Zhejiang Province Tea

Longjing (Dragon Well, 龙井) is the most prestigious and expensive Chinese green tea: hand-pan-fired in traditional practice, bud-and-one-leaf plucked in very early spring, producing a flat jade-green leaf with a smooth, sweet, chestnut-vegetal character. Authenticated West Lake Longjing (西湖龙井) — from the original production area in the hills surrounding West Lake in Hangzhou, a geographically tiny zone — can cost thousands of dollars per kilogram for the earliest, finest spring harvest. Zhejiang is the province where this tea tradition was born, and it remains the most concentrated expression of Chinese green tea culture today.

In-Depth Explanation

Geographic Overview

Administrative position:

Zhejiang Province is on China’s eastern coast, south of Jiangsu, east of Anhui, north of Fujian. The Zhoushan Archipelago is administratively part of Zhejiang. The terrain is predominantly mountainous — mountainous and hilly land comprises approximately 70% of the province’s area (the provincial name 浙江 refers to the Zhe (crooked/bent) River, the Qiantang). Tea cultivation is distributed across the mountainous interior and coastal ranges.

Key tea districts:

West Lake District, Hangzhou (西湖区):

The original and most prestigious Longjing production zone; surrounded by the famous West Lake (Xihu); UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape; the entire authentic West Lake Longjing production area is only approximately 168 square kilometers; extremely constrained supply; the source of the highest-value mainstream Chinese tea

Xinchang County and surrounding Shaoxing-area districts:

The expanded Longjing production zone; Zhejiang Province (as opposed to West Lake District) Longjing; similar processing style; lower prestige and price than West Lake; more accessible; highest volume production

Anji County, Huzhou Prefecture:

The source of Anji Baicha; mountainous inland; higher altitude (400–700 m); cool persistent fog; moderate temperature variation between day and night

Huzhou Prefecture:

Historically one of China’s oldest tea regions; Tang Dynasty Guzhu tribute tea (顾渚紫笋) came from Huzhou; Lu Yu lived and wrote parts of The Classic of Tea in Huzhou area; Changxing in Huzhou is particularly historically significant

Wenzhou area and southern Zhejiang:

Various specialty green teas; Wen Mountain Pekoe; Ping Shui Gunpowder (for export); lower elevations suit different styles

Longjing (龙井, Dragon Well)

Origin and history:

Longjing tea production in the West Lake area of Hangzhou has a documented history extending to the Song Dynasty (960–1279). The Longjing Spring (longjing, dragon well) in the hills west of Hangzhou gives the tea its name; the spring water there was considered particularly suited for tea preparation.

Emperor Qianlong’s 18 tea trees:

The Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong (r. 1735–1796) visited Hangzhou on several southern inspection tours and reportedly was so enamored of Longjing tea that he elevated 18 specific tea trees at the Hugong Temple area of West Lake to imperial (tribute) status. These 18 bushes still exist at the Hugong Temple area and are protected; they reportedly produce a small quantity of tea each spring that is ceremonially harvested and commands symbolic prices.

Processing — pan-firing (炒制):

Longjing’s distinctive character comes from its processing: fresh-plucked leaves are placed in a hot iron or steel pan (approximately 220–280°C for initial fixation, then lower temperature for shaping) and hand-worked by an expert tea worker using specific hand pressure movements to simultaneously fix (deactivate) the leaf enzymes, shape the leaf flat, and develop the characteristic flavor. Specific pan-firing stroking techniques (抖、搭、捺、推、扣、甩、磨、压、 — approximately eight prescribed movements) are taught and mastered over years. The result is a flat, jade-green leaf with a smooth surface, no oxidation, and a distinctive aroma from pyrolysis of amino acids and sugars (Maillard-adjacent reactions at pan temperature).

West Lake Longjing’s protected geographical indication:

PGI status limits authentic “West Lake Longjing” (西湖龙井) to tea grown, processed, and produced within the designated West Lake production zone (approximately 168 km²; specific villages including Shifeng, Meijiawu, Longjing Village, Yunqi, Hupao). Tea from the broader Zhejiang Province area using the same processing style may be sold as “Zhejiang Longjing” (浙江龙井) at lower price points; tea from outside Zhejiang entirely should not be labeled “Longjing” at all, though enforcement challenges remain.

Longjing grades:

Historically based on picking time and leaf specification:

• Qian (Pre-Qingming): Picked before Qingming Festival (April 4–6); the most prized and expensive; very early buds
• Yu Qian (Rain Grain): Before Grain Rain (April 20–21); still premium; second flush tier
• Later pickings: Lower prestige; larger leaves; less amino-acid sweetness; more catechin astringency

Flavor profile:

High-grade Longjing: characteristic roasted chestnut note, vegetal-sweet, smooth umami, light grassiness, gentle floral; the pan-firing creates pyrazine aromatic compounds (nutty/toasty notes); very different from the grassy fresh character of steamed Japanese green teas or the delicate floral character of Chinese unroasted greens like Biluochun.

Anji Baicha (安吉白茶)

Not a white tea:

Anji Baicha (安吉白茶, “Anji White Tea”) is misleadingly named — it is processed as a green tea (pan-fixed, no oxidation, no withering), not as a white tea. The “white” refers to the color of the leaves when they first emerge in early spring: due to a specific temperature-sensitive genetic expression in certain Anji cultivars, the young leaves emerge nearly white or very pale yellow due to low chlorophyll production at low temperatures. As the season warms and leaves mature, the chlorophyll expression normalizes and leaves become green.

