2026 Emei Zhu Ye Qing Green Tea

A High-Grade Zhu Ye Qing, newly harvested in March 2026

Zhu Ye Qing Green Tea pre-Qingming 2026

Harvest: 28.03.2026 (before the Qingming Festival, early April)

Origin: 1200 meters above sea level on Emei Shan, Sichuan Province, China

Taste: fresh, floral, subtly sweet like sweetcorn, herbaceous like artichokes, smooth, elegant, no bitterness. The elegant spring in a cup.

Zhu Ye Qing is a green tea primarily popular in western China.

The Zhu Ye Qing harvest consists only of buds or one bud with one leaf from Emei Shan (Mount Emei) in Sichuan.

Due to its flat appearance, the tea looks a bit like Longjing but differs greatly in taste from Longjing. The taste of freshness is the characteristic of this green tea; it does not have the nuttiness that usually results from the roasting process. The taste is also smoother and greener compared to Longjing.

If you are interested in this tea, then please also check out our other green tea from Emei Shan: Bi Luo Chun (Jade Snail)

Preparation

To prepare the perfect cup of Zhu Ye Qing tea, the water should be at a temperature of approximately 80˚C. Boiling water would prevent all the flavors from dissolving. The taste would not be nearly as intense.

• Then it depends on whether you prepare the tea in the traditional way or in the European way (Western style). Traditionally, for a small pot of tea (approx. 150 - 200 ml), approx. 5-6 g of tea is used. For a Gaiwan, about half is taken. According to Western understanding, this seems far too much.

• Then you pour hot water over the tea. This first infusion is only for warming the cup and lightly cleaning the tea. You discard the first infusion.

• Now you pour water over it again. For the 2nd infusion, a steeping time of approx. 20-30 seconds is recommended.
  If you are not familiar with traditional preparation, this may seem very short. Due to the amount of tea used, the taste will still be intense.

• After the time has elapsed, pour the tea (water) completely into a cup. Now enjoy your 2nd infusion.

• For the 3rd infusion, refill your pot (or Gaiwan) with hot water. This time, increase the steeping time to about 1 minute.

• You can repeat this process up to 5 times. Each time, you increase the steeping time slightly.

I probably don't need to describe Western preparation in such detail. You pour a few grams of tea (approx. 4-5 g) into a medium-sized teapot with hot water and wait 2-3 minutes. You can also enjoy Long Jing tea well this way. In comparison, however, the aroma is significantly more intense and richer with traditional preparation. However, it also requires significantly more time and attention.

If you ever have more time, then you should really try traditional tea preparation!

A suitable and traditional tea utensil for this tea is a porcelain Gaiwan.