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Longjing shrimp at Hangzhou Restaurant (Yan'an Road, Shangcheng District)

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Longjing tea shrimp

龙井虾仁 · Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

Photo: 猫猫的日记本 · CC BY-SA 4.0

River shrimp stir-fried with Longjing tea leaves, the most elegant dish in Hangzhou cuisine.

Know before you go

  • If you are allergic to shrimp or other shellfish, don't eat it
  • don't rummage through the shared plate picking out shrimp
  • don't put used chopsticks straight into the shared plate—use serving chopsticks if the table has them

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

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

Longjing shrimp is a famous Hangzhou specialty made with Longjing tea and river shrimp. Live river shrimp are peeled, coated in egg white and starch slurry, gently cooked in lard at medium-low heat until jade-white and removed, then quickly stir-fried over high heat with Longjing tea leaves steeped in boiling water, the tea liquor and Shaoxing wine. The finished dish is white and green with a light flavor and a hint of tea. A widely told story links the dish to the Qianlong Emperor's southern tours in the Qing dynasty; it is a legend not confirmed by reliable historical records. Time-honored restaurants by West Lake such as Louwailou and Zhiweiguan are known for this dish.

Local customs

  • Longjing shrimp is a hot dish, usually one course of a Hangzhou-style meal served alongside Dongpo pork, West Lake vinegar fish and others
  • use serving chopsticks or a spoon to take some onto your plate. The tea leaves can be eaten too, or pushed aside. The dish depends on tender, fresh shrimp, so it is best eaten as soon as it is served.

Religion & beliefs

  • The traditional method uses lard for frying and adds a little Shaoxing wine, so it is not halal nor strictly vegetarian
  • if you are sensitive to alcohol or have religious dietary restrictions, please tell the restaurant in advance. If you do not eat lard, ask whether vegetable oil can be used instead.

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

  • If you are allergic to shrimp or other shellfish, don't eat it
  • don't rummage through the shared plate picking out shrimp
  • don't put used chopsticks straight into the shared plate—use serving chopsticks if the table has them
  • don't waste food by leaving large amounts
  • don't eat only the shrimp and leave all the tea leaves on the plate

Locals appreciate DO

  • Hangzhou people appreciate orders that balance meat and vegetable dishes in sensible quantities
  • praising the shrimp as "tender" and the tea aroma as "clear" is the most direct compliment to the chef
  • drinking a cup of Longjing tea with it is also popular. Eating this dish by West Lake while enjoying the view is the best way to appreciate its elegance.

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • Almost every Hangzhou-cuisine restaurant and long-established eatery around West Lake and the lakeside area serves this dish, and it is also common in home-style restaurants in the city. One plate suits two to four people sharing
  • you can make a full table with Dongpo pork, West Lake fish in vinegar sauce and Beggar's Chicken. Allergy and dietary notes: contains crustaceans (river shrimp) and egg (egg-white coating), and is cooked with lard and Shaoxing wine
  • the flavor is light and not spicy. At some restaurants the price varies with the market or portion size, so please check the menu before ordering. Combine it with West Lake, the Longjing Village tea gardens and Lingyin Temple: have tea at the tea gardens, then return to the city for this dish. Prices, opening hours and the day's offerings are as posted by each shop
  • popular shops often have queues at peak mealtimes, so going outside the rush is more relaxed.

Photos

Photos

Longjing shrimp at Hangzhou Restaurant (Yan'an Road, Shangcheng District)
Longjing shrimp at Hangzhou Restaurant (Yan'an Road, Shangcheng District)
猫猫的日记本 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Longjing shrimp at Zhiweiguan, Hangzhou
Longjing shrimp at Zhiweiguan, Hangzhou
Gu0427 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources & verification notes

Chinese Wikipedia: Longjing Shrimp

Wikipedia (English): Longjing prawns

Wikipedia (Japanese): Longjing prawns

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