Longjing (Dragon Well) is China's most celebrated green tea, grown on the terraced hillsides southwest of West Lake. The village itself is a pleasant half-day trip: walk through the plantations, visit the tea park around the original Dragon Well, and buy directly from farmers whose prices undercut the city shops. The tea is harvested in spring; visiting in April means you can watch the leaves being pan-fired by hand.
Longjing Village (Dragon Well Tea)
Source village of China's finest green tea, west of West Lake.