When you take a stroll through Hangzhou, clusters of teahouses scattered throughout the city are perhaps its most-noticeable characteristic.

In fact it calls itself "the capital city of tea". Apart from prestigious scenic resorts and historical sites, Hangzhou's green tea, famed for its smooth leaves, fragrant scent and subtle taste, are another symbol representing the tourist city.

Back to as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Hangzhou was regarded as one of the finest tea production cities in the country, in particular for myriad green teas grown in the hills to the west of the West Lake. Under Song emperors, tea produced in the city was sent to the capital as tribute replacing valuable gold or grain.

Dragon Well green tea from the West Lake - or Longjing in Chinese - is named after the well beside a dragon-shaped rock that services a 1,000-year-old temple, which has now been converted into a teahouse. Located among lush hills, Meijiawu Village is the most famous place to see how the city's prestigious Longjing green tea is made. The picturesque village 12 km from the city center can be easily reached by bus.

Late Chinese premier Zhou Enlai gave personal patronage to the village four times from 1957 and 1963 to help guide it on the path to development.

Experiencing tea culture

Casual visitors can even learn to pick tea under professional guidance. In addition, each person can be serviced three cups of tea during the local tea ceremony held at the village - the first is half-filled with water, not for drinking, but to enjoy the fragrance, the second is for tasting the full flavor of the tea and the last is meant for contemplating the aesthetics of the tea leaves and the beautiful hue of the beverage. A tour in the tea gardens is also permitted.

In the capital city of tea, Meijiawu Village is not the only place that you can taste the fresh flavor of green tea. Various teahouses are worth a visit in the city center.

And a teahouse is much more than a place to drink tea. Like pubs in the West, teahouses in Hangzhou offer a place to meet friends and family. They don't just serve tea, many teahouses also serve traditional refreshments, fresh fruit as well as some local main courses, like fried dumplings, noodles and steamed buns.

Among the 778 registered teahouses in the city, Hupanju is one of the oldest. Conveniently located in the Six Garden Park near the Hubin (lakeside) shopping zone, it is the perfect stop after a long shopping spree.

On warm afternoons, you can sit on the waterfront, reading a leisurely book or just overlooking the lake. During the day and in quieter seasons, the teahouse remains a steady favorite with the locals.

Hupanju, or Lakeside Teahouse, also features live traditional music every night - come prepared to fight for a table with throngs of other visitors. It also caters weddings and conferences for parties over 200 people.

Another well-known venue that can't be missed is the flagship of the Qingteng Teahouse chain on the well-known pub street Nanshan Road.

Covered by green plants on its roof, the 5,000 sq m teahouse is easily spotted. Most of its seats are by the window facing the West Lake.

Folk music shows staged daily from 8 pm, and during the intermission, tea ceremonies are performed by its award-winning specialists.

Tea museum

After a day immersed in teahouses, you can have your new curiosity about tea to be satisfied at the National Tea Museum in Twin Peaks Village on Longjing Road.

Its main exhibit presents a detailed history of tea culture, from its wild origins in Yunnan province to the early classic tea literature, to the rise of international trade in tea and the development of tea ceremonies up to the present day.

Other halls display the varieties of teas grown in China, showing the distinctions between green, black, and red are only the most basic of categories.

The museum's exhibition halls are housed in modern buildings set among ponds and gardens that opened to the public in 1990.

Longjing green tea was placed on the list of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage during the West Lake International Tea Culture Festival held in April.

Hangzhou China Travel Service (24h):

86-571-88398499; 13588476467