This year, variety 43 of West Lake Longjing Tea will be officially harvested on March 20, while the group varieties will be harvested around March 27.

According to Shao Jinghua, deputy director of the Hangzhou agriculture and rural affairs bureau, the low temperatures and rainy weather in February, along with recent meteorological conditions, have pushed the harvest season for variety 43 back a week later than last year.

Hangzhou has taken a number of measures since 2023 to combat illegal activities such as producing and selling counterfeit tea, infringing on "West Lake Longjing Tea" trademark rights, and the illegal use of specific labels for the tea.

The city has also formulated and implemented the Management Measures for Anti-counterfeiting and Traceability Specific Labels for West Lake Longjing Tea, which clarifies regulations on the number, issuance, application, return, and destruction of the labels.

After the spring tea harvest, the city will regulate the application of such labels at 43 service points. For tea enterprises purchasing tea leaves from farmers, the transfer of label data will be strictly implemented. After the spring tea season, the remaining labels will be returned, and at the end of the year, the returned labels will be audited and destroyed.

Protecting the ecological environment of tea gardens and promoting green development are essential for improving the quality of West Lake Longjing Tea. Currently, Hangzhou is accelerating the establishment of intelligent monitoring stations in tea gardens, deploying monitoring equipment for meteorology, soil, and pests, and implementing drone plant protection measures.

In addition, Hangzhou will organize a series of activities such as tea-frying competitions, evaluations of famous teas, and training sessions on tea-frying techniques to protect and preserve the intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship of making West Lake Longjing Tea.