National Tea Museum
National Tea Museum
4.5
8:30 AM - 4:15 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 4:15 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 4:15 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 4:15 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 4:15 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 4:15 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 4:15 PM
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
4.5
212 reviews
Excellent
98
Very good
87
Average
20
Poor
5
Terrible
2
Deanosaur89
Edmonton, Canada1,893 contributions
Dec 2020 • Friends
Entrance to this museum is free and it is very informative. Explains the history and changes to tea in China over the centuries and why certain methods are favoured today. Has lots of cool and well preserved artifacts without overdoing it as many other museums tend to do. We had difficulties at first entering because we needed to prove our health codes and travel history but after that it was a very pleasant visit. The Longjing Tea Fields are also nearby and worth a quick trip for. We meant to try tea in this area but we weren't sure which shop to go into!
Written December 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traveller_Oldie
East London, South Africa273 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
One of the most beautiful places you can visit. The tea plantations are very quiet and you can walk along the plantations. Afterwards visit the museum to give you a good overview of the history of tea as well as an insight into the many different types of tea.
Afterwards we took part in a tea-tasting presentation which was very interesting. The idea for-sure was to get you to buy some tea from the shop, but you don’t have to.
Afterwards we took part in a tea-tasting presentation which was very interesting. The idea for-sure was to get you to buy some tea from the shop, but you don’t have to.
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ralpo Stankic
Hangzhou, China472 contributions
Dec 2017 • Family
Very interesting and a good educational activity for families with young children. Tea is one of the give fundamental pillars of China's historical culture. The place is spotless and well organized. There's full immersion in tea culture and the storyline is consistent. However being a deep scholar of Chinese tea history I suggest that the information being more specific and not based of commercialized stories for tourists. I had to correct the guide who said that tea was not considered a currency for trade. It was indeed. And the best tea varieties were of great value. At the court of the emperors there was a special groups of eunuchs called teamasters and all the concubines were trained in serving teas.
Written July 30, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew D Bell
Southampton, United Kingdom184 contributions
Aug 2015 • Solo
If you are interested in Chinese tea, Chinese tea culture, or tea in general, this will not be a wasted trip, and the journey itself is scenic, rising from West Lake into the surrounding hills, which you discover are full of tea plantations. Free to enter, much of the museum feels a bit dated, but there's a reasonable amount to see, with some fascinating nuggets of information on the long history of tea in China. There's also some nice teaware on display.
Be sure to pick up a free guide before you start your tour. They are on a rack on the right as you enter the main entrance. The grounds are not well signposted, so the map therein will be helpful. (Though hardly anyone else was visiting at the time, I found the staff completely ignored me, and I only spotted the guides by chance.)
Getting there and away: Yes, it's a bit out of the way, but it's not hard to reach by bus. The number 27 bus starts downtown at 岳王路 (Yuè Wáng Lù) then hugs the north shore of West Lake before heading for the hills. Take the bus as far as 双峰 (Shuāng Fēng); this is 11 stops from Yue Wang Lu. On alighting, walk a short distance in the direction of travel of the bus and you will soon see the stone sign at the entrance to the museum. The other bus serving Shuang Feng is the 87, but this one takes a more devious route. I have attached maps with the routes and showing the names of bus stops in Chinese for both 27路 and 87路.
Be sure to pick up a free guide before you start your tour. They are on a rack on the right as you enter the main entrance. The grounds are not well signposted, so the map therein will be helpful. (Though hardly anyone else was visiting at the time, I found the staff completely ignored me, and I only spotted the guides by chance.)
Getting there and away: Yes, it's a bit out of the way, but it's not hard to reach by bus. The number 27 bus starts downtown at 岳王路 (Yuè Wáng Lù) then hugs the north shore of West Lake before heading for the hills. Take the bus as far as 双峰 (Shuāng Fēng); this is 11 stops from Yue Wang Lu. On alighting, walk a short distance in the direction of travel of the bus and you will soon see the stone sign at the entrance to the museum. The other bus serving Shuang Feng is the 87, but this one takes a more devious route. I have attached maps with the routes and showing the names of bus stops in Chinese for both 27路 and 87路.
Written August 4, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nevaeh88
Bologna, Italy61 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
At the beginning the museum and the explanations on the panels seemed fine. We were welcomed by a security guy at the entrance of the museum who kindly showed us the way to follow inside the museum. After the visit of the museum itself, he sent us to the "tea study center" for a tea tasting. Of course the staff who works there was immediately informed the foreigners were about to arrive. We had a tea tasting ( btw, ask to taste as many teas as possible to have an idea). But when the lady started to advertise the pills made out of green tea, I understood the main aim was to sell. We wanted to have a look with calm to all the loose tea they had, but they were very pushy and started to ask which one we liked. It became very annoying when they refused to weight the tea, telling that they had no scales ( oh yes, sure!). instead, they advised that the price of their loose teas was per packaging. Without knowing how many grams one packaging was, we refused to buy and walked away. We really wanted to buy something, but we felt really annoyed and offended. We are not stupid and the staff wanted to cheat us with their cheap tricks like telling that many people form our country buy a specific type of tea. Outside there were other shops which had a honest price.
