The original Longjing plant variety Quntizhong 群体种, whose roots go back to Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911). Emperor Qianlong (1735 - 1796) was particularly fond of this tea, so as to preserve 18 plants of Longjing in his garden for his exclusive use.
This tea, made of only the delicate unripe buds and the first apical leaves - what the Chinese call yi ya yi er ye 一芽一二叶, literally one bud with one or two leaves, the top level grade of Longjing tea.
They were plucked in the Pre-Qingming period, Mingqian 明前 in Chinese, that is before the 4th or 5th of April, making it the most precious harvest.
Our selection comes from the production of Master Shu, who was born in Anhui province and moved to Xihu as a young apprentice, where he matured 20 years of experience in tea manufacture. The liquor of this tea has a delicate green shade that shines of golden hues, disclosing the most creamy and mellow taste, rare and precious. Sweet fruity notes open in the palate, leaving in the mouth the typical fresh and delicate vegetal taste and a long-lasting hint of chestnuts that comes from the pan-frying shaqing, and characterizes this ancient tea.
Origin: Meijiawu village, Xihu (West Lake) district, Hangzhou city, Zhejiang Province
Altitude: 800 m asl
Flush: Spring 2025, Pre-Qingming 明前
Producer: Master Shu
Format: loose leaves
Storage: the leaves can be stored in their original package or in ceramic vases. Avoid heat, light, and moisture.
