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The Shuangfeng site of the China National Tea Museum in May 2022

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China National Tea Museum

中国茶叶博物馆 China National Tea Museum · Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

Photo: Siyuwj · CC BY-SA 4.0

In the Shuangfeng and Longjing sections surrounded by Longjing tea gardens, see the Chinese history of tea from growing and processing to drinking.

Know before you go

  • Do not enter the tea gardens to pick tea leaves
  • do not trample the tea rows for photos
  • do not eat or drink in the galleries or use flash on relics

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

The China National Tea Museum is a museum devoted to tea and tea culture. It opened in April 1991 in Shuangfeng Village, Xihu District, Hangzhou, and has been rated a National First-Grade Museum by the Chinese Museums Association. On May 1, 2015, the Longjing site at Wengjiashan opened, and the two sites are linked by an old path and the tea gardens of the Longjing area. The permanent exhibition at the Shuangfeng site, "Chinese Tea Culture", is divided into display spaces on tea history, tea varieties, tea affairs, tea ware and tea customs, introducing the history of Chinese tea; green, black (red), oolong, white, yellow and dark teas; tea ware through the ages; and the tea-drinking customs of different regions and ethnic groups. The museum is set among tea gardens and hillsides west of West Lake and is itself a place to understand the West Lake Longjing tea-growing area.

Local customs

  • Spring, before Qingming and before Guyu, is when new Longjing tea is picked and processed
  • you can see tea picking in the plantations around the museum, and nearby tea farmers roast tea and receive guests in their homes. The museum often holds tea art demonstrations, tea gatherings and family activities, and sitting down for a cup of Longjing in the museum or a nearby tea room after your visit is how many Hangzhou residents entertain friends from out of town.

Religion & beliefs

  • The museum itself has no religious function. Its exhibits explain the ties between tea and Buddhist Zen temples, such as tea growing and tea drinking in monasteries and the tradition that “tea and Zen share one taste”
  • there are temples around Longjing Village and Lingyin, so if you go on to visit them, please follow the temples' rules on dress, quiet and photography.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas

Do

  • Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
  • Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
  • Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
  • Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
  • Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave

Don’t

  • Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
  • Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
  • Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos

During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones

Do

  • Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
  • On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
  • Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
  • Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
  • If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app

Don’t

  • Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
  • Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
  • Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes

If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking

Essential restrictionsPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · China

China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages

Do

  • Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
  • Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
  • Use headphones for videos and music
  • In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
  • Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings

Don’t

  • Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
  • Don't take someone else's seat
  • Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)

Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks

Do

  • Walk only on open sections and marked routes
  • On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
  • Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
  • Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
  • Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail

Don’t

  • Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
  • Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
  • Don't run or push on steep sections

Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall

Essential restrictionsDrivingHangzhou

Hangzhou, West Lake: if you drive in peak season or on holidays, check the odd-even plate rule

Do

  • Before driving, check the latest Hangzhou traffic police notice for restricted hours and roads
  • On restricted days, odd plates drive on odd dates and even plates on even dates
  • During restrictions, take the bus, metro or a taxi, or cycle around the lake
  • On weekdays, also check the rush-hour restrictions for central Hangzhou

Don’t

  • Don't drive into the restricted zone with a non-matching plate during restricted hours
  • Don't rely on old guides; times and roads change with the season

Breaking the restriction is penalised as ignoring a prohibition sign; penalties are subject to official announcements. Restrictions usually apply at weekends and on holidays in the spring and autumn peak seasons; street taxis and ride-hailing cars are generally exempt from the odd-even rule. Check the Hangzhou traffic police notice for details.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Tide News: West Lake temporary traffic controls for the spring peak season

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels

Do

  • Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
  • Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
  • Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
  • Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly

Don’t

  • Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
  • Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
  • Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days

Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows

Essential restrictionsEntryCountry-wide guidance · China

China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport

Do

  • Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
  • Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
  • Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
  • Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
  • If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane

Don’t

  • Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
  • Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
  • Don't book with details that differ from your passport

Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · China

China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites

Do

  • Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
  • On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
  • Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
  • Sort your rubbish into the right bins
  • Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat

Don’t

  • Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
  • Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
  • Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
  • Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
  • Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places

Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit

Cultural sensitivitiesTemples & religious sitesHangzhou

Hangzhou Lingyin Temple: Free Admission, but Real-Name Timed Reservation Required

Do

  • Make a real-name reservation in advance through the scenic area's official channels and enter during your booked morning or afternoon slot
  • After entering, walk over to the Feilai Peak grotto carvings across the stream; the free-admission area includes Lingyin Temple, Yongfu Temple and Taoguang Temple
  • Avoid peak times on public holidays if you can; reservations have a daily cap

Don’t

  • Do not go without a reservation; slots fill up easily on public holidays

From 1 December 2025, the Lingyin Feilaifeng scenic area is free of charge and requires real-name reservation with timed entry, with a daily reservation cap; without a reservation you may not be able to enter.

Not yet verifiedSource: Xinhuanet: Hangzhou's Lingyin Feilai Feng Scenic Area to Open Free to the Public from December 1 (November 19, 2025)

Don’t DON'T

  • Do not enter the tea gardens to pick tea leaves
  • do not trample the tea rows for photos
  • do not eat or drink in the galleries or use flash on relics
  • do not smoke or use open flames in the tea gardens and woods
  • when buying tea, do not fall for overpriced roadside pitches of 'genuine pre-Qingming tea' and stick to reputable outlets

Locals appreciate DO

  • Watch tea picking and tea roasting in spring
  • learn the differences among the six major tea types in the Shuangfeng section
  • see the display cases of tea ware through the ages
  • slowly sip a cup of seasonal Longjing in the tea room
  • walk along the tea plantation paths to Longjing Village and watch tea farmers roasting tea on the way
  • compare the tea ware in the display cases with the tea ware you have at home

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • Allow 1–1.5 hours for each museum section, or half a day for both sections plus a walk through the tea plantations. The Shuangfeng section is on Longjing Road and can be reached by bus to the "Shuangfeng" area
  • the Longjing section is in Wengjiashan, best reached by taxi or combined on foot with Longjing Village and Longjing Wencha
  • the mountain roads are narrow and parking nearby is difficult on holidays. The museum is generally free and closed on Mondays
  • whether reservations are required and holiday arrangements are as announced on the official website. Combine with: Longjing Village, Longjing Wencha and Jiuxi Eighteen Streams, and to the north, West Lake and Lingyin Temple
  • spring tea-picking season is the best time to go, and in autumn when the osmanthus blooms the tea plantations are also very quiet
  • mountain paths are slippery after rain, so wear non-slip shoes, and the opening hours of the museum's tea room are announced separately.

Photos

Photos

The Shuangfeng site of the China National Tea Museum in May 2022
The Shuangfeng site of the China National Tea Museum in May 2022
Siyuwj · CC BY-SA 4.0
The tea garden at the China National Tea Museum in 2016
The tea garden at the China National Tea Museum in 2016
Fredlyfish4 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources & verification notes

China National Tea Museum official website

Wikipedia: China National Tea Museum

Wikipedia: China National Tea Museum

Hangzhou.com.cn: Longjing Section of the China National Tea Museum to Open to the Public (2015)

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