The only purpose of this teas museum was to sell and not to educate.
The only purpose of this teas museum was to sell and not to educate.
Written May 28, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MooncakeVixen
37 contributions
Oct 2016
There are two branches of the National Tea Museum. This one on Longjing Road is the Shuangfeng branch. The other is (confusingly) the Longjing branch at 268 Wenjiashan which is newer and larger in garden area. My hotel wrote down the characters for me in Vhinese and the taxi delivered me to the Shuangfeng branch. Just from peering at the brochure, the Longjing branch seems to have an additional exhibit on worldwide tea and a specific exhibition hall for Longjing tea. The small map has them fairly close, both are on the 27 and 87 bus routes (Shuangfeng and China National Tea Museum stops respectively) and they share the same phone number and website. The best part is it free to visit!
The Shuangfeng branch has a Tea History Hall, a Tea Category Hall (over 100 teas from different areas of China) Tea Information Hall (methods of producing and drinking tea), a Tea Sets Hall (tea sets from various dynasties), a Tea Customs Hall (tea drinking customs throughout China), and a Purple Clay Hall (the famous Yixing clay teapots). There is also a tea plant garden, various classrooom facilities, a cultural exchange center and four tea houses where you can sit in the lovely garden area and sip a glass/cup of tea (purchased). They also sell tea as well. Both branches have Tea houses. The gift small is small but tasteful with fair or better prices on nice tea sets and pots. There were actually four books on tea, Chinese tea, etc. in English.
I LOVED this museum. I love tea. The displays are thoughtfully arranged and the signage in English is good to excellent. I spent about 45 minutes in the Tea Category Hall listening to all the information on the types of tea. They have an example of the teas on the wall with a number. You pick up the phone for that group, press for English or Chinese and the number. Information is provided about the tea, where i is grown, and the taste as if you were at a wine tasting, "...a light green tea with a fresh flavor and a hint of grass, with an aftertaste of berries...". So much fun. The tea sets were amazing and I wanted to own one of each type.
If you like/love/adore tea, this is a must do. Even if you don't like tea, you might learn to like tea or you can admire/relax in the gardens (they have a cool breeze),
The Shuangfeng branch has a Tea History Hall, a Tea Category Hall (over 100 teas from different areas of China) Tea Information Hall (methods of producing and drinking tea), a Tea Sets Hall (tea sets from various dynasties), a Tea Customs Hall (tea drinking customs throughout China), and a Purple Clay Hall (the famous Yixing clay teapots). There is also a tea plant garden, various classrooom facilities, a cultural exchange center and four tea houses where you can sit in the lovely garden area and sip a glass/cup of tea (purchased). They also sell tea as well. Both branches have Tea houses. The gift small is small but tasteful with fair or better prices on nice tea sets and pots. There were actually four books on tea, Chinese tea, etc. in English.
I LOVED this museum. I love tea. The displays are thoughtfully arranged and the signage in English is good to excellent. I spent about 45 minutes in the Tea Category Hall listening to all the information on the types of tea. They have an example of the teas on the wall with a number. You pick up the phone for that group, press for English or Chinese and the number. Information is provided about the tea, where i is grown, and the taste as if you were at a wine tasting, "...a light green tea with a fresh flavor and a hint of grass, with an aftertaste of berries...". So much fun. The tea sets were amazing and I wanted to own one of each type.
If you like/love/adore tea, this is a must do. Even if you don't like tea, you might learn to like tea or you can admire/relax in the gardens (they have a cool breeze),
Written November 17, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lynn M
Houston, TX2,526 contributions
Jul 2018 • Solo
We were on a day tour with a private guide and driver, and we opted to go into the tea museum. I am not a tea person that much, but I was seeking some air conditioning (which they had) and Western style bathroom facilities (which they had).'
We ended up walking through the tea museum with our guide who was extremely knowledgeable about this museum. So, I ended up enjoying it much more than I thought I would. I especially like the "window" with all of the different tea leaves displayed.
Two things I learned about tea while in China (and, again, I am a once-in-a-while-when-it-is-cold-in-Houston tea drinker. Been to Houston? Not cold here much).
