Longjing is one of China's most revered green teas.
龙井是中国最受推崇的绿茶之一。
But as its traditional production has dwindled, one of the best ways to taste the real thing is to head to the hills where it's harvested.
但随着其传统制作日渐减少，品尝真正龙井的最好方式之一，就是前往它被采摘的山间。
On a lush hillside on the fringes of Hangzhou, Ge Xiaopeng stands between rows of tea bushes and examines a tiny leaf.
在杭州城郊一片郁郁葱葱的山坡上，葛晓鹏站在一排排茶树之间，察看一片小小的叶子。
He grips it between his thumb and forefinger and carefully lifts it upward, effortlessly detaching it from its stem.
他用拇指和食指夹住它，小心地向上一提，便轻松地把它从茎上摘了下来。
He drops the bud into his basket, which is already full of tender leaves, each one smooth and slender, green as jade.
他把茶芽放进篮子里，篮中已经装满了嫩叶，每一片都光滑纤细，绿如翡翠。
Xiaopeng, like other farmers who grow Longjing tea, has been waiting for this moment all year.
小鹏和其他种植龙井茶的茶农一样，整整一年都在等待这一刻。
Literally meaning "Dragon Well", Longjing is one of China's most revered green teas, famous for flourishing in the rolling hills around West Lake in Hangzhou, a former imperial capital in eastern China's Zhejiang Province.
龙井字面意思为“Dragon Well”，是中国最受推崇的绿茶之一，以生长在中国东部浙江省杭州西湖周边起伏的山丘间而闻名；杭州曾是帝王都城。
On this breezy day in March, right around the spring equinox, Xiaopeng says the leaves have finally reached the standard of 2.
在这个微风轻拂的三月日子里，正值春分前后，小鹏说茶叶终于达到了2这个标准。
5cm in length, which means the annual spring harvest is underway.
长度为5厘米，这意味着一年一度的春茶采摘已经开始。
Longjing has been a recognisable name among tea lovers for centuries, ever since the Qianlong Emperor visited Hangzhou in the 18th Century.
自18世纪乾隆皇帝到访杭州以来，几个世纪里，龙井一直是茶爱好者熟知的名字。
According to legend, he was so taken with the tea that he ordered 18 bushes to be bestowed with imperial status and reserved their yields for the court.
据传说，他对这种茶如此着迷，以至于下令将18棵茶树赐予御茶地位，并把它们的产量专供宫廷享用。
In recent years, Longjing's reputation has only deepened, driven by a tightened geographic designation, renewed domestic appetite for traditional goods, and rising global awareness of regional Chinese teas.
近年来，在更严格的地理标识、国内对传统产品重新升温的需求，以及全球对中国地方茶认知提升的推动下，龙井的声誉只增不减。
At the same time, the case for visiting these hillside farms has never felt more pressing.
与此同时，前往这些山坡茶园探访的理由也从未显得如此迫切。
A persistent counterfeit market has made genuine Longjing trickier to identify, while the labour-intensive hand-firing work that shapes the tea's character is increasingly being replaced by machines.
长期存在的假冒市场让真正的龙井更难辨认，而塑造这种茶特色、耗费大量人工的手工炒制也越来越多地被机器取代。
Today, traditionally made Longjing is both more coveted and harder to come by.
如今，传统工艺制作的龙井更受追捧，也更难买到。
As a result, visiting Hangzhou's tea villages is one of the surest ways to see the tea made at its source.
因此，探访杭州的茶村，是亲眼看到龙井在原产地制作的最可靠方式之一。
For Xiaopeng, a fourth-generation tea grower, the year has always been organised around the springtime harvest.
对第四代茶农晓鹏来说，一年向来都是围绕春季采茶来安排的。
"Timing is highly important when it comes to Longjing," he explains.
他解释说：“说到龙井，时机非常重要。”
The earliest flushes, which bud in mid- to late-March, are the most prized, renowned for their restrained chestnut aroma and delicate, understated flavour.
最早的一批新芽在三月中下旬萌发，最为珍贵，以含蓄的栗香和细腻低调的滋味而闻名。
So treasured are these buds that Longjing is graded according to when it was plucked in the Chinese calendar, which divides the year into 24 micro-seasons based on the Earth's position relative to the Sun.
