Fields of Tea, China

 


Originating in China as a restorative and medicinal beverage, it’s no surprise that tea tours do well in Shangai Many of them, however, fail to live up to the hopes of tour-goers. The reason for this is that operators can charge extortionate amounts of money for ominous bags of dried-up leaves – leaving tourists with a bad taste in their mouth. A better option is to sip at the source and visit the tea fields in China on your next trip to Shanghai.

One-hour south west of Shanghai by speed train is Hangzhou, home to the “Dragon Well” hill (or Longjing), one of the most famous tea fields in China. A playground for the emperors of yore, Hangzhou has for centuries been a favourite place to rest, recuperate and, of course, drink tea. In the 13^th century, the Venetian explorer Marco Polo famously visited the city, deeming it "greater than any in the world", giving some indication of its former wealth. Although the city has modernised, the tea fields continue to be harvested using the same, traditional techniques.

The best brews undoubtedly come from “Dragon Well Imperial Tea Garden”. Hovering above the city, its green terraces stretch on for miles and are inhabited by straw-hatted women who still pick each individual leaf by hand. The best time to go is in spring, from March-June when the temperatures are mild. Happily, this coincides with tea harvesting season. To get there, most local tea factories and hotels run tea-picking tours with English-speaking local guides who know the plots like the back of their hands. These cost £80-£100 per day. The second option is to go it alone.