West Lake Longjing tea making technique, an intangible cultural heritage inheritor

Ji Kunrong

The mountains around West Lake are neither high nor secluded.
So close to the everyday life of ordinary people,
Yet it produces the most renowned tea in hundreds of years.
Not the best natural conditions,
Rather, it is the result of meticulous craftsmanship and countless steps over hundreds of years.
There is no room for carelessness.
There is also the passion of inheritors like Ji Kunlong for meticulously studying their craft.

I started learning tea frying at the age of 16.
It has been more than 30 years since then.
The aroma of tea is concentrated through solid tea-frying skills.
"Tea never leaves the pot, hands never leave the tea."
It was completed in one smooth, flowing motion.
The process continues until the tea leaves are smooth and tightly packed, at which point the tea is ready.
It may seem simple, but it is actually a combination of skill and talent.

Fresh leaves produced from the same tea garden
Learning from both expert and ordinary masters
The aroma and taste can be worlds apart.
Tea made entirely by hand with meticulous care.
In contrast, as described in the novel "There Are Fine Trees in the South," which tells the story of four generations of tea masters, Longjing tea "seems to have no taste."
Its true essence lies in its exquisite flavor and harmonious energy.
The charm that "lingers on the teeth and cheeks".

Zhao Qingtao, head of Dayatang, and teacher Ji Kunrong