这些嫩芽如此珍贵，以至于龙井会按照其在中国历法中的采摘时间来分级；中国历法根据地球相对于太阳的位置，将一年划分为二十四个细分节气。
The mingqian tier refers to the early batches plucked before Qingming, the solar term that begins on 4 or 5 April; while later harvests are called yuqian (meaning "before Guyu", the following solar term).
“明前”等级指的是清明前采摘的早期批次；清明是始于4月4日或5日的节气，而之后采摘的茶则称为“雨前”（意思是“谷雨之前”，谷雨是下一个节气）。
Even a few days' difference when harvesting can significantly influence the value of the leaves: from Xiaopeng's family farm, just 500g of the earliest mingqian batches can now fetch upwards of 30,000 yuan (roughly £3,250 or $4,400).
采摘时间哪怕只差几天，也会显著影响茶叶的价值：小鹏家的茶园里，最早一批明前茶如今仅500克就能卖到3万元以上（约合3250英镑或4400美元）。
Xiaopeng says this figure would have been unimaginable a generation ago – the result of rising labour costs and a widening gap between supply and demand.
小鹏说，这个数字在上一代人看来会是难以想象的，这是劳动力成本上升以及供需差距不断扩大的结果。
I came to Xiaopeng's family farm in Longwu Tea Village at the recommendation of my friend and Hangzhou native Meng Keqi, who previously owned a tea shop in Chicago before returning to his hometown.
我是经朋友、杭州人孟可琪推荐，来到龙坞茶村晓鹏家的农场；他回乡前曾在芝加哥经营一家茶店。
As I follow Xiaopeng through his field as part of a tour, the sky is overcast, the air balmy.
作为一次参观行程的一部分，我跟着小鹏穿过他的茶田时，天空阴沉，空气温暖宜人。
"These conditions are ideal for the leaves," he says, explaining that light, misty drizzles and gentle sunshine allow the shoots to grow slowly, lending the early harvests their signature clean, delicate flavour, free of astringency or grassiness.
“这些条件对茶叶来说很理想，”他说，并解释道，轻柔的雾状细雨和温和的阳光能让嫩芽缓慢生长，赋予早春采摘的茶叶标志性的清爽细腻风味，没有涩感或青草味。
Yet, this approximately two-week mingqian harvest window is as anticipated as it is narrow – not to mention increasingly hard to predict as climate change alters seasonal weather patterns.
然而，这个大约两周的明前采摘期既备受期待又十分短暂，更不用说随着气候变化改变季节性天气模式，它也越来越难以预测。
Once the calendar approaches Guyu, around 19 or 20 April, warmer temperatures and heavier rainfall hasten growth, drawing out more of the tea's bitter notes.
一旦日历接近谷雨，也就是4月19日或20日左右，气温升高、雨量增多会加快茶芽生长，也会带出更多苦味。
Not only do early-budding leaves have a sweeter, more subtle flavour, their delicateness also requires an especially careful and precise touch when wok-firing – a critical step in the craft of Longjing.
早发的茶叶不仅味道更甜、更细腻，其娇嫩特性也要求在锅炒时手法格外小心精准，而锅炒正是龙井工艺中的关键一步。
After the leaves are plucked, artisans perform the laborious work of pan-firing them by hand, tossing the leaves in enormous woks heated up to 200C.
茶叶采下后，工匠们要手工完成费力的锅炒工序，把茶叶在加热到200摄氏度的大锅里翻炒。
I watch as Xiaopeng's father, Ge Zhenghua, sweeps leaves across the wok, scoops them up, then releases them back down in precise, practiced strokes – all without wearing gloves.
我看着晓鹏的父亲葛正华把茶叶在锅中拨扫、捧起，再以精准娴熟的动作放回锅里，整个过程都没有戴手套。
Because my mother is from near Hangzhou, I grew up drinking Longjing, but this is my first time watching the wok-firing process up close, and I marvel at the fact that there are nothing but tea leaves protecting his palms from the searing hot pan.
因为我的母亲来自杭州附近，我从小喝龙井长大，但这是我第一次近距离观看锅炒制茶的过程；令我惊叹的是，保护他的手掌免受滚烫锅面灼伤的，竟然只有茶叶本身。
The firing process is arguably what makes Longjing what it is, says Zhenghua.