One, I learned that tea in China taste way better than tea in the United States. (I also think that drinking red wine in California taste way better than other places. Which I think has to do with the atmosphere, the ambiance, the terrain, etc. that you get in California. Same thing goes for China.)
Two, I learned that they keep all of the really good tea leaves in Hangzhou and send the lesser quality tea leaves to be used to make Lipton tea. (No wonder I have never liked Lipton tea.)
We ended up walking through the tea museum with our guide who was extremely knowledgeable about this museum. So, I ended up enjoying it much more than I thought I would. I especially like the "window" with all of the different tea leaves displayed.
Two things I learned about tea while in China (and, again, I am a once-in-a-while-when-it-is-cold-in-Houston tea drinker. Been to Houston? Not cold here much).
One, I learned that tea in China taste way better than tea in the United States. (I also think that drinking red wine in California taste way better than other places. Which I think has to do with the atmosphere, the ambiance, the terrain, etc. that you get in California. Same thing goes for China.)
Two, I learned that they keep all of the really good tea leaves in Hangzhou and send the lesser quality tea leaves to be used to make Lipton tea. (No wonder I have never liked Lipton tea.)
Written July 23, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WorldFoodie32
Long Stratton, UK702 contributions
Feb 2016 • Couples
This was a hidden treasure amd a great way of spending 2-3 hours. Firstly get the 87 bus from the pagoda to the tea museum, this bus goes past lots of fantastic walks so feel free to hop off and explore (HINT: Download MAPS.ME, an offline route setting map app, you can easily walk there from anywhere in the vicinity).
Once at the museum there is an expanse of fields to look at and a few fountains leading to the entrance, it is sign posted.
The museum is free and explains the history of tea, its significance to Chinese traditions throughout history and its economic importance. There is a lot to read here but it is interesting and there is a well priced store at the end where you can pick up some tea to taste for yourself (6¥ per sachet and 68¥ per box). They sell Green tea, White Tea, Black Tea, Yellow Tea and Dark tea.
We thoroughly enjoyed our day here.
Once at the museum there is an expanse of fields to look at and a few fountains leading to the entrance, it is sign posted.
The museum is free and explains the history of tea, its significance to Chinese traditions throughout history and its economic importance. There is a lot to read here but it is interesting and there is a well priced store at the end where you can pick up some tea to taste for yourself (6¥ per sachet and 68¥ per box). They sell Green tea, White Tea, Black Tea, Yellow Tea and Dark tea.
We thoroughly enjoyed our day here.
Written February 29, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BritishRayster
England76 contributions
May 2014 • Family
I love the tea Museum!!
It's quite a short tour through the museum part, explaining the history of tea according to China, but it's very interesting. This place lacks the usual touts of so many places and is very tranquil.
If you're keen on going to garden centres for a cup of tea back home in England etc, this is definitely the best place in Hangzhou. It's away from all the bustle of the city and one can stroll among the tea plantations all day. In fact, finding a hotel/hostel in Xihu district means you can take the Y3 bus out there and slowly meander home past tea fields, wetlands bridges and pagodas. If you're there in spring you can sometimes see soon-to-be-weds taking photos in full dress.
One or two words of warning: LongJin tea is one of China's most famous teas and is VERY expensive. There are plenty of good quality, expensive teas from the plantations around LongJin and they are also called LongJin with different endings, eg LongJinBai etc. Personally I'm happy to spend my money on these.
On that note, there's a pavillion in the Tea Museum garden that offers tea tasting at 60-200RMB a pot, steer clear of it, you'll have a better experience with the one inside the museum. It's about 80RMB for 4 people, you'll choose which teas to sample and be taken through how to drink them. 20RMB/head for a bit of fun.
Not related to the museum, but perfectly placed, is the Green Tea Restaurant down by the road. It's a chain, there's another one down by Xihu, but the food is great and very reasonable. The setting is lovely, especially when they open the shutters and you sit on the edge of a wide pond on a Summers day watching the terrapins.
Go to the Tea Museum!!
It's quite a short tour through the museum part, explaining the history of tea according to China, but it's very interesting. This place lacks the usual touts of so many places and is very tranquil.
If you're keen on going to garden centres for a cup of tea back home in England etc, this is definitely the best place in Hangzhou. It's away from all the bustle of the city and one can stroll among the tea plantations all day. In fact, finding a hotel/hostel in Xihu district means you can take the Y3 bus out there and slowly meander home past tea fields, wetlands bridges and pagodas. If you're there in spring you can sometimes see soon-to-be-weds taking photos in full dress.
One or two words of warning: LongJin tea is one of China's most famous teas and is VERY expensive. There are plenty of good quality, expensive teas from the plantations around LongJin and they are also called LongJin with different endings, eg LongJinBai etc. Personally I'm happy to spend my money on these.
