Eastville Tea

y family has been producing West lake Longjing tea since Qing Dynasty, My great-grandpa, my grandpa, and my father, like the rest of the villagers, dedicated themselves to Longjing Tea for a lifetime. It all started in a small village surrounded by hills named Dongmuwu, my hometown. My earliest memory about tea goes back to the 1990s when I was about 5 years old, I remember during tea season, the March nighttime sometimes is still a bit chilly and I would squat by the tea wok picking out old yellow leaves until I was too sleepy. I remember it was so soothing to be covered with the warmth that came from the burning firewood and the scent that came from the freshly made Longjing tea. I remember the dark calluses on my father’s hands as he always has to produce Longjing tea until around midnight from after lunch. And I also remember the black fingertips of my mother as she always has to leave home before sunrise and get back after sunset to pick Longjing tea leaves during the spring tea season. Through all the years, many have changed, the tea wok evolved from firewood to coal cake to electricity, from full hand frying to semi-automation, to full-automation, but the pursuit to make the best Longjing tea has never changed. People love Longjing, for its refreshing scent, its delicate leaves, its multi-level taste, its aftertaste, and its health benefits. And we love Longjing, for it is part of our lives. My family has been producing Longjing tea since Qing Dynasty, My grandpa, and my father, like the rest of the villagers, dedicated themselves to Longjing Tea for a lifetime. Now I’m taking a step further to make our tea known to tea lovers around the world.