正华说，炒制过程可以说正是成就龙井本色的关键。
It halts oxidation, preserving the leaves' green hue; and presses them into their distinctive spear shape, a Longjing hallmark.
这一步会停止氧化，保留茶叶的绿色色泽，并把茶叶压成独特的矛形，这是龙井的标志性特征。
Importantly, it also evaporates moisture.
重要的是，它还会蒸发水分。
"Drying thoroughly is what helps release their fragrance, and it allows the leaves to be stored without spoiling," says Zhenghua.
“彻底干燥有助于释放茶叶的香气，也能让茶叶在储存时不变质，”正华说。
"I don't wear gloves because I need to feel the level of heat, the moisture."
“我不戴手套，因为我需要感受热度和水分的程度。”
Nowadays, more farmers are relying on machines to handle the task of wok-firing, saving a great deal of time and exertion during the busy harvest season.
如今，越来越多茶农依靠机器来完成锅炒工序，在繁忙的采摘季节节省大量时间和体力。
"When we were young, we hardly slept during this stretch," recalls Zhenghua, explaining how the family would fire leaves around the clock.
“我们年轻的时候，这段时间几乎不睡觉，”正华回忆道，并解释说一家人会昼夜不停地炒茶。
While machine-firing produces consistent-enough results that most drinkers likely wouldn't perceive a difference, Zhenghua says he can still taste what is lost – a fuller-bodied fragrance and a more lingering sweetness.
虽然机器炒制能产生足够稳定的效果，多数饮茶者可能尝不出差别，但正华说，他仍能尝出其中失去的东西：更饱满的香气和更持久的甜味。
"Hands can decipher what machines cannot," he says.
他说：“手能读懂机器读不出的东西。”
"Machines are dead.
“机器是死的。
These hands are alive."
这双手是有生命的。”
When the firing is complete, Zhenghua weighs the leaves and packages them, pressing a sticker certifying their authenticity onto each bundle.
炒制完成后，正华给茶叶称重并包装，在每包上贴上一张证明其正品身份的贴纸。
He explains that the government has limited the designated growing area for genuine West Lake Longjing to within a 168-sq-km region.
他解释说，政府已将正宗西湖龙井的指定种植区域限定在168平方公里的范围内。
In certain production zones elsewhere in Zhejiang Province, the tea can be called Longjing, without the West Lake designation.
在浙江省其他一些特定产区，所产茶叶可以称为龙井，但不能冠以西湖之名。
Anything grown outside of that can only legally be sold as green tea.
在该范围之外种植的任何茶叶，依法只能作为绿茶出售。
To curb counterfeiting, authorities now issue a limited number of authentication stickers for verified growers to affix to their products; each sticker carries a QR code linking to a traceability system.
为遏制造假，当局现在向认证种植者发放数量有限的认证贴纸，供他们贴在产品上；每张贴纸都带有二维码，可链接到追溯系统。
Demand for real Longjing has surged in recent years, propelled in part by the guochao movement, a trend drawing younger Chinese consumers back towards traditional Chinese heritage products.
近年来，真正龙井的需求量激增，部分原因是国潮运动的推动；这一趋势正吸引年轻的中国消费者重新关注传统中国文化产品。
But enthusiasm for Longjing – especially mingqian leaves – far surpasses what the hills can yield during the brief and variable harvest window.
但人们对龙井，尤其是明前茶的热情，远远超过这些山丘在短暂且多变的采摘期内所能产出的数量。
The supply gap has made Longjing a target for fraudulent buds grown elsewhere in China but still bearing the name.
供需缺口使龙井成为假冒茶芽的目标，这些茶芽产自中国其他地方，却仍打着龙井的名号。
For many customers, the most reliable guarantee is to know the hands that produced the leaves.
对许多顾客来说，最可靠的保证就是认识亲手制作这些茶叶的人。
It's why, come spring, Zhenghua says that many of his regulars visit his farm, where they watch him fire the leaves with their own eyes.
正因如此，正华说每到春天，他的许多老顾客都会来到他的茶园，亲眼看他炒茶。
It's also why the family opened Yige Tea House nearby, where the Longjing-curious can participate in farm tours, pan-firing demonstrations and tastings.