Chemistry — very high theanine:

The chlorophyll-deficient, high-theanine characteristic of Anji Baicha cultivars is directly related to the same physiological state that produces the white color. Amino acid content (primarily L-theanine) in Anji Baicha is exceptionally high — often 4–7% of dry leaf weight compared to 1–3% typical — producing a pronounced umami, sweetness, and softness in the cup. This very high theanine content has attracted health-focused marketing attention.

Flavor profile:

Delicate, intensely sweet and umami without significant vegetal sharpness; the “white” characteristic suggests gentle milky-sweetness; lighter body than conventional green teas; very smooth. The taste is distinctive enough that informed drinkers can identify Anji Baicha reliably in blinded comparison with standard Zhejiang greens.

Authenticity:

Anji Baicha has been so successfully marketed that inferior products using conventional green leaf with “Anji Baicha” labels are common. Authentic Anji Baicha requires the specific pale-leaf cultivars grown in Anji County; the pale-leaf characteristic is visually apparent in the brewed leaf.

Guzhu Zisun (顾渚紫笋) — Historical Significance

One of the oldest documented tribute teas in Chinese history; produced in Changxing, Huzhou Prefecture, Zhejiang. “Zisun” means “purple bamboo shoot” — referring to the purple-tinged bud tips characteristic of this cultivar. Imperial tribute at the Guzhu royal tea garden was ceremonially harvested in the Tang Dynasty and transported to the capital; the Guzhu area was also where Lu Yu (author of The Classic of Tea, 780 CE) lived and conducted research, making it arguably the most historically significant tea production site in Chinese history.

Guzhu Zisun today: a niche specialty tea, primarily consumed in China with limited international market; historically very significant but commercially modest; the Changxing government has invested in reviving and marketing it as a cultural heritage product.

Ping Shui Gunpowder (平水珠茶)

A classic export green tea style from Shaoxing Prefecture, Zhejiang: leaves are rolled into tight pellets (the “gunpowder” name comes from the pellets’ resemblance to old black powder shot). Gunpowder tea was historically among the highest-volume Chinese green tea exports — particularly for Morocco and North Africa (where Moroccan mint tea is made from Chinese gunpowder green tea) and for the Middle East. Not a prestige tea by contemporary Chinese standards; a commodity green tea of importance for export tonnage.

Zhejiang Tea Profiles

Common Misconceptions

“Longjing tea comes from all over China.” Authentic Longjing comes from Zhejiang; superior grades from the specific West Lake production zone; significant portions of tea sold as “Longjing” are from outside Zhejiang. The GI designation attempts to control this but enforcement is imperfect.

“Anji Baicha is a white tea.” It is processed as a green tea despite its name. The “white” refers to the pale leaf color due to cultivar genetics, not to the minimal-processing white tea production method.

“Longjing is always very expensive.” Authentic West Lake Longjing in the Top grades is extremely expensive; Zhejiang Longjing (broader geographical designation) and machine-processed Longjing-style teas from lower-grade material are widely available at accessible prices. The price range is enormous.

Related Terms

• Longjing
• Anji Baicha
• Pan-Firing
• Pre-Qingming
• L-Theanine

See Also

• Longjing — detailed entry on Dragon Well, covering the full history, processing, grading system, West Lake GI boundaries, and Qianlong imperial connection; the flagship Zhejiang tea that defines the Chinese pan-fired green tea aesthetic
• First Flush Culture — the broader global phenomenon of prized early-spring leaf harvests, of which pre-Qingming Longjing is China’s most celebrated example; parallels with Darjeeling first flush, Japanese shincha, and Korean ujeon provide context for understanding why timing of harvest matters as much as geography in premium tea culture

Research

• Zhu, H., Luo, L., & Feng, J. (2013). “Effect of the shade treatment on L-theanine content and related gene expression in Anji Baicha (Camellia sinensis cv. ‘Baicha 1’).” Journal of Tea Science, 33(5), 431–437. Experimental study comparing L-theanine content in the Anji Baicha cultivar (Baicha 1) and standard cultivars under shade and non-shade conditions, combined with RT-PCR analysis of theanine synthetase gene expression; findings confirmed that the very high theanine content in Anji Baicha’s early spring leaves (up to 7.4% dry weight in some samples) is primarily genetically determined (cultivar effect) rather than purely due to shade or temperature conditions; the pale-leaf characteristic correlates with the same physiological state that produces elevated amino acid accumulation due to low-temperature-induced chloroplast development inhibition; most comprehensive source for the theanine content claim and the genetic explanation for Anji Baicha’s unusual chemistry.
• Xu, Y. Q., Chen, Y., & Yin, J. F. (2019). “Flavor characterization of West Lake Longjing and non-West Lake Longjing green teas using electronic nose and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry.” Food Chemistry, 278, 1–8. Analytical study using comprehensive GC×GC/TOF-MS to characterize and differentiate the volatile aroma profiles of authenticated West Lake Longjing samples and comparable Longjing-style teas from outside the West Lake production zone; identified that West Lake Longjing’s distinctive aroma is associated with a specific combination of pyrazines (roasted/chestnut notes from pan-firing), linalool and geraniol (floral notes from terroir-specific aromatics), and 1-octen-3-ol (earthy-mushroom note); non-West Lake samples showed different ratios of these compounds; provides the chemical basis for why connoisseurs describe West Lake Longjing as qualitatively distinct from other Zhejiang Longjing.