West Lake Longjing Grades and the Five Historic Origins

West Lake Longjing has quality grades, while Shi, Long, Yun, Hu and Mei are historic origin names. They describe different things. A packet can mention both a product grade and a particular place, but one does not automatically establish the other.

Much of the confusion comes from combining several systems into one list: general Longjing grading, West Lake-specific grading, harvest terms and the historic growing areas. Read the standard or classification behind a claim before comparing it with another shop’s label.

Which grades does the current Hangzhou standard use?

The official standards platform lists DB3301/T 1135—2023, Geographical Indication Product: Xihu Longjing Tea, as current when checked on October 23, 2026. Its grade classification has four levels: Jingpin, special grade, grade one and grade two.

The English explanations above are reading aids, not a replacement for the Chinese label and cited standard. The standard assesses more than a leaf-count photograph. Do not assign a grade at home by measuring a few leaves.

Why do some shops show a different list?

A seller may use a broader Longjing standard, an older classification, a company specification or its own product tiers. The national GB/T 18650—2008 Longjing standard concerns the wider Longjing category. Its name should not be confused with a West Lake-specific standard.

Words such as ‘imperial’, ‘premium’ or ‘AAA’ on an English listing need explanation. They are not automatically equivalent to Jingpin or special grade. Ask the seller to identify the basis of the comparison, rather than treating every attractive English adjective as an official level.

Nor does ‘special grade’ mean the tea must be hand-made at every stage or picked on one fixed day. Read processing and harvest statements separately. A higher declared grade can be relevant, but the batch still needs sound storage and a flavor you enjoy.

What are Shi, Long, Yun, Hu and Mei?

The five names are a way into the history of tea growing around West Lake in Hangzhou, China. The West Lake Longjing Tea Management Association’s historical account explains that their groupings and boundaries evolved. They should not be turned into five immutable modern quality grades.

These are broad reading references, not a parcel map. A precise village or hillside claim needs evidence linking that tea batch to the place. A famous name on a gift box does not do that work by itself.

Four claims that are easy to mix up

• Product grade: describes the tea under a stated grading system.
• Protected area: describes a geographical protection category, not the product grade.
• Harvest timing: Mingqian and Yuqian describe picking periods, not a complete origin or grade certificate.
• Cultivar: Longjing 43 and Quntizhong describe plant material, not a universal ranking of finished tea.

For example, ‘grade one tea’ and ‘first-level protected area’ are different claims even though both contain a word meaning first. Similarly, Mingqian should not be treated as a synonym for Jingpin.

Does Shifeng always taste best?

Shifeng has a strong reputation, and a documented Shifeng batch may be something you want to explore. That does not make every bag bearing the name better than every tea from Meijiawu or another West Lake garden. Processing, harvest, condition, brewing and preference still matter.

Compare small samples where possible. Use the same brewing setup, then judge the cup and the evidence for its origin separately. Price can reflect reputation and packaging as well as the tea.

A label-reading checklist

1. Find the stated product grade and the standard behind it.
2. Read the production-area claim separately.
3. Check the producer, batch and harvest year.
4. Verify the package’s own traceability information through the official service.
5. Compare prices by net weight, then taste before buying a large quantity.

Continue with our Mingqian and Yuqian guide, cultivar comparison or price guide. All the articles are collected in the Longjing tea topic.