这也是他们一家在附近开设一阁茶舍的原因，在那里，对龙井感兴趣的人可以参加农场参观、锅炒演示和品鉴活动。
Tea education centres, too, can offer a more intimate look at Longjing, including guided farm visits, wok-firing workshops and expert-led tasting experiences.
茶叶教育中心也能让人更近距离地了解龙井，包括带导览的茶园参观、锅炒制茶工作坊以及由专家带领的品鉴体验。
After leaving the tea fields, I head to one such school, Suye Tea Institute, to meet tea instructor Chen Yifang, who had just sourced a batch of the season's mingqian leaves.
离开茶田后，我前往这样一所学校——素业茶学院，去见茶艺老师陈一芳，她刚刚采购到一批当季的明前茶叶。
All the effort that goes into producing a batch of Longjing ultimately expresses itself in the cup – a flavour so delicate and subtle that I always find it hard to describe.
制作一批龙井所投入的全部心力，最终都会在杯中呈现出来——那是一种如此精致微妙的风味，我总觉得难以形容。
Chen likens its clean, fresh quality to the gentle aroma of spring pea flowers or fava bean blossoms – softly floral, mildly nutty, the faintest bit sweet.
陈把它清新纯净的特质比作春天豌豆花或蚕豆花的淡淡香气——柔和的花香，略带坚果味，还有一丝若有若无的甜。
• The sweet Chinese dumpling that honours the dead
• 纪念逝者的中国甜粽
"Part of the beauty is its understatedness," says Chen, as she pours me a cup brewed from leaves harvested nearby just a few days earlier.
“它的美有一部分就在于它的含蓄低调，”陈一边说，一边给我倒了一杯茶，茶叶是几天前刚在附近采摘的。
Longjing, she explains, is a ritual that rewards patience and attention.
她解释说，品饮龙井是一种仪式，会回报耐心与专注。
She draws a comparison to bolder beverages, like black tea and coffee: "They will tell you very directly, 'This is what I am,' whereas with Longjing, you must spend time sitting with it before it reveals its personality."
她把它与红茶和咖啡等味道更鲜明的饮品作比较：“它们会非常直接地告诉你，‘我就是这样的’，而龙井则需要你花时间与它相处，它才会显露自己的个性。”
For years, Zhenghua worried that his craft might fade out with his generation.
多年来，正华一直担心他的这门手艺可能会随着他这一代人而消失。
Many children of Longjing growers left the villages, pursuing university education and higher-paying jobs in the cities.
许多龙井茶农的子女离开村庄，去城市接受大学教育并寻找薪酬更高的工作。
Now, more people are returning to the fields to learn their parents' skills, including his son, as the tea's market value makes it a more sustainable livelihood than it once was.
如今，随着龙井的市场价值让种茶比过去更能成为可持续的生计，越来越多人回到茶田学习父辈的技艺，其中也包括他的儿子。
There is another pull, too: a recognition that if they do not inherit the knowledge, it could well die with their parents.
还有另一种吸引力：他们意识到，如果不继承这些知识，它很可能会随着父母一代的离去而消失。
"Young people who grew up on these tea farms, they smell this every spring" says Zhenghua.
“在这些茶园里长大的年轻人，每年春天都会闻到这种味道，”正华说。
"This is the aroma of their hometown."
“这是他们家乡的香气。”
Over many visits to my mum's home region throughout my life, I've come to understand that what draws people to Hangzhou every spring isn't only the tea.
这些年来，我多次到访母亲的家乡一带，也渐渐明白，每年春天吸引人们来到杭州的并不只有茶。
It's also the chance to experience a precious, fleeting seasonal window, one when timing and terroir align to summon the year's first buds from those misty hillsides.
这也是一次体验珍贵而短暂季节窗口的机会：在那一刻，时机与风土相契合，从雾气缭绕的山坡上唤出一年中的第一批茶芽。
Nowadays, perhaps it is also an opportunity to bear witness to a time-honoured trade that may not endure in its present form forever.
如今，这或许也是一个见证这门历史悠久的行当的机会，因为它也许无法永远以现在的形式延续下去。
For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
想阅读更多 BBC 旅游故事，请在 Facebook 和 Instagram 上关注我们。