The tea has a long history spanning more than 1000 years. The earliest record of its existence can be found in the book named Chajing (Classics of Tea), the first book on tea in the world, written by Tang Dynasty (618-907) tea-expert Lu Yu. However, Longjing tea was not given its current name until the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Hangzhou, as the then capital of the country, carried out further development in tea production. Knowledge of the tea began to spread and it was known all over the country by the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties.

In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), particularly, the fame of Longjing tea became widespread throughout the country. One of the most remarkable emperors of the Qing Dynasty, Qianlong, paid four visits to the place where Longjing tea is grown, not only to enjoy sipping the tea, and to write and sing poems to praise the tea, but also to watch the process of picking and roasting it. He was so interested in Longjing tea that he named the eighteen tea trees in front of the Hugong Temple "royal tea". From that time forward, the tea became increasingly popular in China.

By the early 20th century, Longjing tea was witnessing the highest popularity in its history. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese government has made great efforts to promote it and introduce advanced technology in planting, picking and roasting the tea. Subsequently, a quality-standards system for tea grading was set up. All these innovations contributed to the standardization of production of the tea.

According to local customs, the right time for picking the tealeaves is very short. The period between Qing Ming and Grain Rain (from April 5 to 21) each year is generally considered the prime time to get the highest quality Longjing tea. The recommended brewing method is to put a pinch of dry, roasted tea leaves into a porcelain or transparent glass cup and pour hot water at about 85 degrees Celsius into the cup. Sip and enjoy!

In a word, Longjng tea is famous both because of its good quality, as well as its historical interest and the cultural connotation it has endured. Chinese Longjing tea has not only the value of tea when it is consumed, but it is also the symbol of Chinese cultural values.