Hangzhou is famous for the tea it grows here. Apparently only 2 places in the world have this particular soil – here and in Sri Lanka.

The tea here is totally organic. No pesticides are used and the plants are fertilised with the detritus remaining after the tea is processed. To catch any insects they use placards of the old fashioned sticky fly paper we used to use in Australia.

I found the information about the different teas quite interesting –

• Green Tea is natural, unfermented (not dried).
• Oolong tea is semi dried
• Black tea is fully dried and chopped

A pinch of green tea is put into a cup or glass and then water heated to 80 degrees is poured in 3 flowing motions with the water pot lifted high between each. First motion for good health, second for prosperity and third for a long life. I love learning about these traditions. 🫖

Here are some photos snapped around this very attractive area.

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An old Chinese custom with tea was to welcome a guest in a reception area and offer them tea. Sometime later they would be offered a 2nd cup of tea which was asking them to please wait. If they were offered a 3rd cup of tea it meant “I’m sorry, you won’t be received here today. Please go away.“

Of course, at the end of the information session came the sales pitch! At “a special price, just for you today” we left with green tea extract – 2 pills a day is the same as 8 cups of green tea!

We’re looking forward to enjoying the promised health benefits 🤔