Nestled amid the peaks adjoining the West Lake wonderland, China's famous Longjing Tea Plantation hosts the National Tea Museum, an 8000-square-meter monument to the country's deeply-rooted infatuation with what the Chinese call "cha," otherwise known as camelia sinensis.
On entering the exhibition hall, the first thing you see is a water- curtained wall, with a huge Chinese Character for "Tea" carved on it.
Gao Hong, one of the museum staff, explains the design.
"This Character, "Tea," is excerpted from the writing of Wang Xizhi, one of the greatest Chinese calligraphers of all time. To infuse water over the character indicates the long history of the Chinese tea culture."
The story of tea begins in China, dating back 5,000 years! Legend has it that the emperor Sheng Nung, a renowned herbalist, was sitting beneath a tree while his servant was boiling water for drinking. Leaves from the tree blew into the water. So the herbalist decided to try the infusion that his servant had accidentally created. The serendipitous result is what we now call tea.
Of course, we cannot absolutely verify the story, but it does establish China's love affair with the brew centuries before it had even been heard of in the West.
"By the time of the Tang Dynasty about 1000 years ago, tea was the national drink of China, spreading from court circles to become popular throughout Chinese society. It was during this period that tea drinking also became popular in neighboring counties like Japan, India, and Sri Lanka."
The history of tea is imbued with cultural significance -- literary, artistic, even religious. For that we have a Chinese scholar to thank by the name of Lu Yu. His fascinating treatise, Ch'a Ching, or the Classic of Tea, is the earliest known book devoted entirely to tea. For Lu, it symbolizes the harmony and tranquility advocated by Taoism.
And tea has been inspiring scholars and artistic types ever since. For example, renowned composer Tan Dun, best known for his music score for the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, even composed an opera with tea in mind.
"The Book of Tea is not about how to taste a cup of tea, but about how tea culture began; how tea was planted; how tea was discovered; how tea became a currency, a medicine, and a gift. Tea becomes a bridge linking all kinds of people and history. It's a masterpiece. And the Book of Tea somehow inspires me so much in thinking about this opera."
The Chinese say that water is the mother of tea, and the tea-set is the father. To brew a good cup not only requires good water, but also a fine tea-set.
By the Ming Dynasty, blue and white wares, green pottery, and white porcelain were used to carry the greenish infusion. Later, purple clay teapots rose to popularity because they can better retain the color and flavor of tea."
Chinese tea may be classified into five categories according to the different ways in which it is processed. They are: White Tea, Green Tea, Oolong, Red, and Black tea.
And there are many health claims for the drink, too. Red tea, for instance, is said to be good for the stomach; while oolong can purportedly help in weight loss.
"It's recommended to drink different teas in different seasons. Chrysanthemum tea and green tea are suitable for Summer. Red tea and oolong are better choices for Winter."
But of all places where tea is produced, the small town of Longjing (or "Dragon Well") -- named after the legendary well at its center and set amid the gently rolling green hills of Hangzhou -- is ideally placed to set forth the finest green tea in all China.
The town came to prominence three centuries ago, during the Qing Dynasty, when, on one of his famous holidays, Emperor Qianlong visited the village to have a cup of the delicious local tea. He enjoyed it so much, that he conferred imperial status on 18 tea bushes there, thus sealing Longjing's reputation and its future as a major tourist attraction.
"Longjing tea is famous for its aromatic flavor, sweet taste and beautiful shape. It can also improve your vision and inspire your spirit," said Mei Qiuping, a local tea lover, "because the tea bush flourishes in the mountainous area with plenty of rainfall."
Every April, at the height of the picking season, farmers throughout Longjing can be seen stooping over their tea trees, selecting the finest leaves.
Xu Zemei, hostess of the tea ceremony in the museum, has this to say.
"The best Longjing tea is gathered several days before the Qingming Festival, around April 5th every year, when new twigs have just begun to grow and carry 'one leaf and one bud.' Tea leaves picked before Qingming are superbly structured and delicious, and that is why they were reserved for the exclusive use of the imperial household in the past. It was therefore, known as 'tribute tea.' Due to limited production, the best Longjing tea can rake in about $100,000 for one kilogram."
Tea plays a very important part in the life of Hangzhou's people, with hundreds of teahouse dotted throughout the town.
"People take tea with them everywhere they go, even on a stroll in the neighborhood. For people in Hangzhou, we can not live without tea."
Artists of ancient China are said to be inspired either by tea or by wine. Those who preferred tea tended to be sentimental and romantic. And in Hangzhou, one can relive this noble tradition in a peaceful setting among friends.