On that note, there's a pavillion in the Tea Museum garden that offers tea tasting at 60-200RMB a pot, steer clear of it, you'll have a better experience with the one inside the museum. It's about 80RMB for 4 people, you'll choose which teas to sample and be taken through how to drink them. 20RMB/head for a bit of fun.
Not related to the museum, but perfectly placed, is the Green Tea Restaurant down by the road. It's a chain, there's another one down by Xihu, but the food is great and very reasonable. The setting is lovely, especially when they open the shutters and you sit on the edge of a wide pond on a Summers day watching the terrapins.
Go to the Tea Museum!!
Written July 6, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pelfrot
Kopstal60 contributions
Aug 2012 • Solo
This museum was a big surprise. I cycled there. Easy, good roads, hardly any traffic. Very lovely pastoral setting, luxurously green tea plantations, hazy hills, and the museum itself set in a beautiful formal garden with tea houses, bridges and a multitude of flowers. The museum is free and offers a fascinating journey through the history of tea, the art of preparing tea, the different types etc. And all in English! That was the biggest surprise. In Hangzhou I hardly met anybody who could speak even a few words of English. Here, all displays were bilingual, and I even got a very nice, interesting and tasty tea drinking session also done for free by an employee who spoke excellent English. The displays themselves are well presented and much more interesting than for instance what I saw 3 days earlier in the silk museum in Suzhou. Highly recommended. Close by I found an excellent open air restaurant. No English, but the tasty dishes are all displayed on a menu with photographs. After the museum visit, I cycled on through the hills for a,nother 2 hours (very agreeable) before returning to the city.
Written March 30, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Simone G
Broadbeach, Australia
Hi
We just visited this tea centre and I bought a small can of green tea and I am now regret tying not buying the large green packet in the demonstration. Does anyone know if and how you could buy tea and have it sent to Australia from here?
SaraSalins
Shanghai, China41 contributions
Hi, I will be visiting Hangzhou next week. Can you please let me know how to reach the location? I will be staying in an hotel close to the city centre and the lake
thanks
Sara
Yi Dong Su
Paris, France136 contributions
Yes of course ! Here the adress and all the information for the tea Museum, hope you like Hangzhou life ! :D
Anthony !
中国茶叶博物馆(龙井路)
China National Tea Museum
Address: 88#,Longjing Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Tel: 0571-87964221/87964232
Fax:0571-87982096
Opening Hours: 8:30-16:30 Close on Monday
Transport: Take bus 27 or Y3 (Tourism Bus Line 3) and get off at Shuangfeng Station
ericksmb
China84 contributions
is there a fee?
newyorkresident
Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Germany34 contributions
I believe there is a fee. I traveled with Shanghai Outing Club. The trip was a hike of the tea plantation and visit to the museum with one fee for the entire trip. Highly recommend the hike.
Hlamme
London, UK94 contributions
What pagoda do you get the bus from?
apathynext
Atlantis Bahamas, New Providence Island59 contributions
The bus stop is on the main road; take a left at the exit and head towards Lu Cha. I think we took bus 27 back to the north end of West Lake.
National Tea Museum (Hangzhou) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about National Tea Museum
- National Tea Museum is open:
- Tue - Sun 8:30 AM - 4:15 PM
- We recommend booking National Tea Museum tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 8 National Tea Museum tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience National Tea Museum:
- Day Tour To Discover the Secrets of Hangzhou's Tea Culture (From $165.00)
- One-Day Hangzhou Dragon Well Tea Culture & West Lake Private Tour (From $190.73)
- Hangzhou Local Private Day Trip (From $95.37)
- Hangzhou Day Trip Dragon Well Tea Plantation and Culture Tour (From $126.10)
- All-Inclusive Private Day Tour to Hangzhou by Bullet Train (From $160.43)
- Hotels near National Tea Museum:
- (0.06 mi) Rohcha Inn
- (0.16 mi) Yushu Inn
- (1.35 mi) Four Seasons Hangzhou at West Lake
- (1.45 mi) Amanfayun
- (0.46 mi) Zhejiang Hotel (Santaishan Road)
- Restaurants near National Tea Museum:
- (0.08 mi) Qian ShiFu ChaZhuang
- (0.15 mi) Green Tea Restaurant (Longjing Road)
- (0.18 mi) NiaoYu ChaXiang
- (0.19 mi) Lin Jun Ge
- (0.27 mi) Chun XiaQiu Dong HuaYuan Restaurant
National Tea Museum Information
Excellent Reviews | 98 |
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Very Good Reviews | 87 |
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