed
into the well there and the ancients
thought the whale was connected with the
sea in which there were dragons so this
well was called longjin or dragonwell
and the temple was entitled longjin
temple
fond of drinking tea biens hai led the
monks to reclaim a tea plantation and
longing tea was gradually known by the
local people
in qing dynasty people said that the
fragrance of longing tea was like that
of beans its delicate and light tea
fragrance as well as its refreshing and
brisk flavour attracted a steady stream
of people to hangzhou to taste it
it was said that emperor chen long
visited longjing village four times
the famous west lake longing tea is
produced in the forest surrounding
longing temple and longing water
the west lake is surrounded by mountains
on three sides tea trees are planted in
the mountains along the road and behind
the houses
according to the chinese solar terms
after the spring equinox is pure
brightness followed by grain rain it's a
good time to pick tea before these three
solar terms when the t mountains are
full of tea fragrance day and night
to produce 500 grams of superior longing
tea
thirty thousand to forty thousand tea
buds are needed and it takes four tea
farmers one day to pick them
nowadays the westlake launching tea has
uniform packaging and logo all the tea
produced by the west lake long jing will
be uniformly pasted with the logo of
this origin
scanning the qr code you can immediately
know which tea farmer makes the tea and
whether it's authentic west lake longing
tea or not
according to different picking times
frying methods varieties and producing
areas the prices of longing tea are
different
if you want to have a tea tour in
hangzhou you must not miss the china tea
museum on longjing road
it's the only national museum with a
special theme of tea and tea culture in
china
[Music]
there in the exhibition hall you can
learn almost everything about tea from
tea history tea ceremony tea set to tea
making process and customers
the museum is surrounded by tea gardens
the more than 100 chinese characters for
tea in the calligraphy of over 100
famous people in past dynasties were
engraved on the walking path and even
the plants in the garden are all related
to drinking
the museum is really full of strong tea
culture atmosphere hungzhou people
always like to stroll there in their
spare time and drink tea in the green
mountains with waters
every march due to spring breeze spring
rain and spring tea the original quiet
longing tea village is especially lively
you can ramble in the small tea village
around the west lake with your families
and friends on a sunny day on one side
is a mountain of tea shrouded in mist on
the other side are tea houses
the chinese characters westlake long jin
or tea can be seen at the door of almost
every house
some of the doorways are covered with
freshly picked leaves occasionally on
the road you can meet tea farmers
carrying fresh tea leaves down the
mountain
you can choose a tea house to sit down
and make a cup of longing tea with a
transparent glass
watching the leaves float and dance in
the glass you'll be intoxicated by their
lifelike beauty
huan yingni
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