Lung Ching means in Chinese the dragon well. It is produced in West Lake, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

It was a long time ago. There lived an old kind woman in a small village in Lung Ching Mt.. She usually made some tea from the 18 tea trees near her house, and invited people passing by a free drink.

One day there came a white-beard man, he saw a broken stone mortar near the house. It was priceless, he thought. So he asked to old lady to sell it. “It is worthless,” the granny said, “take it as you like.”

But the stone mortar is too heavy to lift. So the old man said he will ask for some help. When he was away, thinking it was too dirty, the granny washed that, took out the out-dated soil, and buried it under the tea trees. When the old man came with his servant, he was surprisingly disappointed to find the mortar clean.

In fact, the treasure is not the mortar, but the soil in it. Since covered by the soil, the 18 tea trees flourished, and tea made from it had a special mellowness. That’s where Lung Ching tea came from.   

Then our story came to the Dynasty of Qing. The Emperor Qing Long usually went to the South Yangtze River for traveling. One day, he saw some girls picking tea buds under the Shifeng Mt. in Hangzhou. Feeling this interesting, he tried to follow the girls. But it was not long after he started that he learned the message his mother was ill. Without thinking, he put the tea just picked into his bag and hurried back to the capital Beijing.

His mother fell ill because she ate a feast of fat things. When she saw his son back, she smelt a delicate fragrance. What was that? In puzzlement, Qian Long touched his bag and suddenly realized --- it was his tea. These days’ traveling has dried it, and brought out its mellowness. He told his servants to boil it, and asked his mother to try the tea. When she drank that, she became comfortable again. In great happiness, she said, ”Tea from Lung Ching is really great medicine!” To find his mother so pleased, Qian Long bestowed the 18 tea trees before Wugong Temple “King’s tea”, which is still flourishing today.

Another story goes like this. One day Qian Long stopped for a rest at Hugong Temple at the foot of Shifeng Mt. near Lung Ching village. The monk in the temple served a cup of tea. Being an expert, Qian Long cheered at the sight of the tea. In the porcelain cup, the tea looked emerald green, and gave out a pure fragrance. He had a taste, and felt he was filled with fresh mellowness. So Qian Long asked the monk, “what’s the name of it? Where is it produced?” The monk answered, “ My majesty, it is the Lung Ching tea produced in our temple.” So Qian Long walked out of the door, and found a bright green world in front of the temple. The 18 tea trees, with the wiggling mountains, looks exactly like a lion. These names, Lung Ching(dragon well), Shifeng(Lion Mt.), as well as the number 18, are all very propitious to Qian Long. In great pleasure, he bestowed the 18 tea trees “the king’s tree”.

Thereafter, Lung Ching became famous all over China.

Jane speaking:

In China, there are many Lungching Tea, but only those from West Lake District (Xihu) is considered best, and the price is about 1000---5000RMB/KG, price is especially high in March, when the new tea is firstly made, and later, the tea quality lowers, and the price goes down.

Zhejiang Lungching refers to all Lungching in Zhejiang(except West Lake District), the the quality is somewhat lower. But in Middle to late March, if you are lucky enough, you still can find good Zhejiang Lungching, the price is about 100--550RMB/KG. Of couse, price higher, quality better.

Honestly speakly, i love West lake Lungching, but cannot afford it, what a pity